KINGSVILLE, Texas- The Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball team will take on the Texas A&M International Dustdevils in four Lone Star Confrence games at Nolan Ryan Field, beginning Friday, at 6 p.m. in Kingsville, Texas. 
 
The Javelinas (19-11, 17-11 LSC) faceoff with the Dustdevils (10-20, 10-18 LSC) for the first time during league play after TAMUK took a pair of nonconference contests earlier in the season. 
 
The Blue and Gold earned a victory the first time the teams met in Laredo, as they bested the Dustdevils 24-10 in an offensive slugfest. A few weeks later, the teams battled in Kingsville when nine different Javelina pitchers combined for an 8-0 shutout victory. Freshman Kyle Perales (Hildago, Texas) has had the hot bat against TAMIU, going 5-7 with four home runs against the Dustdevils. 
 
Sophomore Nick Wolff (Klein, Texas) carries momentum into the weekend series after helping the Hogs earn a road-series split against the No. 10 Angelo State Rams, earning NCBWA and LSC Hitter of the Week honors thanks to a .583 batting average with three home runs and 11 RBIs. 
 
The Javelinas claimed game one against the Rams 10-4, as senior Kolby Lunsford (Helotes, Texas) earned his fifth win of the 2022 campaign, with home runs by Perales and Wolff providing the bulk of the Pack's offense. ASU stole a Saturday doubleheader from the Hogs before TAMUK took the series finale via the run-rule, winning 18-7. Wolff grabbed four RBIs in the win, while sophomore Matthew Castro (Corpus Christi, Texas) and classmate Garrett Thompson (New Braunfels, Texas) each earned three.
 
As a team, TAMUK continues to lead the league in ERA, with a mark of 4.88, while redshirt senior Brandon Symmank (Cypress, Texas) tops the conferences individually at 2.17. Symmank also holds the best WHIP in the LSC at 1.04. Five different Javelinas have started on the mound this season, with Lunsford winning more games than any Blue and Gold athlete after his victory over ASU, while Symmank has won four and senior Logan Garza (Round Rock, Texas) three. 
 
At the place, sophomore Shelby Becker (Giddings, Texas) paces the Javs in hits with 40, including 11 doubles for a .404 batting average. Nobody has hit more round-trippers than senior Giancarlo Servin (Edinburg, Texas), who logged seven home runs and a team-leading 31 RBIs. Additionally, sophomore Ivan Duarte (Juarez, Mexico) excels at getting on base for TAMUK, with his .479 OBP coming as a result of 25 hits and 18 walks. 
 
The Dustdevils enjoyed a bye week while the Javelinas were in San Angelo, with TAMIU last competing against Angelo State on Mar. 20. The team is looking to bounce back after dropping their previous eight contests, with their last win coming over the St. Mary's Rattlers on Mar. 6.
 
Probable starters for TAMIU include Jan Cabrera, Christopher Sauceda, Abanny Garcia, and Joseph Delapena-Garza, none of whom faced Javelina hitters during their two previous meetings. Cabrera and Garcia each have tossed two complete games, while Cabrera leads the team with four wins.
 
Coach Philip Middleton's hitters hold a .278 batting average, with Matt Kissamis and Ariben Gutierrez tied for the team's best at .333. Kissamis is slugging .521 with four home runs and six doubles, leading to 25 RBIs. Meanwhile, Daniel Hernandez maintains a .818 OPS and is a threat on the base paths with six stolen bases on six attempts, pacing a team that has gone 26-37 when attempting steals
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The teams will meet again in a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m., before the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
Be sure to check Javelinaathletics.com for updates throughout the weekend, including a recap at the conclusion of each day. Watch your Javelinas live on the Javelina Sports Network sponsored by Mendoza's Pharmacy. Stay up-to-date with everything Javelina baseball at JavelinaAthletics.com, follow the program on Twitter @JavelinaBSB, and see recent news on Facebook at /JavelinaBSB.
 
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