Hoggie Baseball

[eppy 12]

Javelinas make it to LSC championship

Tim Jones struck out a career high 11 batters and got out of a bases loaded, no outs jam in the eighth inning with only one run allowed as the sixth seeded Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas won their second game of the day and advanced to the finals of the Lone Star Conference Postseason Baseball Tournament with a 2-1 victory over Central Oklahoma.

In their first game earlier in the day, the Javelinas beat Cameron 7-4 in 12 innings.

The Javs didn't get a hit after the fourth inning, but Jones was brilliant as he pitched the team's third complete game of the tournament.

The Javelinas are now 29-28 and will play the winner of today's first game between Abilene Christian and Central Oklahoma at 5 p.m. for the LSC title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

It's the first time the Javs have advanced to the LSC Tournament title game since 2004.

Jones entered the game with a 3-7 record and had struggled in his last seven appearances, going 0-3 with a 6.66 earned run average, but he put together the game of his career and earned his first victory since March 21st.

Jones pitched brilliantly through seven innings, allowing no runs on just five hits with nine strikeouts and no walks.

He seemed to run out of gas in the eighth and didn't get any help from his defense.

The inning began with an error, Jones hit the next batter and walked his first batter of the game to load the bases. Jones then hit a batter to force in the first run and only run he would allow.

With the bases loaded and still nobody out, Jones got Tyler Carroll to hit a ground ball to third baseman Will Alexander who threw home for the force out. Then Jones took matters into his own hands and struck out Ryan Scoonhover and Brent Hodge to end the inning.

He then retired the Bronchos in order in the ninth to end the game.

The Javelinas had several chances to score in the first four innings, picking up seven hits.

The Javs had a runner at third with one out in the first, had three hits in the second, but hit into a double play. The team left the bases loaded in the third and had a runner throw out at the plate to end the fourth.

But after squandering numerous scoring chances, the Bronchos gave the Javs two runs on an error on the shortstop and a wild pitch.

:clap:

[Maroon87]

Hey if nothing else at least we'll finish .500...:nerd:

[Maroon87]

A&I press release...

Great news that can't wait until next week. The Javelina baseball team captured the Lone Star Conference championshipp last night with a victory over top-seeded and host Abilene Christian in the final game.
The Javelinas entered the meet as the sixth-seed and become the first team seeded that low to take the title.
The Javelinas now advance into the NCAA Division II playoffs and will compete in the South Central Region at a site and at a date to be announced this weekend. Six teams will compete in the regional tournament.
This is the fourth conference championship for the Javelinas since the current baseball program was initiated in 1993, and it will be the team's second trip to the NCAA playoffs.
Congratulations Javelinas!!!!

:thumbsup:

[Maroon87]

Javelinas surprise, win LSC tourney
A&M-K earns NCAA berth from six seed


Last week, Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball coach Russell Stockton was saying that the Lone Star Conference postseason tournament is a unique setting in which previous performances don't matter much.

"Whoever shows up ready to go is the team that's going to win it," Stockton said.

The Javelinas proved they were ready, making history in the process.

Seeded sixth out of six teams in the tournament, the Javelinas earned their third berth in the NCAA South Central Region Tournament by rallying twice to oust top-seeded and fourth-ranked Abilene Christian 7-6 for the LSC title Tuesday at the Wildcats' Crutcher Scott Field.

In becoming the first six-seed to win the tournament since its expansion to six teams, the Javelinas will take their 31-29 record into the regional at a site to be determined early next week.

"Obviously, it's the same team we've had all year long. We finally clicked," Stockton said after the game. "We kind of came together. We started playing better on the road."

In earning their third LSC title and second under Stockton, the Javs won three consecutive elimination games and beat ACU (41-15) twice on its home diamond. A&M-Kingsville lost three of four to the Wildcats during the regular season at Nolan Ryan Field.

"Abilene Christian is absolutely a great program. They're a class act. ... I have all the respect in the world for them," Stockton said. "You get jacked up to play Abilene Christian, especially at their place."

A&M-Kingsville trailed 6-3 after a three-run ACU rally in the top of the eighth. But the Javs, who earlier rallied from a 2-1 deficit, came up with four runs in the last of the eighth.

Joe Hamon and Owen Weaver opened the eighth for the Javs, chasing ACU reliever Jordan Gibbons for Chris Wiman (12-4). Taylor Everett followed with an RBI single to right, cutting ACU's lead to 6-4.

Odem's Gil Perez, pinch-hitting for Lee Venegas, reached on a bunt single, trying to sacrifice on a 1-2 pitch. Wiman threw wildly to first, Weaver and Everett scored to tie the game and the fleet Perez racing to third. Wiley Crowson then drove in Perez with a single and a 7-6 lead.

"I thought about whether I should leave it on or not," Stockton said of the decision to have Perez bunt with two strikes. "But the game's on the line, and we've got to have it. Gil just laid down a great bunt, and we got the error."

In the ninth, freshman Steven Hooker allowed a leadoff single before retiring the next three Wildcats. Hooker (4-4) had come on in relief of Premont's Mario Gonzalez with no outs in the eighth and promptly gave up ACU's sixth consecutive single, reloading the bases.

But Hooker got Thomas Bumpass to pop out. ACU's J.J. Pacheco then stroked a screaming grounder that third baseman Will Alexander turned into a home-to-first double play, ending the threat.

"Hooker's just a tough nut. He went after it," Stockton said. "You look at the whole tournament and everything went our way this weekend. The guys clutched up when they needed to."

The eighth-inning double play was one of three turned by the Javs, who played errorless ball and also got sound defensive plays from left fielder Chase Myrick and second baseman Erik Gomez. In addition, starting left-handed pitcher Sam Strickland picked off two Wildcats and Hamon threw out a potential base stealer.

"You look up there at that scoreboard and there's the 0 under the errors," Stockton said. "You've got to make those plays in these tight games."

Left-hander Tim Jones, who saved one of Gonzalez's two tournament wins and pitched the Javs into the title game with an 11-strikeout performance in Monday's 2-1 win over Central Oklahoma, was named the tournament MVP.

Weaver, Hamon and Strickland were named to the all-tournament team.

[Bull Butter]

Way to go Hogs!!!

http://javelinaathletics.com/UserFiles/Image/JavelinaHogLeftColor.jpg

A&I 'till I die!!!