KINGSVILLE, Texas- The Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball team will host Arkansas Fort-Smith for a four-game Lone Star Conference series that begins on Friday at 6 p.m. inside the confines of Nolan Ryan Field.Â
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Following the series opener, the teams will meet again Saturday, with a 2 p.m. doubleheader ahead of the finale Sunday at 1 p.m.
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The Javelinas (13-13, 12-12 LSC) will battle the Lions (6-16, 4-16 LSC) as the Hogs look to right the ship following a series loss to the No. RV UT Tyler Patriots. Additionally, the squad sits sixth on the LSC leaderboard as the midpoint of the 2023 campaign nears.
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Despite the series loss, the Javelinas had a handful of solid performances, including junior Nick Wolff, who maintained a .583 average against the Patriots, stroking a home run and plating four on seven hits. Senior Steven Bonuz and junior Shelby Becker joined Wolff with multiple RBIs, while freshman Marco Martinez and junior Kobe Jaramillo looked sharp on the mound.Â
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Martinez tossed 7.2 innings in a pair of appearances out of the bullpen, maintaining a 3.52 RA with six strikeouts. Jaramillo, meanwhile, didn't receive a decision in the series opener and logged a quality start after six innings that included four hitless frames, 11 strikeouts, and three earned runs.Â
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The Lions are also looking to reverse their fortunes as they sit 12th in the conference standings and are riding a nine-game losing streak after getting swept by league-leader Angelo State and Texas A&M-International.Â
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Brayden Johnson has been the top arm for UAFS, as he ranks third in the LSC with a 2.00 ERA and has struck out 47 across 36.0 innings of work. Jakob Petras has featured out of the bullpen, pacing the club with 11 appearances and no starts, and holds a 5.02 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. The pair, along with Lukas Petross and Logan Grant, have all won a game this season, as Grant Shankle represents the lone student-athlete with multiple wins.Â
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At the plate, Matt Schilling hits .324 with an OPS of 1.106 for the team lead and four long balls. Michael Brinton has also gone yard four times and paces the squad with 14 RBIs. Brandon Ulmer joins the tandem in the double-digit RBI club, knocking in 10 runs.
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