Privateers Start May With First Ever Contests vs. Abilene Christian

ABILENE CHRISTIAN (10-31, 8-13) AT NEW ORLEANS (14-30, 3-18)
GAME 45-47 | MAESTRI FIELD AT FIRST NBC BALLPARK | NEW ORLEANS, LA.
FRIDAY 6:30 PM | SATURDAY 2 PM | SUNDAY 1 PM

GAME NOTES | AUDIO | VIDEO | TWITTER
 
THE SERIES:
The New Orleans Privateers baseball team (14-30, 3-18) will wrap up a busy week with a three-game conference series against the Abilene Christian Wildcats (10-31, 8-13). The home series begins on Friday with a first pitch at 6:30 p.m. at Maestri Field at First NBC Ballpark.
 
The Privateers split a pair of mid-week road games. After defeating Jackson State and recording their highest run and hit totals in a game this season, New Orleans fell 6-3 to Louisiana-Lafayette on Wednesday night. The Privateers finished the month of April with a 3-13 record overall. Jarred Taylor returned from injury on Wednesday and pitched 2.0 innings, giving up one unearned run.
 
Abilene Christian comes in having lost 11 of their last 13 games. The Wildcats did not play a mid-week game. In their last weekend series, the Wildcats lost two of three at Stephen F. Austin including a 3-0 loss in the series finale. All four of Abilene Christian's wins in April came against conference competition.
 
Head Coach Britt Bonneau is one win away from the 700-win mark at Abilene Christian. Bonneau is in his 19^th season and has guided the Wildcats to 40-plus win seasons 12 times. Saturday starter, Thomas Altimont has all three complete games on the mound for the Wildcats. Altimont ranks 11^th in the Southland in strikeouts (56) and recorded 10 strikeouts last weekend against Stephen F. Austin.

WEATHER:

Day	Temperature	Conditions	Rain Chance	Winds
Friday	82/61	Clear	0%	NE 5-10
Saturday	80/60	Mostly Sunny	0%	ENE 5-10
Sunday	80/64	Sunny	0%	ESE 5-10

 
PITCHING ROTATION:
Friday- UNO: Jordan Priddle LHP (4-4, 5.15) vs. ACU: Drew Hanson RHP (1-2, 3.79)
Saturday- UNO: Kevin Kelleher RHP (2-7, 4.15) vs. ACU: Thomas Altimont RHP (2-7, 3.96)
Sunday- UNO: Shawn Semple RHP (2-3, 2.13) vs. ACU: Garrett Demeyere RHP (2-4, 4.78)
 
ALL-TIME SERIES:
RECORD: First meeting
 
NEXT UP:
The Privateers will have final exams over the week and return to action in a split series against Nicholls starting on Friday, May 8.
 
NEWS AND NOTES:
TODAY'S GREATEST HITS:
The Privateers collected 10 hits against Louisiana-Lafayette on Wednesday evening, which brought their season total to 401 hits. New Orleans is ranked sixth in the Southland in hits, but ranks last in doubles, and 12^th in triples and home runs. Only Abilene Christian has fewer homers this season.
 
SLUMP BUSTER:
Hezekiah Randolph racked up a three-hit game against the Cajuns on Wednesday night, bringing his average back up to .260. In 39 previous at-bats throughout the month of April, Randolph had collected just five hits. Randolph also now leads the team in doubles after hitting his seventh two-bagger on Wednesday.
 
HERE'S THE CATCH:
Jonathan Santana has started six of the last seven games and has seven hits in that span. On Wednesday, Santana hit a two-run double to tie the game at 3-3 in the sixth inning. Santana has also struck out just twice in his last 28 at-bats.
 
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