Weather forces cancellation of baseball games

WAXAHACHIE, Texas - The scheduled Tuesday baseball doubleheader between Southwestern Assemblies of God University and Hillsdale College has been cancelled. The effects of Monday morning’s inclement weather helped lead to the decision to forego the games.

Hillsdale, 12-22, is located in Moore, Oklahoma, a southern suburb of Oklahoma City, 205 miles from Waxahachie. The Lions, 8-26, took two-of-three games against the Saints earlier in the season.

Head Coach Greg Hayes announced a 3:30pm scrimmage with Cedar Valley College on Wednesday afternoon. The practice game will be held on the Lions campus field. The CVC Suns are from nearby Lancaster.

On Deck

Southwestern travels 365 miles to Hobbs, New Mexico to play a three-game series against the University of the Southwest. The Mustangs are 11-29 overall and 7-17 in the Red River Athletic Conference. They are four games out of sixth place, and have just six conference games remaining. Only the top six teams qualify for the RRAC post-season tournament, the first week of May in Fort Worth.

The teams will play a 6:00pm single game on Friday, April 15, followed by a pair of games on Saturday, beginning at noon.

The Mustangs are fourth in the RRAC with a .302 team batting average and score 5.6 runs per game. The Lions are ninth at .276 and 4.9 rpg. Neither team has excelled on the mound. USW has a collective 7.44 earned run average. SAGU has reduced their ERA from 10.00 last spring to 7.71.

Rating by Numbers

Southwestern has two players ranking in the RRAC’s Top 40 in batting. Patrick Wherland (Petrolia, Tx / Petrolia HS) is currently swinging a .402 club, which places the senior rightfielder at no. 9 in the league. Dustin Jett (Patterson, La / Patterson HS), a junior centerfielder, is #27 with a .336 BA. The Mustangs have four members in the Top 40.

Other top producers in terms of batting average include: Jared Jones (Copperas Cove, Tx / Copperas Cove HS) .309, Cameron Ward (Mansfield, Tx / Grace Prep) .298, sophomore DuJuan Prater (Copperas Cove, Tx / Copperas Cove HS) .289, and Jared Denton (Mission, Tx / Sharyland HS) .289.

Wherland leads SAGU in runs batter in with 30, good for #16 in the Red River. Jett’s 20 stolen bases are fifth best. He has only been caught once.

Wherland, Prater and freshman Denton have each hammered three homers, which ranks #29.

Junior catcher Dominic Denney (Albuquerque, NM / LaCueva HS) leads the NCCAA in walks. He has earned a base on balls 34 times, and could break the SAGU record before the season concludes.

Pitching leaders in the RRAC include junior lefthander Nic Morgan (Ft. Worth, Tx / LeTourneau Univ), whose 6.70 ERA is #18. He has a 1-3 record. Senior southpaw Cam Ward has easily been the team’s standout hurler. He is 3-3 and is #21 in ERA at 6.97.

The three pitchers who have struck out more batters than they have walked include; Morgan 32 K’s to 22 BB’s, Ward 28-23 and junior Tim Kolczak (San Antonio, Tx / Taft HS), 13-8.

Kolczak has racked up four saves, which is second in the league.

Coming Attraction

Next Tuesday the Lions will face Dallas Christian College on the road. The teams have an afternoon twinbill on the menu.

Senior Night, April 22

SAGU will wrap-up the regular season when they play host to Texas College (19-23, 11-13 in RRAC) on the weekend of April 22-23. The Friday night game will spotlight the team’s three seniors at 6:00pm. A Saturday matinee has a noon doubleheader on the slate.

NCCAA Central Regional Tournament

Southwestern will host the 2011 Central Regional tourney for the National Christian College Athletic Association during May 10-12 at the Waxahachie Sports Complex. The number of teams entered will not be known for several weeks.

This is not a strong season in this region, with just two school’s having a winning record; Oklahoma Wesleyan University (25-18) and Arkansas’ Central Baptist College (18-16-1). Central Christian College (Ks) and Mid-America Christian University (Ok) and SAGU all have similar marks.