NEW ORLEANS, La. | The 2019 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) tournament championship will be decided by two teams who won their respective divisions, but have not met this season as Alabama State and Southern will square off Sunday morning at Wesley Barrow Stadium.
Alabama State (28-25), the top seed from the East Division, made it to the championship game after a pair of wins over Grambling State in the last three days. The Hornets bounced back from a loss to Grambling State Friday afternoon with a 5-2 victory on Saturday behind the arm of
Terrell McCall. Meanwhile, Southern (31-22) enters the championship game after a pair of wins over Texas Southern, bouncing back from an 8-6 loss Friday night to claim a 7-6 victory over the Tigers Saturday afternoon.
Alabama State enters the championship game hitting .292 with 150 extra base hits – including 50 home runs on the year. The Hornets are led by SWAC co-Player/Hitter of the Year
Yamil Pagan, who is hitting .348 with 73 hits – including 22 extra base hits (14 home runs) – and 67 runs scored. The senior has driven in 52 runs and is slugging .602 from the leadoff spot.
Meanwhile, second-team All-Conference performer
Noel Cheneau is hitting .330 with 75 hits – including 24 extra base hits – and leads the team with six triples. He has scored 49 runs and driven in another 58, while recording 20 stolen bases.
Santiago Garcia, an All-SWAC first team selection at catcher, is hitting .329 with 75 hits – including a team-high 16 doubles – and has driven in 63 runs this season. They are joined by
Angel Jimenez (.318) and
Eriq White (.312) over the .300 mark this season.
Terrell McCall (2-1, 2.72 ERA) leads the Hornets in earned run average after his Saturday performance, while
Darren Kelly (6-2, 3.26) leads the team in strikeouts on his way to SWAC Pitcher of the Year honors.
Meanwhile, Southern – the West Division champion - is hitting .312 as a team with 159 extra base hits – including 102 doubles on the season. Tyler LaPorte, the SWAC co-Player of the Year leads the team in hitting at .379 with 91 total hits – including 27 extra base hits – and has scored 58 runs and driven in another 58 from the leadoff position for the Jaguars. Meanwhile, Javeyan Williams is hitting .373 on the season with 66 hits and 26 stolen bases.
On the mound, Connor Whalen (5-0, 0.00 ERA) leads the team in wins, earned run average and saves with nine. Meanwhile, the Jaguars have several pitchers under 5.00 ERA on the season including Jackson Cullen at 4.43 with 18 strikeouts in 20.1 innings.
First pitch is scheduled for 11:30 am and the game can be seen on ESPNNEWS and will be carried on the Hornet Sports Network.
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