Tweet #GoBlueBeGold

KINGSVILLE, Texas (Baseball) – The battle for supremacy is set as the Lone Star Conference's top two teams face off in a four-game series this week when Texas A&M University-Kingsville (15-7, 9-2 LSC) hosts No. 13/6 Angelo State University (18-4, 8-3 LSC) at Nolan Ryan Field. Game one is scheduled for 6 p.m. on March 20 with a doubleheader following on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. The series finale begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 22.
 
The Javelinas have won six consecutive ballgames – all conference games – while the Rams are coming off a split with West Texas A&M University. Atop the standings, Texas A&M-Kingsville's pitching dominated its way to a four-game sweep over Eastern New Mexico University.
 
What a Start
The Javelinas are 5-0 this season in series' as Newman University, Texas College, West Texas, Cameron University and Eastern New Mexico were all victims to this year's balanced squad.
 
All-Time Series
The all-time series edge goes to ASU, 25-22, but the Javelinas went 6-2 versus the Rams last season, sweeping the three-game series at Nolan Ryan Field, before falling to Angelo in the LSC Tournament. In fact, the Hogs have not lost a series to Angelo State since 2009 (split in 2012). Since Jason Gonzales took the reins of the baseball program in 2009, TAMUK is 17-13 versus the Rams.
 
Countdown to History
In his seventh season as head coach, Gonzales is just two wins away from 200 career wins and boasts a 123-95 record in LSC play.
 
Closer Ryan Scott is tied for eighth place in NCAA Division II with five saves and his 19 career saves are second most in TAMUK history. The senior is just five away from tying Jeremy Flores for the all-time school mark. Scott came out of the pen on Monday and struck out nine in 5.0 innings as the Javelinas defeated ENMU, 3-2, in 11 innings.
 
Kingsville Known to Upset Nationally-Ranked Opponents
The Javelinas are 4-1 versus nationally-ranked opponents this season, upsetting then No. 10 Southern Arkansas University in the final day of the Division II QuikTrip Classic in Grand Prairie, Texas and taking three-out-of-four from WT in the LSC opening series.
 
When playing the Rams in San Angelo last season, the Javelinas took three from the 30^th-ranked Angelo State ballclub, en route to a 7-5 mark against nationally-ranked opponents in 2014.
 
In the Rankings
Angelo State ranked No. 13 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Poll and No. 6 in the Collegiate Baseball News Poll. In the South Central Region rankings, ASU is No. 3 and the Hogs are No. 6. The top six teams in the region advance to the NCAA South Central Region Tournament, hosted at the highest seed in the region in mid-May.
 
Hogs Ranked Nationally
Texas A&M-Kingsville ranks in the top 30 in NCAA Division II in six categories. Individually, six players appear in the top 30 in several statistical categories.
 
Category, Ranking (Total)
Triples, seventh (11)
Sacrifice Bunts, seventh (23)
Triples per Game, 20^th (0.5/game)
Stolen Bases, 29^th (35)
Hits Allowed per Nine Innings, 24^th (7.86)
Shutouts, 27^th (two)
 
Individuals
Cline Andrews and Jimmy Roche – 11^th in triples with three apiece
Hayden James and Matt Terrones – 29^th in wins with four apiece
Hayden James -  tied for 25^th in complete games with two
Ryan Scott – eighth in saves with five
Weston Silverberg – 21^st in pitching appearances with 11
 
Scouting the Rams
The team earned run average of 2.41 and the 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings are eighth-best in the nation and the defense ranked No. 6 in fielding with a .978 fielding percentage. Offensively, J.C. Snyder ranked second in doubles with 13.
 
On the rubber, game one's projected starter Steve Naemark boasts a 0.63 ERA. Not to be outdone, game two's starter Blake Bass has a 2.03 ERA and game three's pitcher Bryce Zak has a 1.17. The trio has 14 of ASU's 18 victories and closer Dillon Becker has five saves with setup specialist Graylon Brown compiling four shutdowns. Naemark's 58 strikeouts are fourth most in DII.
 
Leading the LSC
Angelo State leads the LSC in batting average, runs, hits, doubles, home runs, slugging, ERA, K's/9, hits allowed/9, fielding, strikeout to walk ratio, WHIP and on-base percentage.
 
Heading into this season, coach Gonzales said that the team will count on its speed to manufacture runs and play small ball. The Javelinas have done just that and lead the conference in triples, stolen bases and sacrifice bunts, and the pitching rotation is just below ASU's for the second best ERA in the LSC.
 
Luna, Taylor, Silverberg Bring the Heat Early and Often
Have a lead in the sixth? Not to worry as the Javelinas have compiled a 13-2 record when leading after six. Trey Taylor (1-0, 1.38 ERA, one save), Dustin Luna (0.73 ERA) and Weston Silverberg (1-0, 2.13 ERA, one save) have combined to allow just six earned runs and 20 hits in 38.0 innings, while striking out 34.
 
Projected Rotation
Game One: Ryan Benitez (3-1) struck out a career-high 12 hitters in Saturday's victory over Eastern New Mexico. On the year, the senior right-hander is 3-1 with a 3.13 ERA and has fanned 42 hitters in 37.1 innings. For ASU, Naemark (5-0) has 58 strikeouts in 43.0 innings and a 0.63 ERA. The Javelinas are 4-3 versus left-handed starters.
 
Game Two: Matt Terrones (4-0) is undefeated in his debut season at Kingsville and the southpaw has thrown a shutout in conference play, holding Cameron scoreless in a win on March 7. Bass (5-0) has started seven games and was the preseason conference pitcher of the year. The righty is expected to start game one on Saturday.
 
Game Three: Hayden James (4-2) continues his sensational senior campaign after spending the 2014 season in the bullpen. The right-hander has thrown back-to-back complete games and has a 1.78 ERA in 35.1 innings. Opponents are hitting a measly .152 against the second-year Javelina hurler. He has been named the LSC Pitcher of the Week and NCBWA South Central Region Pitcher of the Week once this season. Zak (4-2) has made five starts this season and allowed just six runs – four earned – for Angelo State. However, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi transfer has walked 12 in 30.2 innings, so the edge may go to the patient Hogs.
 
Game Four: Will Abbott has made two starts for TAMUK this season. The tall right-hander has a 3.09 ERA in 11.2 innings. TBA for ASU
 
Last Week's Hero – Ryan Fickel
Ryan Fickel went 3-for-5 and reached base safely five times in the extra-inning win on Monday. The senior second baseman continues to be the catalyst for the Hogs as the leadoff hitter, but he provided most of the power in the victory over the Greyhounds, powering a shot to the left center field gap to give Kingsville a walk-off win and sweep.
 
Brayton Carlson hit .455 last week and saw his batting average climb to .340. The center field has two of TAMUK's four home runs this season and has five stolen bases, tied with catcher Clint Wallace for the team lead.
 
Junior College Connection
Eight of the nine regulars in the Javelina batting order were junior college transfers and four came from JUCO powerhouse Paris Junior College – Ryan Fickel, Cline Andrews, Clint Wallace and Blake Johnson.
 
TAMUK at its best in close games
Texas A&M-Kingsville is 7-2 in one-run games this season and 7-0 when opponents score less than three runs.
 
Friendly Confines of Nolan Ryan Field
The Javelinas are 12-2 this season at Nolan Ryan Field and 360-202-1 in the stadium since the first game back in 1994.
 
Live stats will be available for all four games and can be accessed by visiting JavelinaAthletics.com, the official home of Texas A&M-Kingsville athletics.
 
For full coverage of Kingsville baseball, please follow @TAMUKBaseball14 on Twitter and @JavelinaAthletics on Instagram, like our Facebook page (Javelina Nation) and subscribe to the JavelinaAthletics YouTube channel.