NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Alabama State University baseball team has played 55 games this season, but with a win in the game No. 56, the Hornets will repeat as Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) tournament champions.
 
Alabama State and Texas Southern will meet in a rematch of last year's SWAC Baseball Tournament final on Sunday morning at Wesley Barrow Stadium. The championship game is set for 11 a.m. and will be broadcasted live on ESPNU.
 
The Hornets (31-24) reached the title game with three straight wins over Prairie View A&M (twice) and Alcorn State and have outscored their opponents, 44-9, including a 25-3 win on Friday over PVAMU that sent Alabama State to the championship game.
 
ASU has used just five pitchers throughout the tournament, including Tyler Howe, who will start Sunday's game on just three-day's rest. Austin Bizzle, Chase Laney, Brandon Caples and Burke Echelmeier also pitched in the tournament, but Alabama State head coach Jose` Vazquez has indicated that everyone will be ready to pitch in the championship game, except Echelmeier who pitched in Friday's win.
 
The Hornets pitching staff has enjoyed setting career marks during the tournament.
 
It all started on Wednesday as Howe tossed a career-high 14 strikeouts against Prairie View A&M. The trend carried over to Thursday as Bizzle fanned a career-high 10 batters and pitched his first career complete-game nine-inning victory against Alcorn State. Not to be outdone by the first two starters, Echelmeier tied a career-high eight strikeouts on Friday in six innings against Prairie View A&M.
 
The pitching isn't the only thing hot right now, as the bats have turned up the heat as Alabama State is batting .414 in the three games.
 
Oscar Prioleau has come off the bench to lead the team and is batting .714 (5-for-7). Gustavo Rios, a first-team All-SWAC selection, is second at a .583 clip and four RBIs. Joseph Estrada leads the way in homers with two round trippers, while Ray Hernandez paces the team in runs batted in with seven, including six on Friday night.
 
Texas Southern (19-32) got to the championship game by defeating Jackson State (twice) and Alabama A&M.
 
Guadencio Lucca paces the Tigers offensive attack with a .317 average and 52 hits, including 14 doubles, six homers and five triples. Gerrek Jimenez is second with a .302 average and 42 hits.
 
Texas Southern's pitching staff boasts a 6.71 ERA in 51 games and is led by Michael Villaneuva, who is 7-4 with a 5.95 ERA. The Tigers will also rely on Seth Oliver (4-4), Anthony Martinez (4-3) and Robert Loza (2-1) on Sunday.
 
The winner of Sunday's championship game will receive the SWAC automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Baseball Regional.
 

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