Privateers Baseball Prepares for Series vs. Southland Leaders, Southeastern

NEW ORLEANS VS SOUTHEASTERN
FRIDAY-SUNDAY, MAY 13-15 | 6:00, 2:00, 1:00 PM
ALUMNI FIELD & MAESTRI FIELD | HAMMOND & NEW ORLEANS, LA.

FRIDAY, SUNDAY: LIVE STATS | AUDIO | VIDEO | GAME NOTES
SATURDAY: LIVE STATS | TWITTER | AUDIO | VIDEO | GAME NOTES
 
The University of New Orleans baseball team (28-19, 12-12 Southland) will face the top team in the conference standings when they start a three-game series with the Southeastern Lions (35-13, 21-3). The series starts Friday in Hammond with a first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m.
 
The Privateers enter the weekend in a tie for sixth in the conference standings with Central Arkansas with two weeks to go. UNO will play split series the rest of the way starting this weekend. The Friday and Sunday games will be in Hammond while the Saturday contest will take place at Maestri Field at First NBC Ballpark. Ochsner will be the official game sponsor for Saturday. On Friday, UNO will wear all gray in support of Louisiana Gray Day for brain cancer awareness.
 
"We'll have our hands full with Southeastern, no question about it," said Coach Blake Dean. "They've proven to be the best team in the conference last year and this year to this point. We're going to go out and play our best baseball and hopefully compete and give ourselves a chance to win."
 
The Privateers are hoping to turn their recent fortunes around against the Hammond-based school. UNO has not won a contest against the Lions since the 2008 season. Southeastern has swept the Privateers in both series since UNO joined the Southland.
 
Hezekiah Randolph had a two-hit game on Tuesday against Tulane in the Privateers' most recent outing. Randolph doubled, his 15^th of the season and he leads the team in extra base hits. Randolph has also reached base safely in 10 straight entering the weekend and is tied for third in the conference in doubles.
 
UNO will employ the same rotation that started the weekend against Abilene Christian. Riley Hodge will get the starting nod on Friday. Hunter Medine will follow on Saturday and the Sunday starter is currently to be determined.
 
Extra base hits have been a hallmark for both teams. The weekend match-up features a battle of the top two teams in the conference in triples. UNO has 20 triples while Southeastern trails close behind with 19.
 
"They like to run," said Dean. "You see their stolen base numbers, their extra base hits and they like to push the envelope. They're very aggressive so we're going to have to be prepared and we can't take anything for granted. We have to hustle to the ball and get it back in."
 
Southeastern is on a seven-game winning streak heading into the weekend. The Lions did not have a mid-week game after sweeping Lamar last weekend to move their conference mark to 21-3. The Lions need five wins in their last six conference games to match the Southland record for conference victories which was set by last season's Lions squad at 25.
 
Jameson Fisher has been dominant at the plate this season, reaching base safely in 38 straight games. Fisher has a .436 batting average, which ranks third in the country and also has 10 home runs and 54 RBIs.
 
Southeastern has been equally strong on the mound, boasting a .222 opponent batting average. Saturday starter, Mac Sceroler has won his last eight starts to boost his record to 9-2. Friday starter, Kyle Cedotal leads the team in strikeouts with 77 and Sunday starter, Domenick Carlini is second in the league with a 1.81 ERA.
 
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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