This weekend’s three-game baseball series in Houston will likely pit the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff against one of its former pitchers.
UAPB will face Texas Southern at 3 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday at MacGregor Park in Houston.
The Texas Southern (16-17, 10-2 SWAC) pitching staff is led by UAPB transfer Calvin McClendon. The left-handed graduate student has started each of the past six series openers after starting on Saturdays the first two weeks of the season. He holds a 9-8 record and a 4.73 ERA, seventh in the SWAC among qualified pitchers.
McClendon’s 1.42 ERA in conference games leads the SWAC. He is 2-0 in league starts, each of which has lasted at least five innings. He pitched seven scoreless innings against Mississippi Valley State and five scoreless against Grambling State.
TSU is McClendon’s third SWAC school and fourth overall. The Lena, Miss., native began his career at East Central Community College in Decatur, Miss., before playing two years at MVSU and one year at UAPB. He had a 7.00 ERA and 1-10 record with the Golden Lions last season.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Assuming neither team changes course, McClendon will face UAPB (5-26, 3-6) Friday starter Kenney Fabian. The junior right-hander brings a 1-5 record and 5.87 ERA into the matchup.
Fabian and the rest of the Golden Lions’ pitching staff will be facing two of the SWAC’s top 10 hitters this weekend, including TSU junior outfielder Kelton Phillips. His .442 average is second best in the league. Graduate student infielder Jaden Jones’ .385 ranks ninth.
UAPB’s best hitter, catcher Vinny Saumell, exited the Golden Lions’ game at Lamar on Wednesday after being hit by a fouled pitch. His .359 average could prove important if he is able to return for this series. Defensively, he has caught 10 runners stealing, which is tied for fifth most among SWAC catchers.
TSU’s other likely starters are Kewan Braziel (3-5, 8.25 ERA) and James Malone (3-1, 9.38 ERA). All three weekend starters are left-handed. UAPB faced two lefties in the first 5.1 innings of Wednesday’s game at Lamar and fared better against them, tallying five hits and a run, than against the three right-handed relievers who followed, tallying one hit and no runs.
This will be UAPB’s first conference action in two weeks after last week’s series was rained out. The Golden Lions have lost their past six games.
Texas Southern enters the weekend on a seven-game winning streak, the league’s longest active streak. The Tigers swept Alcorn State and Alabama A&M, the bottom two teams in the conference standings, over the past two weekends with a midweek win against NAIA foe Huston-Tillotson in the middle.
The Tigers have swept three of their four SWAC series so far, the exception coming when they lost two of three games at Grambling. Their other sweep victory came against MVSU.
UAPB has played a tougher SWAC schedule to this point, facing both Florida A&M and Alabama State. These will be the Golden Lions’ fourth, fifth and sixth consecutive road games with a midweek road game against Arkansas on Tuesday before getting the next two weekends at home.