Privateers Baseball Readies For First Ever Meeting With Valparaiso

VALPARAISO AT NEW ORLEANS
FEB. 26-28 | 6:30 P.M. (FRI.), 2 P.M. (SAT.), 1 P.M. (SUN.)
MAESTRI FIELD AT FIRST NBC BALLPARK | NEW ORLEANS, LA.

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The University of New Orleans baseball team (3-1) looks to shake off their first loss of the season on Friday when they start a three-game series with the Valparaiso Crusaders (1-2) out of the Horizon League. First pitch for the series opener is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday.
 
This weekend marks the second of four straight weekends to open the 2016 campaign that the Privateers are hosting opponents. Also coming into town in the first month are Pittsburgh and Sam Houston State.
 
New Orleans lost their first game of the season on Wednesday night when they fell 7-4 to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. The Privateers led once when they were ahead 3-1 after the top of the fourth, but could only muster three hits over the final 5.2 innings against the Southern Miss bullpen.
 
Dakota Dean picked up two hits in the loss that saw the Privateers staff walk eight batters and commit two errors in the field. "We've got to make quality pitches and play solid defense," said Coach Blake Dean. "If we don't, that'll put us in a bind because we don't have the number of arms to go to."
 
Though he took the loss, Keaton Brewer battled through 2.2 innings in relief on Tuesday after starter Bryan Warzek was lifted in the fourth. Brewer got some time as a starter over the summer and is being looked at in situations of long relief over mid-week and weekend games.
 
"Keaton got out of a couple of binds, but he wasn't real sharp," said Dean. "I thought he did a decent enough job to keep us in the ballgame. He's going to have to be a guy in the mid-week and weekend that we go to and he has to keep improving."
 
Friday will mark the first ever meeting between the Privateers and Crusaders. Both teams are expected to run the same rotation for the weekend with the Privateers throwing Shawn Semple, Riley Hodge, and Jordan Priddle. Valparaiso will counter with lefty, Dalton Lundeen on Friday and two right-handers, Ryan Fritze and Mario Losi.
 
The Crusaders are looking to shake off an opening weekend that saw them lose two of three to Jacksonville State. In the two losses, the Crusaders were outscored 20-13, but on the final day, Valpo coasted to a 14-4 victory. The Crusaders did not play a mid-week game and Friday starts a nine-game stretch all against Louisiana opponents.
 
Bryan Schmack is in his third season as head coach at Valparaiso after spending the previous seven years as the team's pitching coach. The Crusaders were picked third in the Horizon League and had three players named to the preseason All-Conference starter including Lundeen who will get the ball on Friday in the series opener. Shea Molitor led the Crusaders in RBIs in the opening weekend with five.
 
Season tickets for the 2016 campaign are available for as low as $125 and single-game tickets start at $5. For additional information, contact the UNO Atheltics Ticket Office at (504) 280-GAME (4263) or log on to the internet at http://www.unoprivateers.com.
 
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