SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State baseball team welcomes Rice to Bobcat Ballpark on Tuesday for the third and final meeting between the programs this season. First pitched is scheduled for 6 p.m.
 
Entering the game, the Bobcats are 15-9 overall after a three-game sweep of ULM over the weekend. The Owls are 9-17 on the season and snapped a seven-game losing streak on Sunday with a victory against UTSA.
 
A video stream and live stats will be available for the game. Bill Culhane will be on the radio call on KTSW 89.9 FM.
 
Probable Starting Pitchers
Tuesday: TXST RHP Garrett Herrmann (2-1, 4.00 ERA, 17 K) vs. Rice RHP Kel Bordwine (1-2, 5.75 ERA, 13 K)
 
Scouting Texas State
Following the sweep of the Warhawks, Texas State is now 7-4 when playing in the friendly confines of Bobcat Ballpark. The Bobcats are 3-2 in midweek games this year after falling at Incarnate Word last Tuesday.
 
Will Hollis ranks first in the Sun Belt Conference with a .532 on-base percentage, is third in walks with 21 and fourth with a .380 batting average. The junior outfielder has reached base in 18 straight games and has a five-game hitting streak, the longest active streak on the team. He has also driven in 16 runs, scored 12 times and has a team-high seven doubles.
 
Jaylen Hubbard is batting .333 with a team best 31 hits and four triples. He has scored 25 runs while recording 13 RBIs. Jaxon Williams comes in hitting .312 with a team leading 28 runs scored. Both he and Hubbard have stolen four bases as well.
 
The fourth Bobcat hitting over .300 on the season is Dalton Shuffield at .307. He is a perfect 6-for-6 stealing bases.
 
Ryan Newman paces the team with 18 RBIs after hitting a run-rule walk off grand slam on Sunday against ULM. Skyler Valentine leads TXST with three home runs and is second with 17 RBIs.
 
Scheduled to start Tuesday's game on the rubber is Garrett Herrmann. The junior right-hander will be making his fifth start of the season, all of them coming in midweek games. He is 2-1 with a 4.00 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 18.0 innings. Last time Herrmann faced Rice, he held them scoreless for 5.2 innings with a career-high 10 strikeouts.
 
Kyle Bradford has made a team-high 12 appearances, tied for the fourth most in the conference. Brandon Lewis (0-1, 2 SV, 4.50 ERA) has thrown 14.0 innings over nine appearances while Brent Hebert (1-1, 1 SV, 1.69 ERA) has worked 10.2 frames in eight games out of the pen.
 
Scouting Rice
Rice is 3-5 in midweek contests with wins over Houston (5-3), Lamar (12-5) and Prairie View A&M (25-5). Tuesday's game is the Owls second straight midweek not at Reckling Park. Last Tuesday, they fell 8-3 at Texas A&M.
 
Andrew Dunlap is one of four players batting .300 or better for Rice at a team-high .329. He also paces the team with six home runs, 29 RBIs and 11 hit by pitches. Also hitting over .300 is Braden Comeaux (.317, 17 R, 3 SB), Cade Edwards (.320, 7 2B, 17 RBI) and Bradley Gneiting (.310, 35 H, 15 RBI).
 
Trei Cruz enters with a .293 batting average. The sophomore shortstop has scored 21 times while hitting five homers, three triples and driven in 24 runs. He has committed a team-high 11 errors as well.
 
Rice's probable starter is Kel Bordwine. The sophomore right-hander is 1-2 with a 5.75 ERA, 13 strikeouts and an opponent's batting average of .308 in 20.1 innings. He will be making his fourth start of the season and nine appearance overall.
 
Kendal Jefferies has pitched in a team leading 10 games and compiled a 1-1 record, two saves and 19 strikeouts in 21.0 innings. Making nine appearances on the year is Dalton Wood. He has thrown 11.2 innings in that time for a 6.94 ERA and seven strikeouts.
 
All-Time Series
Rice leads the all-time series 54-16 but Texas State has won the last three meetings including two this season. On the first of the month, the Bobcats defeated the Owls 1-0 in the opening game of the 2019 Shriners College Classic in Minute Maid Park and followed with a 5-0 win on the 13th at Reckling Park.
 
The two victories gave TXST just its second season series victory over Rice with the only other occurrence being in 1988. That year saw the Bobcats win both games of a doubleheader played in San Marcos.
 
When playing the Owls at home, Texas State is 8-13 all-time. The Bobcats have won the last two contests at Bobcat Ballpark including a 6-2 victory last season.
 
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