Privateers Baseball Gears Up for Weekend Series vs. Northwestern State

NORTHWESTERN STATE AT NEW ORLEANS
FRIDAY-SUNDAY APRIL 15-17 | 6:30, 2:00, 1:00 PM
MAESTRI FIELD AT FIRST NBC BALLPARK | NEW ORLEANS, LA.

LIVE STATS | TWITTER | AUDIO | VIDEO | GAME NOTES | WEATHER
 
The University of New Orleans baseball team (18-14, 4-8 Southland) will incur the same scenario as their weekend opponent, the Northwestern State Demons (17-15, 8-7) when they begin a three-game series on Friday at Maestri Field at First NBC Ballpark. The series gets underway with a first pitch set for 6:30 p.m.
 
The Demons already entered the weekend without a mid-week game. UNO on the other hand, saw their scheduled mid-week game against Louisiana-Lafayette washed out. A make-up date was announced for May 17, leaving the Privateers with four full days of rest heading into another critical conference weekend series.
 
"The rain out gives these guys another day's rest," said Coach Blake Dean. "We would have liked to get some at bats, but on the other side it gives us another day to get these guys' feet back under them and get them ready to roll."
 
UNO will go with the same rotation as they did last week. Shawn Semple will get the ball on Friday, Riley Hodge will throw on Saturday, and the Privateers will be TBA for Sunday. The Demons will counter with Adam Oller on Friday, Chase Hymel on Saturday, and Evan Tidwell for the series finale. Northwestern State enters with a team ERA of 3.22 and all three starters have an ERA under 3.00.
 
Samuel Capielano enters the week having boosted his average significantly over the last two weeks. Capielano has a hit in nine of his last ten games and has four multi-hit efforts. In that stretch, Capielano has raised his batting average 51 points and has moved back into the two hole in the order where he started the year.
 
"He's coming back around," said Dean of Capielano. "His wrist is feeling better and he's just had some bumps and bruises. More importantly, he's getting his confidence back and with Palmer hitting well in the lead-off spot, it gives Sammy a chance to get back in a groove."
 
The Privateers are searching for their first win over Northwestern State since Valentine's Day 1991. UNO is 3-9 against Northwestern State all time and the Demons have swept both series since UNO entered the Southland, but five of those six meetings have been decided by one or two runs.
 
Lane Burroughs heads up the Demons and is nearing the 100-win mark. In his fourth season in Natchitoches, Burroughs has racked up 97 wins. Last year, he guided Northwestern State to 31 wins overall and a 20-8 mark in conference.
 
Oller has been the Demons' ace and tone setter at the beginning of weekends. In his starts this season, Oller has pitched at least six innings every time. Oller has eight starts, two complete games, and an opponent batting average of .207. Oller has given up more than two earned runs just once this season (at Sam Houston State).
 
Offensively, the Demons have not enjoyed the same success. While Northwestern State is second in the conference in ERA, they are 11^th in batting average. The Demons are hitting .245 as a team and Cort Brinson leads all regulars in hitting (.277). Defensively, Northwestern State has turned 43 double plays, most in the conference and eight ahead of second place, Houston Baptist.
 
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 Athletics Ticket Office at (504) 280-GAME (4263) or click HERE.
 
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