Privateers to Battle for Pontchartrain Bowl at Southeastern

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Privateers (19-11, 6-3) will look to remain ahead of the pack this weekend when they start a series against the Southeastern Lions (13-20, 4-5) in a weekend series that starts Thursday at 6 p.m. in Hammond.
 
PITCHING MATCH-UPS
THURSDAY: UNO-LHP Tyler LeBlanc vs. SLU-RHP Hunter O'Toole
FRIDAY: UNO-LHP Brandon Mitchell vs. SLU-RHP Will Kinzeler
SATURDAY: UNO RHP Collin Horton vs. SLU-LHP Adam Guth
 
PONTCHARTRAIN BOWL
The series also features a trophy named the Pontchartrain Bowl that goes to the winner each season. The trophy has been battled for since 2015. Southeastern has won the trophy four times while the Privateers have won it twice (2016, 2021).
 
NOTES
-The Privateer pitching staff recorded double digit strikeouts for the eighth time this season when they fanned 11 batters against Tulane.
-Heading into the weekend, the Privateers lead the Southland in fielding percentage, double plays and they co-lead the conference in runs with 230.
-Collin Horton leads the Southland in strikeouts per nine innings heading into the weekend. Horton has 10.75 strikeouts per nine.
-Jeissy De la Cruz is statistically 40^th in the nation as far as toughest batters to strike out. He has struck out just nine times in 102 at-bats.
-Over his last four outings, Kyle Khachadourian has thrown 11.0 innings. In that span, he's lowered his ERA from 4.15 to 3.38.
-The Privateers won three of four from Southeastern at Maestri Field last season. New Orleans scored 28 runs in the first three games (all wins) before the Lions shut out the Privateers in the series finale.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
Southeastern gave the 11^th-ranked Southern Miss Golden Eagles all they could handle but fell just short 3-2 on Tuesday night.
 
Rhett Rosevear has been a magnet to the ball this year. He has been hit 22 times which leads the nation in that category. Rosevear also has 19 runs and seven stolen bases.
 
Preston Faulkner has 10 doubles and nine home runs this season. His nine round-trippers lead the Southland and he has a slugging percentage of .597.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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