MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Alabama State returns to action for the first time since March 27, hitting the road for a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) series beginning Friday afternoon against Mississippi Valley State.
The series is scheduled to start with the first game Friday at 3 pm on the Hornet Sports Network, with all three games being carried on the network.
Alabama State (14-13, 8-3 SWAC) and Mississippi Valley State met earlier this season in Montgomery, with the Hornets winning two of the three contests after the series was shifted because of weather. The Hornets outscored Mississippi Valley State (6-13, 5-7 SWAC) 36-21 in those three games, dropping their only game of the weekend in extra innings to the Delta Devils.
Yamil Pagan leads Alabama State in hitting at .346 this season from his leadoff spot, while also leading the team in home runs with five. The senior leads the team in runs scored (36), and is currently seventh in the nation in that same category. He is also 10th in the nation in runs per game, while teammate
Eriq White – who is hitting .339 – is 16th in the nation in runs scored with 33.
Noel Cheneau is also hitting .339 from is cleanup position, leading the team in hits (39) and runs batted in (35). The senior is currently seventh in the nation in triples (four) and 14th in the nation in runs batted in, while
Santiago Garcia – who is hitting .294 – was recently named to the Buster Posey Award Watch List which is given annually to the top catcher in the nation.
Alabama State will send freshman lefthander
Jeremy Rivera (3-2, 3.45 ERA) to the mound Friday afternoon against Mississippi Valley State, who will counter with Nicholas Johnson (2-1, 5.11 ERA). Meanwhile,
Darren Kelly (3-0, 0.87 ERA) – 11th in the nation in earned run average and 11th in WHIP – will throw Saturday for the Hornets against Gerald Pintarich (1-4, 5.90 ERA). The series concludes with a single game on Sunday with
Ricardo Rivera (3-1, 4.64 ERA) – 20th in the nation in complete games – matched up with Antonio Walker (1-2, 9.17 ERA) from Mississippi Valley State.
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