April 22, 2004

The West Texas A&M University baseball team will complete its final homestand of the season with a three-game Lone Star Conference series against Abilene Christian University this weekend. Games are scheduled to start on Friday at 1 p.m. and conclude Saturday at Noon. Due to the weather forecast, with cold, windy and rainy conditions possible, a game-time decision will be made to determine if one or two games will be played Friday. If only one game is played Friday, then Saturday will feature a doubleheader starting at Noon. If two games are played Friday, then Saturday will only be a nine-inning game. WTAMU will honors its seniors prior to Saturday's game(s).

The Buffs will look to improve upon their 16-34 overall and 5-16 LSC South ledgers, while the Wildcats, 28-22 overall and 14-7 in LSC South action, also hope to add to the win column. ACU is currently in second-place in the LSC South standings, one game back of Texas A&M University-Kingsville (28-22, 15-6 LSC South), entering the final weekend. The division crown and the right to host the LSC Tournament are at stake, depending on the results of the WTAMU-ACU series, and the TAMU-Kingsville at Eastern New Mexico University series.

This weekend marks the second series between the two teams this season. ACU took two of three from the Buffs in their last meeting, back on Feb. 20-21, at Abilene, Texas. WTAMU stole the opener of that series, 12-2, before the Wildcats stormed back to take the next two, 6-1 and 10-4.

The Buffs enter the weekend after winning Tuesday's game against Lubbock Christian, 9-5. WTAMU is led by senior infielder Dan Moody, whose 28 stolen bases currently rank him second on WTAMU's single season list. Moody leads the team with a .375 batting average, and currently has an 18-game hitting streak going. Additionally, Moody leads WTAMU with 72 hits and a .427 on base percentage. Moody is tied for second in the LSC statistics in hits and runs scored, and ranks eighth in batting average.

Also leading WTAMU are RBI leader, freshman infielder Trey Howell, who has 34 on the year, and home run leader senior infielder Jeff Cramer with eight, and senior infielder Josh Banks, who leads the Buffs with 24 extra base hits.

ACU's offense is headed up by junior catcher Cody Cure, who leads the team with a .393 average, is second in stolen bases with 22 and is third on the team with 31 RBI. Cure is fifth in the league statistics in batting and is tied with WTAMU's Moody for second with 72 hits apiece.

On the mound, sophomore starter Ben Brockman has the Wildcats' lowest ERA, 2.85 over 79.0 innings, eleven starts and twelve appearances. He also has two complete games. Brockman ranks fifth in the LSC in individual pitching, and leads the conference in walks allowed by yielding only 13 free passes this season.

WTAMU will round out its season with two games against Oklahoma Panhandle State University, with a twinbill on Tuesday, April 27 beginning at 2 p.m. at Goodwell, Okla.