TYLER, TEXAS – The University of Texas at Tyler's baseball program will head to Lawton, Oklahoma this weekend to take on Cameron in a four game LSC series that will have a big impact on the conference standings.
The series will begin on Friday with a 2 p.m. scheduled first pitch. On Saturday, the two programs will face off in a doubleheader that is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. with game two beginning approximately 35 minutes after game one concludes. The series will wrap up on Sunday with another 1 p.m. start.
LOOKING TO BUILD
After dropping the first three games of the series against Eastern New Mexico in a series of close contests, the Patriots responded in a big way on Sunday afternoon with a 13-0 run rule victory in just seven innings. UT Tyler scored 10 runs in the bottom of the fourth and junior
Nolan Cox pitched six innings of clean baseball as they picked up the win.
The Patriots sit at number six in the conference standings and have cleared the tough part of their schedule. Of the remaining series, only one of those will be against a team above them in the current edition of the LSC standings.
As a program, UT Tyler ranks at number six in the LSC in batting average and number five in team ERA. They are second in the LSC in total doubles, third in hits, and first in sacrifice flies. On the pitching side, the Patriots are third in shutouts, third in WHIP, and their defense ranks third in fielding percentage.
SERIES HISTORY
The Patriots hold an impressive 8-2 record over the Aggies in their series history that dates back to the 2019 season. The two teams battled most recently in a three game series last year over March 19-20 and UT Tyler came away with a three game sweep.
These two teams have met for just one series in Lawton, Oklahoma, and that came all the way back in 2019 over February 15-17. Cameron came away with the 2-1 series victory in those contests.
THE SCOUTING REPORT
For Cameron, they are eleventh in team batting average at .262, and eighth in team ERA at 7.88. The Aggies are tied with the Patriots for third in shutouts, sixth in on-base percentage, fourth in double plays, and sixth in complete games.
Jayce Clem is the top ranked hitter for Cameron, coming in ranked number 21 in the LSC in batting average at .350. Clem has 21 hits in his 60 at-bats this year, and has eight total extra base hits so far. He has also driven in nine runs while reaching base at a .446 clip.
For the Aggies pitching staff, Kalen Haynes leads the way. He has an ERA of 4.09 which ranks him eighth in the LSC. He holds a record of 3-2 over his five games started with 22 innings pitched and just 15 hits given up. Haynes has allowed 10 earned runs and 17 walks while striking out 24 batters.
Kyle Williams is the head coach of Cameron after being promoted from assistant following the 2019 season. Williams has amassed a record of 22-58 in his first three seasons as head coach. Most notably, Williams led the Aggies to an upset victory over the number one seeded Angelo State in the 2019 LSC tournament semifinals.
AROUND THE LONE STAR CONFERENCE
West Texas A&M continues to be the top team in the LSC at a record of 17-3. They are followed by Angelo State and Lubbock Christian who each hold records of 15-5. St. Edward's and Texas A&M-Kingsville round out the top five with records of 17-7 and 14-6.
ON THE HORIZON
Following the crucial series against Cameron, the Patriots will return home for their annual Alumni Weekend against UT Permian Basin. That series will begin March 25 at 7 p.m. and then be followed by a two game doubleheader on Saturday, March 26 with game one of that doubleheader scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. The series will conclude on Sunday, March 27 at 1 p.m.
