After playing its past seven games on the road, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff baseball team returns home for an important SWAC series beginning Thursday.
UAPB will host Southern University at 3 p.m. Thursday, 2 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday in a three-game conference series at the Torii Hunter Complex in Pine Bluff. The series begins on Thursday to avoid playing on Easter.
This series will feature three of the SWAC’s reigning players of the week.
UAPB junior right-handed pitcher Kenney Fabian (1-5, 4.91 ERA), the Golden Lions’ Friday night starter, was named co-pitcher of the week after pitching six scoreless innings in a 4-0 series-opening win at Texas Southern in Houston. He struck out six hitters while walking three and allowing four hits. It was his first scoreless start this season.
Southern (15-20, 7-8 SWAC) redshirt senior infielder Jalon Mack was named co-hitter of the week after hitting 7 for 14 with 10 RBI and 6 runs in three games against Alcorn State. He also drove in 2 RBI in a midweek game against New Orleans. Mack is hitting .312 this season.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Jaguar junior outfielder Cardell Thibodeaux was named newcomer of the week after hitting 4 for 10 with 8 RBI and 7 runs in the Alcorn series with 2 home runs. He also hit 2 for 3 with 2 runs and 2 triples in a midweek game against Dillard University.
Thibodeaux is Southern’s top hitter, batting .467 with team highs in runs (57), hits (57), home runs (14), triples (4), doubles (11), and walks (29). He is tied with one other for the team lead in RBI, 52. He also leads the SWAC in batting average and runs.
UAPB (8-27, 6-6) jumped from 10th place to sixth in the SWAC last weekend after sweeping Texas Southern. This puts the Golden Lions one spot ahead of Southern in the standings, making this a pivotal series for both.
The TSU series saw UAPB alter its weekend pitching rotation. Freshman left-hander Major Spence made his second start of the season and first in conference play during the Saturday game against TSU, replacing Brendan Hamlin. Spence allowed 2 runs on 5 hits in 31/3 innings.
Hamlin has appeared in relief four times, including once against TSU, since his last start against Alabama State. He gave up 4 runs in 11/3 innings against TSU but pitched a combined 32/3 innings against Missouri, Lamar and No. 2 Arkansas in which he allowed 1 total run on 5 hits.
Southern has won its past two SWAC series. The Jaguars most recently won two games out of three at home against Alcorn, though the Braves’ 11-7 win on Friday was Alcorn’s first in SWAC play this season. UAPB swept the Braves last month.
The Jaguars have started left-handed redshirt junior Ranard Grace (1-5, 8.03 ERA) in each weekend series opener this season, while right-handed redshirt senior Nick Luckett (7-2, 5.57 ERA) has started each weekend finale.
Righty Nyle Banks had been Southern’s second starter but hasn’t started the past two weekends. Kenneth Jackson (1-0, 9.95 ERA) made his first start last Saturday, while Malik Abdul (0-1, 33.35 ERA) filled that role two weeks ago.
Both teams are coming off midweek losses to SEC teams on Tuesday. UAPB lost 13-3 in eight innings at Arkansas, while Southern fell 16-2 in seven innings at Mississippi State.