Complete Notes
The American's baseball teams completed their first week of conference games, as ECU, Houston, USF and Tulane took home series wins. League play will continue on Thursday and throughout the weekend after the teams compete in six midweek nonconference games on Tuesday.
The conference brings a 115-71 nonconference record into its midweek action, as the league's .618 winning percentage is the fourth-best among the 31 Division I conferences. The teams have combined for 28 series wins against nonconference foes after No. 18 Wichita State swept Furman in a three-game series last weekend. Together, The American has recorded 14 wins over ranked opponents this season.
Five teams were featured in national polls this week, as ECU earned the highest ranking at No. 16 on D1Baseball.com's list. The Pirates were featured on all five national polls. Wichita State was placed on four polls this week, receiving the No. 18 spot from Collegiate Baseball, while Houston came in at No. 30 on that list. UCF is No. 25 in Baseball America's poll, while getting attention from the NCBWA and the USA Today Coaches' poll. USF received votes in a pair of polls as well.
Houston (16-8, 3-0) has won eight in a row, securing the longest winning streak in the conference after sweeping Memphis to open league play last weekend. LHP Trey Cumbie threw his second straight complete game shutout, while fanning eight batters in the series opener. In Game 2, LHP Aaron Fletcher followed with another complete game shutout for the Cougars, recording a career-high nine strikeouts as the team clinched the series. Houston swept the conference's weekly awards with Fletcher and 3B Jared Triolo earning the honors. The Cougars travel to Rice and Cincinnati this week.
Wichita State (17-4) is on a five-game winning streak after going 4-0 last week with a win over Oklahoma and a weekend sweep over Furman. The Shockers have won four nonconference series heading into their inaugural American Athletic Conference opener against ECU this weekend. Thursday’s series opener will be streamed live on Facebook through the
American Digital Network. Wichita State will first travel to Central Arkansas on Tuesday night. The Shockers are second in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings at 6.22 and have the most grand slams in the NCAA (five). 3B Alec Bohm has accounted for three grand slams.
USF (18-7, 2-1) has won nine of its last 10 games after a series win over UConn and leads the league in runs, hits, doubles, triples, and batting average. The Bulls average a nation-leading 2.96 doubles per game and have hit 74 doubles this season. 3B David Villar has hit 13 doubles this year, which rank fourth in the NCAA. LHP Shane McClanahan ranks second in the nation with 61 strikeouts. USF will host Stetson on Tuesday and Tulane over the weekend.
ECU (18-5, 2-1) is coming off a series win over UCF, as the team is 8-2 over its last 10 games. ECU's pitching staff has recorded the 10th-lowest ERA in the nation at 2.58. Four Pirates are batting over .300 this season, led by 2B Brady Lloyd, who is hitting .438, which is second in the league and 14th in the nation. UCF (18-8, 1-2) 1B Rylan Thomas leads the conference and is ninth in the NCAA with a .454 batting average. Thomas, the league’s preseason Player of the Year, ranks second nationally with 34 RBIs.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Tuesday, March 27
UConn at Boston College - 3 p.m.
Stetson at USF - 6:30 p.m.
Tulane at Southeastern Louisiana - 7 p.m.
Wichita State at Central Arkansas - 7 p.m.
Arkansas at Memphis - 7:30 p.m.
Houston at Rice - 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 29
Hartford at UConn - 3 p.m.
Houston at Cincinnati * - 6 p.m.
Wichita State at ECU (ADN) * - 6:30 p.m.
Tulane at USF * - 7 p.m.
UCF at Memphis * - 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 30
UConn at Central Connecticut - 3 p.m.
Houston at Cincinnati * - 4 p.m.
Tulane at USF * - 6:30 p.m.
Wichita State at ECU * - 6:30 p.m.
UCF at Memphis * - 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 31
Wichita State at ECU * - 1 p.m.
Houston at Cincinnati * - 1 p.m.
Tulane at USF * - 1 p.m.
UCF at Memphis * - 2 p.m.
UConn at Hartford - 3:30 p.m.
All times ET & subject to change
* conference game