MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Alabama State, the preseason favorite to win the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) East Division, opens the conference slate Friday night against Alcorn State at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
First pitch is scheduled for 6 pm, and admission is free.
Alabama (5-4) enters the contest following an 11-1 loss to Alabama in which the Crimson Tide scored eight of their runs from the sixth inning on for the win. The Hornets will be playing their fourth different SWAC school this season, although the other three were non-conference contests. In their previous meetings with member schools, the Hornets have won three out of the five, including winning the series over Southern last weekend.
Alabama State and Alcorn State (4-5) met six times last season, with the Hornets winning all six contests. The two teams first met at the end of March last season at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
The Hornets will send
Darren Kelly (1-0, 2.25 ERA) to the mound in the opener against Alcorn State. Kelly enters the contest as the reigning SWAC Pitcher of the Week after a 16-strikeout performance against Southern last Friday night, a contest in which he did not allow a hit in seven innings of work. They will send
Darrius Wright (2-0, 0.75 ERA) to the mound Saturday, a junior that has 12 strikeouts in 12 innings of work.
Dalton Wilder (0-2, 5.63 ERA) gets the start in the finale after dropping his first two collegiate starts, but recording 11 strikeouts in the process and allowing just five earned runs.
Noel Cheneau leads the Hornets with a .500 average, including three extra base hits and three stolen bases – two came against Alabama Wednesday night.
Joseph Estrada hits .344 from the leadoff spot with four extra base hits and three stolen bases, while
Hunter Phillips is also above .300 at .333 this season.
Ray Hernandez leads the team with four home runs, while hitting .324 through nine games.
Alabama State and Alcorn will also meet on Saturday (6 pm) and Sunday (1 pm) to close out the conference series this weekend. Admission is free to all home games at the Wheeler-Watkins Complex.
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