BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | Alabama State will meet Texas Southern for just the seventh time in school history and the sixth time at the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Tournament as the two close out the first day of competition on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 pm at Regions Field in downtown Birmingham.
The two teams have met six times in school history with five of those games coming at the SWAC Tournament, including two in the championship game. The last time the two teams met was an extra-inning affair in 2017 won by the Tigers.
No. 1 seed Alabama State (30-23, 21-7 SWAC) enters the tournament after a series win over Alabama A&M to close out the regular season, while Texas Southern (28-23, 19-11 SWAC) enters play after a series win over Prairie View A&M.
Follow The Hornets
Fans can follow this week's games via the below outlets
Twitter: @BamaStateBB
Watch Live:
SWAC Digital Network
Live Stats:
SWAC.org
The Series
- Alabama State and Texas Southern have met six times since May 2010 and have split the six meetings between the schools.
- The last time the two teams met was May 21, 2017 with Texas Southern winning 4-2, and the two teams have met twice in the SWAC championship game.
About the Hornets
- Corey King (Lithonia, Ga.) leads Alabama State at the plate, hitting .372 with an OPS of 1.116 in 53 games (all starts), while collecting 81 hits. Among those 81 hits, the sophomore recorded 14 doubles and 14 home runs, while also collecting three triples. He has also scored a team-high 59 runs and driving in 60 from the leadoff position.
- Hunter May (Slidell, La.) finished the regular season hitting .321 with an OPS of 1.048 while collecting 53 hits. The junior recorded 20 doubles, six home runs and a triple, while also scoring 51 runs and adding 45 RBI.
- Chris Lewis (Alabaster, Ala.) and Cristopher DeGuzman (Fajardo, PR) are each hitting over .300 with Lewis at .317 and DeGuzman at .316.
- Breon Pooler (Huntsville, Ala.) leads the team on the mound with a 9-2 record and a 3.52 ERA in 13 starts. He has logged 71.2 innings and recorded 79 strikeouts compared to just 39 walks. He has allowed 32 runs (28 earned) on 62 hits, while also holding opponents to a .229 batting average.
- Payton Harris (Hattiesburg, Miss.) leads the team out of the bullpen with a 3-2 record and three saves in 22 appearances. He has recorded a team-best 2.25 ERA and 1.27 WHP this season.
About the Tigers
- Texas Southern finished as the No. 4 seed in the West Division despite winning 12 of their last 15 games of the season to finish with a 19-11 conference record.
- Jeremy Gaines leads Texas Southern at the plate, hitting .402 with 15 doubles and five home runs, while driving in 42 RBI. Meanwhile, Tyrese Clayborne hit .390 in the regular season with 12 doubles and six triples, while also adding five home runs.
- Gabriel Vazquez (.359) and Johnathon Thomas (.352) are among four other hitters for Texas Southern over .300 on a team that recorded 220 stolen bases (including 62 by Thomas).
- Jaiden Beck leads Texas Southern on the mound with a 5.40 ERA in 11 appearances, while Jordan Martinez is 6-4 with a 5.51 ERA.
Follow the Hornets
For complete coverage of Alabama State University baseball, follow the Hornets on social media @BamaStateBB (Twitter), /BamaStateSports (Facebook), @BamaStateSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Alabama State athletics at BamaStateSports.com.
