GAME NOTES
NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Privateers' series against the Southeastern Lions will get an earlier start and a shift. The first two games will be played in a Thursday doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. As of now, there is no set time for the third game of the series.
PROMOTIONAL UPDATE
Military Appreciation Night will be extended throughout the weekend. All benefits including free tickets and half price concessions will be available for those with a military ID for the entire weekend series against the Lions.
The Privateers are coming off a dominant victory on Tuesday against Jackson State by a 21-4 margin. It was the fifth run-rule victory the Privateers have scored this season.
New Orleans has three games of five or more home runs this season. Their 43 homers as a team rank 40th in the nation. The Privateers hit a game-high seven against Mississippi Valley on March 11. Heading into the week, the Privateers lead the Southland in the following catetgories: home runs (43), runs scored (227) and slugging percentage (.485).
Kasten Furr,
Tyler Bischke and
Mitchell Sanford both have double digit hits to their respective pull side and opposite field. The pull to opposite totals: Furr (13-10), Sanford (10-11), Bischke (12-15).
This series will also be for the Pontchartrain Bowl. The trophy has been contested annually since 2015 and was founded by members of the Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity. New Orleans won the Bowl in 2016 and 2021. Southeastern has won it all other seasons excluding 2020.
Colton Mercer has allowed 21 hits this year and has an opponent batting average of .228. This season, 17 of the hits Mercer has surrendered have been singles. He also recorded a season-high eight strikeouts against Northwestern State on Apr. 2.
New Orleans leads the all-time series 64-55 but the Lions won all five games (three regular season, two postseason) in 2022. Southeastern and New Orleans have played 12 games decided by one or two runs since the Privateers joined the conference in 2014. The Lions are 11-1 in those games.
Southeastern is 3-3 through their first two weekends of conference play. The Lions lost a 10-6 decision to Southern Miss on Tuesday in Hattiesburg.
The Lions come into the weekend seventh in the nation in stolen bases (77) and first in times hit by a pitch (81). Rhett Rosevear has been hit 18 times this season.
Tyler Finke leads the Southland in runs scored (35) and stolen bases (25).
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