Baseball Takes On Grambling State In Neutral-Site Game On Tuesday

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NEW ORLEANS – The University of New Orleans baseball team takes on Grambling State on Tuesday, May 2, in a neutral-site game played at MGM Park in Biloxi, Miss., at 7:05 p.m. Fans interested in buying tickets can click here.

This will be just the eighth time the in-state foes will be playing against each other, with the Privateers leading the all-time series 5-3 after winning the last-two outings including an 11-8 win last year. Senior infielder Samuel Capielano and junior outfielder Jay Robinson each have posted two hits in both their outings against the Tigers, with Robinson adding three RBI. On the mound, junior righty Jarred Taylor got the win in the 2016 installment of the all-time series, while senior right-handed pitcher Riley Hodge struck out eight Tigers in 5.0 innings of work.

"[Grambling State head coach James] Cooper does a good job over there," head coach Blake Dean said. "He has had pretty good success and last year they played us pretty tight. They will be fundamentally sound and playing with high energy. We have to do everything we can to make plays on defense and get big hits. When we have opportunities to score we need to capitalize, we can't leave runners on base when they are in scoring position."

New Orleans (21-22-1) enters the neutral-site contest against Grambling following a 2-1 weekend outing against UIW, averaging 11 runs and 14.67 hits in the series.

Offensively, New Orleans is hitting .295 (458-1550) with a .441 slugging percentage off the strength of 85 doubles, 12 triples and 39 home runs while posting 255 RBI. Junior catcher John Cable leads five Privateers who are hitting over .300 with a .353 average, followed by junior infielder Owen Magee, Capielano, junior outfielder Tristan Clarke and sophomore centerfielder Orynn Veillon with marks of .345, .331, .302 and .300 respectively. Magee leads the team with 13 doubles, with Capielano boasting three doubles and junior outfielder Tristan Clarke having nine home runs while Magee also leads the team with 38 RBI.

On the mound, UNO sports a 4.75 ERA while tallying 339 strikeouts with 169 walks in 390.1 innings of work to date. Sophomore southpaw Bryan Warzek and junior right-handed pitcher Shawn Semple both have six wins; with Warzek posting a team-low 2.25 ERA and .237 opposing batting average in a team-high 72.0 innings while Semple boasts a team-best 73 strikeouts. Freshman right-handed pitcher Reeves Martin leads the team with three saves and 23 mound appearances this season.

Grambling State (19-26) enters the midweek tilt in a similar situation to the Privateers, losing the last game of their three-game conference series while winning the opening two against Texas Southern.

The Tigers are hitting .265 (360-1359) as a team with a .366 slugging percentage coming from 65 doubles, 5 triples, 21 home runs while tallying 229 RBI. Marshawn Taylor leads three Grambling hitters who have batting averages over .300 with a .402 mark, while Daniel Barrnett posts 12 doubles, Nick Weeler chips in two triples and Barrnett and Tray Bell both have five home runs with Bell contributing a team-high 41 RBI.

On the mound, Grambling State has a team ERA of 6.36 with 261 strikeouts and 191 walks in 356.1 innings of work. Tanner Raiburn, Issac O'Bear and Daniel Beizer all have four victories for the Tigers, with Raiburn sporting a team-low 2.41 ERA in a team-high 59.2 innings with a 72 strikeouts and an opposing batting average of .222.

UNO returns to First NBC Ballpark on Friday, May 5, when they begin a SLC series against Houston Baptist with first pitch slated for 6:30 p.m. For tickets to future Privateers athletic events, contact the UNO Athletics Ticket Office at (504) 280-GAME (4263) and season tickets can be purchased over the Internet by clicking HERE.