SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State (13-15, 4-5 Sun Belt) hits the road for a Sun Belt Conference series this weekend at Louisiana (15-16, 6-3 Sun Belt). Friday's series opener is slated for a 6 p.m. first pitch while Saturday's and Sunday's contests will see first pitch at 2 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively, from Russo Park.
Fans can watch all three games on ESPN+ and live stats will also be available.
PROBABLY STARTING PITCHERS
Friday: TXST LHP Alex Valentin (4-1) vs. LA LHP Chase Morgan (2-1)
Saturday: TXST LHP Jesus Tovar (0-2) vs. LA LHP Andrew Herrmann (2-2)
Sunday: TXST RHP Jackson Teer (1-5) vs. LA RHP JR Tollett (3-2)
ABOUT TEXAS STATE
The Bobcats are coming off their third midweek victory over a ranked opponent after defeating fifth-ranked Texas in Austin by a score of 5-3. It was the team's fourth consecutive win over the Longhorns in the Lone Star state's capital. The win improved TXST to 4-8 in games outside of San Marcos.
Ryne Farber leads the team with 31 hits, 21 runs, 13 walks, seven hit by pitches and seven stolen bases. He is batting .305 with six doubles and 12 RBI. Ian Collier comes in hitting a team-high .339 while driving in 14 runs and has hit three home runs. Austin Eaton has a team leading four homers while Chase Mora sports a team best 18 RBI and seven doubles.
Scheduled to make his third consecutive Friday start is Alex Valentin. The lefty is 4-1 with one save, a 3.79 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 35.2 innings while limiting opponents to a .160 average. Jesus Tovar will get the start on Saturday and enters with a 0-2 record, 4.71 ERA and team-high 36 strikeouts over 28.2 innings. Slated to get the ball in the finale is Jackson Teer. The senior is 1-5 with a 6.92 ERA and 30 punch outs in 26.0 frames.
Matthew Tippie has come out of the bullpen a team-high 14 times this season and sports a 2-0 record, 2.95 ERA and 35 strikeouts over 21.1 innings. Bryson Dudley is 3-1 with one save, a 5.91 ERA and 26 punch outs in 13 appearances that includes one start. Carson Laws has earned six saves this season while striking out 24 in 18.0 innings.
ABOUT LOUISIANA
The Ragin' Cajuns saw their four-game winning streak end at home on Wednesday with a 16-6 loss to Louisiana Tech. Louisiana is 13-9 at home this season with a 4-2 record against Sun Belt opponents. Last weekend saw the Cajuns swept James Madison.
Conor Higgs is the only regular in the lineup hitting over .300 at .356. He also paces the team with 34 runs, 21 RBI, 10 homers and a .429 on-base percentage. Caleb Stelly has hit five round trippers and is one of three players to have driven in 18 runs along with Jose Torres and Brooks Wright.
Taking the hill on Friday will be Chase Morgan. The lefty is 2-1 with a 2.52 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 25 innings over five starts. Andrew Herrmann will get the ball on Saturday. He sports a 2-2 record, 5.29 ERA and 28 punch outs spanning 32.1 innings. Rounding out the rotation is right-hander JR Tollett, who is 3-2 with a 3.32 ERA and 33 punchouts in 35.1 innings over nine games, including four starts.
Of the team's nine saves, only Wilton Taylor (2.79 ERA, 9 K) has multiple with two. Riley Marcotte has made a team-high 10 relief appearances out of his 12 outings. He has struck out 13 in 18.2 innings and has a 4.34 ERA. Tate Hess has recorded 30 strikeouts in 28.2 innings while picking up a save and going 3-2 with a 7.85 ERA in 10 games that includes four starts.
SERIES VS. RAGIN' CAJUNS
Louisiana leads the all-time series 33-21 and has won the last nine contests. The Cajuns have picked up three wins apiece in Lafayette, San Marcos and Montgomery in the Sun Belt Tournament. Last time Texas State won a series was a series sweep in 2022 at Bobcat Ballpark.
When facing Louisiana on the road, the Bobcats are 10-15 all-time. The last series in Lafayette was in 2023 that ended with TXST being swept. The only series road victories came in 2021 and a sweep in 2019.
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