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SAN ANGELO, Texas (Baseball) – A day after the initial NCAA Division II Regional rankings were released, #RV/RV Texas A&M University-Kingsville (26-17, 20-9 LSC) hits the road to take on Angelo State University (29-14, 16-13 LSC) at Foster Field.
 
The three-game set begins on April 24 at 6:30 p.m. with a doubleheader scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Lone Star Conference leading Javelinas hold the series edge, three games to one, after defeating then No. 6 ranked ASU three times at Nolan Ryan Field. In the regional rankings, the Rams are No. 5 in the South Central Region, followed by TAMUK at No. 6.
 
Live stats, audio and video are available and can be accessed by visiting JavelinaAthletics.com, the official home of Texas A&M-Kingsville athletics.
 
A tough place to defeat the Rams, Angelo State is 19-4 at Foster Field. The pitching has a lot to do with it as the Rams feature one of the best starting rotations in the nation, highlighted by left-handed pitcher Steve Naemark, who joins TAMUK's Ryan Benitez as a Brett Tomko Semifinalist. Naemark is 7-1 on the year with a 0.69 earned run average and 92 strikeouts in 78.0 innings. His lone loss was at the hands of the Javelinas as the Hogs took advantage of costly errors, defeating the Rams, 2-0, on March 22. Benitez shined in the start, tossing a three-hit, seven-strikeout shutout against one of the most potent offenses in the conference.
 
Four pitchers combined to limit ASU to one run in game two as the Hogs took the second game on the 22^nd, 8-1. The following day, Matt Terrones threw a shutout of his own, limiting Angelo to just four hits as Kingsville clinched the series victory.
 
Awards All Over
Cline Andrews was named the LSC Hitter of the Week after going 6-of-11 at the dish, becoming the first player this season to earn LSC Hitter of the Week honors twice. On the year, he is hitting .338 with a team-high 32 RBI.
 
Projected Rotation
TAMUK
Game One: Benitez – 6-3, 4.03 ERA, two complete games, one shutout, one-time LSC Pitcher of the Week
Game Two: Ryan Scott - 3-2, 2.17, seven saves, two starts, one-time LSC Pitcher of the Week and NCBWA South Central Region Pitcher of the Week
Game Three: Matt Terrones – 7-1, 4.36, two complete games, two shutouts
 
ASU
Game One: Naemark – 7-1, 0.69 ERA, 78.0 innings, 92 strikeouts
Game Two: Blake Bass – 7-2, 2.67 ERA, two complete games
Game Three: Bryce Zak – 5-5, 2.11 ERA, 65 strikeouts in 55.1 innings
 
Projected Batting Order
Ryan Fickel (2B) - .298 BA, nine doubles, 19 RBI, eight stolen bases
Zach Smith (LF) - .287 BA, eight doubles, eight sacrifice hits.362 OBP
Clint Wallace (C) - .324 BA, 10 doubles, one home run, 25 RBI, six steals, thrown out seven baserunners
Andrews (3B) - .338, one home run, four triples, team-high 32 RBI, two-time LSC Hitter of the Week
Christian Caudle (DH) - .294, eight runs, six RBI, .390 OBP
Larren Artis (1B) - .295, team-high three home runs, 14 RBI
Brayton Carlson (CF) – team best .340 BA, two home runs, 15 RBI, 10-for-10 on stolen base opportunities
Hayden Vesely (RF) - .302, 28 RBI, 30 BB, team-high .440 OBP, five stolen bases
Wesley Aguilar (SS) - .264, 17 RBI, three sacrifice bunts
 
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