Baseball
Matt Otteman and the Mavericks take on Baylor at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. |
MAVERICKS TRY TO MAKE IT THREE IN A ROW AGAINST THE BIG 12
April 28, 2008
ARLINGTON, Texas - - UT Arlington's baseball team returns home to Clay Gould Ballpark on Tuesday for a 6:30 p.m. non-conference game against Baylor.
The Mavericks, who are coming off a three-game Louisiana road trip, will try to make it three consecutive victories against the Big 12. UTA defeated Oklahoma State two weeks ago, then knocked off Texas the very next day for consecutive victories against the Big 12 and consecutive wins against nationally-ranked opponents.
Making it three in a row won't be an easy task.
Baylor (25-20) defeated the Mavericks (20-23) earlier this season, 6-5, and will send one of its top mid-week starters to the mound in 6-1, 180-pound senior right-hander Tim Matthews. A two-year letterwinner from Carrollton, Matthews is 3-1 with a 3.93 earned run average. He has tossed 36.2 innings and allowed 39 hits. He has struck out 25.
The Mavericks will counter with right-hander Drew Clementz, who has been solid throughout the entire season in relief and will be making his second start. Clementz has a 1.72 ERA in 15.2 innings pitched. He has allowed 14 hits and has struck out 15.
"I'm hoping we can continue the momentum we have from that final game against Northwestern State," UTA head coach Darin Thomas said. "It's going to be tough though. Both of these teams are really solid."
UTA is coming off an 18-3 victory against Northwestern State in Natchitoches, La. The Mavericks dropped the first two games of the series. Similarly, the Bears dropped the first two games of its most recent Big 12 series against Nebraska. Baylor salvaged the series with an 8-3 victory on Sunday.
After the Baylor contest, UTA will take on TCU at home on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.