Privateers Begin Tough Road Stretch at South Alabama

GAME NOTES

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Privateers baseball team will start a two-week road stretch with a midweek contest at South Alabama on Wednesday night at Stanky Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
 
PROBABLE STARTERS
UNO: RHP-Cortez Dennis vs. USA: RHP-Mitchell Heer
 
The Privateers earned their first weekend sweep of the season as they won all three games against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs. New Orleans outscored Alabama A&M 32-10 over the series and had a pair of run rule wins. Last season, the Privateers notched 10 run rule victories.
 
Heading into the week, the Privateer pitching staff has the third best strikeout-to-walk ratio in the Southland. The Privateers have 2.11 strikeouts for every walk issued this season. Weekend starters, Colton Mercer, Grant Edwards and Caleb Seroski combined for 17 Ks to 3 walks in 16 innings.
 
Mitchell Sanford has been an RBI machine this season. He's posted 18 RBI through 11 games to lead the team and the Southland in that category. Sanford is 23rd in the nation in runs batted in. He's also hitting .429 with 11 extra base hits through his first 42 at-bats of the season.
 
The Privateers have four wins against South Alabama since Blake Dean took over as head coach in 2016. Of those four wins, three have come at Stanky Field including the most recent meeting on April 25, 2023. The 6-5 win was the first one-run game in the last 16 meetings dating back to 2014.
 
Collin Loupe has started five consecutive games. He previously had 10 appearances off the bench in his collegiate career. Loupe is 10-for-22 at the plate this season and through his first 31 collegiate at-bats he is batting .452.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
South Alabama is 10-2 to start the season and their pitching staff has been a big part of the hot start. They are ninth in the country in fewest hits allowed per nine innings at 6.19. Opponents are hitting .192 off of Jaguar pitching.
 
The offense has been balanced for South Alabama. Six Jaguars have between six and nine RBI this season. Lucas Ismalli leads the team in that category with nine.
 
WE ARE YOUR KREWE
For 54 seasons, Privateer student-athletes have had the unique experience of wearing New Orleans across their chests.  Like the city itself, our sports teams have been fueled by resiliency, grit, and the unquenchable desire to win.  Our city also houses the nation's biggest celebration each year. And much like a Mardi Gras parade krewe, we are tethered to our community through pride, tradition, a culture of acceptance, and finally our commitment to show that New Orleans is a world-class city to live, learn, play and work. We invite you to become more involved with the only University that truly represents New Orleans all day, every day.  Join #NOLAsTeam, We Are Your Krewe! 
Visit UNOPrivateers.com/signup to stay connected and follow us @UNOPrivateers on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow @PrivateersBSB on Twitter/X, @PrivateersBSB on Instagram, like Privateers Baseball on Facebook and subscribe to the UNOPrivateers YouTube