HOUSTON, Texas – The New Orleans Privateers are hoping to make the third time the charm as they will take on the HCU Huskies in the Southland Championship Series. The best-of-three tilt gets underway on Thursday at 6 p.m.
This is the third time the Privateers are playing for a Southland title. They got to the final two in 2018 (Northwestern State) and 2023 (Nicholls).
New Orleans pitchers have racked up 453 strikeouts this season. That total ranks in the top ten in a single season in program history. The single season record for strikeouts is 580 which they accomplished in 2018. New Orleans leads the Southland in strikeouts per nine innings at 9.3.
The Privateers are hitting .312 as a team with runners in scoring position this season over 510 at-bats.
Matt Gonzalez leads the team in batting average with RISP at a .533 clip (16 hits in 30 at-bats). As a team, New Orleans has 118 two-out RBI in 2025.
Hayden O'Dell has lowered his ERA from 8.06 to 5.05 over his last three outings (two starts). In that stretch, O'Dell has thrown 18.2 innings with three earned runs allowed. In his tournament start against Northwestern State, O'Dell limited the Demons to two runs (one earned) on three hits over 7.1 innings.
Adrian Dominguez has been a pinch hit master this season. In 11 at-bats off the bench, Dominguez has seven hits. His double in the eighth inning of the bracket final started a six-run inning that tied the game against Northwestern State.
New Orleans swept HCU in the regular season at home. The Privateers scored 25 runs while conceding 17 in the series.
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HCU advanced through the Edinburg bracket as they defeated regular season co-champion, UTRGV twice. That included a 4-2 win in the bracket final where the Huskies scored three runs in the eighth inning to move ahead for good.
The Huskies are ranked in the top 50 in two categories: they are 15
th in the country in sacrifice bunts with 40 and 40
th in walks per nine innings at 3.7. Parker Edwards, who is slated to pitch in the opener, has thrown 77.2 innings on the mound and has hit .289 with nine homers and 44 RBI.
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