Privateers Open Conference Play Against Northwestern State

GAME NOTES

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Privateers baseball team (12-7) will start Southland play on Friday when they take on the Northwestern State Demons (10-11). First pitch for the series opener is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Maestri Field.
 
PITCHING MATCH-UPS
FRIDAY: UNO-LHP Tyler LeBlanc vs. NWST-LHP Cal Carver
SATURDAY: UNO-LHP Brandon Mitchell vs. NWST-RHP Johnathan Harmon
SUNDAY: UNO-RHP-Collin Horton vs. NWST-RHP Drayton Brown
 
NOTES
-The Privateers will be welcoming the Demons for the first time since 2018. That season, the Privateers won the front end of a doubleheader to qualify as the 8-seed for the Southland Tournament where they eventually advanced to the championship game.
-Amani Larry posted a two-hit night and is now at 11 multi-hit contests this season. Larry has 11 hits in his last five games.
-The next double by Pearce Howard will tie him for seventh on the all-time career list with Johnny Giavotella. Howard is also two home runs away from breaking into the top 10 in program history.
-Howard continues to be on a tear with 12 hits in his last five games. He reached base three times against Southern Miss.
-New Orleans has the best fielding percentage in the Southland Conference at .977 entering the weekend and has committed two fewer errors than the next team on the list (UIW).
-Tyler LeBlanc and Collin Horton have 24 called third strikes combined this season. The duo are in the top two in the Southland in that category heading into the weekend.
-New Orleans is in the midst of a six-game home stand. The Privateers are 7-5 at Maestri Field this season.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
Northwestern State has achieved most of their wins at home this season. The Demons are just 1-7 in games away from Natchitoches this season.
 
The Demons are hitting .250 as a team heading into the weekend. The pitching staff has held opponents to a .236 batting average. Friday starter, Cal Carver has 36 strikeouts to just nine walks this season in 26.2 innings pitched.
 
Daunte Stuart is the team's leading hitter. Stuart is hitting .329 with a team-best 17 RBI. He has also cranked eight doubles, which is good for a four-way tie for the lead in the Southland.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow @PrivateersBSB on Twitter, @PrivateersBSB on Instagram, like Privateers Baseball on Facebook and subscribe to the UNOPrivateers YouTube channel.