The 2014 SWAC Eastern Division baseball champion Alabama State Hornets will complete the regular season with four of five scheduled games on the road.
The Hornets (33-15 overall, 21-3 SWAC) are scheduled to play Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Jacksonville State (weather permitting), host South Alabama Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the final home game of the season, and play a three-game weekend series at Miami beginning Friday at 6 p.m. CT.
Alabama State is coming off a win in its final Southwestern Athletic Conference series of the season, winning the final two games over defending champion Jackson State. The Hornets rebounded from a 5-4 loss in the opener to win by scores of 11-2 and 11-6. Among the things head coach
Mervyl Melendez was most pleased with was the play of his defense, which did not commit an error in the series.
"We played well this weekend," Melendez said of his team which set a school record for victories in a season, surpassing the 2013 total. "I thought defensively, we had three solid games. With our pitching, we saw both faces. We pitched well at times, and we struggled at other times. The offense came alive in the final two games. However, without a doubt, the brightest spot was our defense. I've said this throughout the season; our team is very resilient. We lose the first game, and then win the next one decisively and score 11 runs in the next two games. That says a lot about our guys and the character of this team."
This is the second time the Hornets have faced Jacksonville State (23-19) and South Alabama (19-24) this season. Jacksonville State won 11-5 in Montgomery on April 2, while Alabama State won at South Alabama 5-0 on February 18.
"What this week will bring is us challenging ourselves to continue to play at a high level," Melendez said. "We have our hands full in mid-week games. Jacksonville State came in here and did a very good job against us, both offensively and on the mound. With facing South Alabama, although they haven't had a great season, they are still a tough opponent. They've beaten some good teams, they have played well at times, and they are well coached and have talented players. It will be a test."
The weekend will bring a test of one of the nation's best teams. Now the 4
th-ranked team in the Collegiate Baseball America poll, Miami (32-13) has won has won 19 of its last 20 games and is in first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
"Miami is probably the hottest team in the country right now," Melendez said. "They just swept Clemson on the road, and have swept four of their last five conference series. It's going to be a tough test for us, but I do like our chances. Our players will be ready for the challenge."
