April 28, 2008

SHREVEPORT, LA--The 6^th-ranked University of Mobile baseball team dropped 2-of-3 to 21^st-ranked LSU-Shreveport to close out the regular season, but all was not lost as a pair of Rams set new school marks.

 

Jesse Luker started the second game of the series for the Rams and picked up the victory in a 4-3 win by throwing 6 innings of 5-hit ball. The win moves Luker to 10-2 on the season and gives the lefty his 24^th win at Mobile, besting Kory Melancon's old mark of 23 career victories.

 

In 2008, Luker has thrown 84.1 innings and compiled a 3.09 ERA while fanning 60 batters. The senior is also only two strikeouts away from setting a new career strikeouts record at Mobile.

 

Offensively, Jared Baria is only a junior, but he's already making his mark on several school records at Mobile. The second baseman book-ended the 3-game series with 3-hit ball games to pick up his 88^th hit of the season, besting the old school mark of 85, set by Jeff White in 2003.

 

Baria is also only 3 hits away from setting a new career hits record at the University of Mobile. Baria leads the Rams with a .440 batting average and has posted an impressive .482 on-base percentage this season. Earlier, he set a new school record with a 21-game hitting streak.

 

The Rams (40-12, 30-5) are the Regular Season Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Champions and will co-host the GCAC Tournament at Spring Hill College April 30 - May 4^th.