Baseball | 4/20/2017 10:46:00 AM

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State baseball team is set to travel to Alabama in back-to-back weeks for a pair of Sun Belt Conference series. First up for the Bobcats will be a three-game set against Troy April 21-22 at Riddle-Pace Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. April 21. TXST has never defeated the Trojans in Alabama (0-3) and the all-time series record stands at 5-5. The weekend has been altered due to inclement weather in the forecast for April 23. The final two games will now be played as part of a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. April 22.
 
The Bobcats (22-16, 9-6 SBC) are coming off a midweek loss at Texas after snapping a four-game losing streak with a pair of weekends victories over ULM. The Bobcats are 5-5 in their last 10 outings and 5-6 on the road in 2017.
 
The Trojans (19-17, 6-9 SBC) have lost each of their last four weekend conference series two games to one after opening up league play with a two-games-to-one triumph over Little Rock. Troy is 9-8 at home and 5-5 in its last 10 outings.

Series Info: Texas State at Troy
Site: Riddle-Pace Field – Troy, Alabama
Dates: Friday, April 21 – Saturday, April 22
Time: Friday – 6 pm LIVE STATS | Saturday – 3 pm LIVE STATS | Saturday – 7 pm LIVE STATS
TV: WatchESPN Friday | Saturday 1 | Saturday 2
Radio: KTSW 89.9 FM
All-Time Record: Series tied 5-5

Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday: #41 RHP Connor Reich (2-2, 4.70 ERA) vs. #33 RHP Corey Childress (2-3, 6.90 ERA)
Saturday (1): #36 RHP Nicholas Fraze (4-1, 4.59 ERA) vs. #27 RHP Daren Osby (4-3, 3.93 ERA)
Saturday (2): TBA vs. #40 LHP Austin Crook (4-1, 3.71 ERA)

HUBBARD WINS FIRST CAREER WEEKLY ACCOLADE
Jaylen Hubbard was named the Sun Belt Conference Community Coffee Player of the Week for the first time in his career, the league announced Monday afternoon. The sophomore third baseman received the honor for games played April 10-16 after helping lead the Texas State baseball team to a series victory over ULM this past weekend. The Missouri City, Texas, native entered the weekend with one career home run, and he belted round-trippers in each of the first two games against the Warhawks. He registered two hits and at least one RBI in all four games this past week to finish with a .533 batting average (8-for-15). He tallied a .562 on-base percentage and a .933 slugging percentage, while finishing with eight RBIs and three runs scored. The hit and RBI totals are both the most in any four-game stretch in Hubbard's career. This past week also marked the first time in his career he recorded multiple hits in four-straight contests. For good measure, he also stole a base and only struck out once. Three of his eight hits came with two outs, and he finished 6-for-9 on the week with runners in scoring position. Hubbard is currently riding a career long six-game hitting streak. He has registered at least one RBI in each of those six games, which is also a career best. Hubbard joins fellow sophomore Jonathan Ortega (March 7) as the two weekly award winners from Texas State this season. Hubbard is also the fourth Bobcat to be named as the SBC Player of the Week, joining Ortega, junior Luke Sherley (March 1, 2016) and former great Tanner Hill (March 19, 2015).
 
TEXAS STATE HELPS RAISE COLON CANCER AWARENESS
The Texas State and Texas A&M baseball programs wore blue laces in their matchup March 28 at Bobcat Ballpark to help raise awareness for colon cancer and to help benefit Kiel Colon Cancer. The mission of the organization is to decrease the number of preventable deaths caused by colon cancer through education and awareness initiative, encouraging healthy lifestyle choices and supporting colon cancer research. The founder of the organization, George Kiel III, is a Texas State graduate and played on the men's basketball team. For more information, visit kielcoloncancer.org.
 
BOBCATS GO4THEGOAL BY LACING UP FOR PEDIATRIC CANCER AWARENESS
Texas State softball and baseball supported the Go4theGoal organization by participating in Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer games on April 5. Both games were played in San Marcos with softball defeating Texas and baseball defeating UTRGV. Both programs wore gold shoe laces in support of the initiative. Fans are encouraged to continue donating to Go4theGoal. The organization's mission is helping improve the lives of children battling cancer by providing financial support, developing and implementing unique hospital programs, funding innovative research and granting personal wishes. For more information, visit GO4THEGOAL.ORG.

THE 2017 SCHEDULE
The Bobcats are in the midst of a treacherous 2017 slate that features numerous dangerous opponents and allows Texas State fans plenty of opportunities to see some of the best college baseball teams in the nation. TXST is playing 23 road games and 33 contests in the friendly confines of Bobcat Ballpark. Of those 22 different opponents, seven received preseason national top-25 rankings from at least one of the five accredited ranking organizations (Coastal Carolina, Louisiana, Oklahoma State, Rice, Sam Houston State, Texas, Texas A&M). Also on the docket are seven programs that competed in the NCAA Championship last year (CCU, OSU, Rice, TAMU, SHSU, Louisiana, South Alabama), two College World Series participants (CCU, OSU) and the defending national champions (CCU). Of the first 30 games this season, 24 are scheduled to be played at home. Of the final 26 games, 17 will be played on the road.
 
A NEW FORMAT THIS YEAR
Beginning with the 2017 season, the Sun Belt Conference will conduct its baseball regular season with divisional play. Two divisions will be comprised of six teams each, and divisional champions will be awarded at the end of the year based on the winning percentage against all teams, regardless of division. The 2017 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship will be seeded with the division winners as the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, with the No. 1 seed being awarded to the divisional winner with the best conference winning percentage. The number of teams playing in the conference championship will increase from eight to 10. This will cause two additional games to be played. The first round games will include the No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed and the No. 7 seed vs. the No. 10 seed, with both contests conducted as single-elimination games on Tuesday of tournament week. The conference tournament is set for May 23-28 at J.I. Clements Stadium on the campus of Georgia Southern.
 
BOBCATS SELECTED FOURTH IN SBC WEST DIVISION
Texas State was selected to finish fourth in the West Division of the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, the league announced Feb. 8. The Bobcats collected 44 points to land one point shy of Little Rock, while Louisiana sat atop the division with 72 points. The Ragin' Cajuns also earned all 12 first-place votes. UTA was slotted second with 50 points, while Arkansas State (27 points) and ULM (14 points) were fifth and sixth, respectively. Coastal Carolina, the defending national champions, were projected as the favorites in the SBC East Division with 70 points and 10 first-place votes. South Alabama earned a first-place vote and was tabbed second with 56 points, while Georgia Southern picked up the final first-place vote and landed in third with 48 points. Troy (39 points), Georgia State (23 points) and Appalachian State (15 points) rounded out the bottom half of the East Division.

-TxStateBobcats.com-