HOUSTON – HCU Baseball is back at Husky Field this weekend for a Southland Conference series against Northwestern State. First pitch is scheduled for Friday, April 11 at 6:30 p.m., followed by Saturday's Alumni Day game at 2:00 p.m. and the series finale on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
The Huskies (20-11, 12-3 SLC) are coming off their fifth-consecutive conference series win on the road at Nicholls, where they took two out of three games. After dropping the opener, 5-4, on Friday, April 4, they bounced back with a 6-4 win in Game 1 of a Saturday doubleheader before capping the weekend with a 4-2 victory in the finale.
HCU continues to excel at the plate in conference play, ranking second in the league in batting avearge at .321 while averaging 7.6 runs per game. Rhett Hendricks leads the team with a .395 batting average with a 1.086 OPS, driving in 15 runs on 17 hits. Parker Edwards leads the team with 11 extra-base hits, including five home runs, 19 RBIs and 16 runs scored while boasting a 1.109 OPS. Matthew Leiterman (.382), Jack Walker (.371), and Kenneth Dutka (.358) have all been steady producers offensively with batting averages above .350 and at least 11 runs scored in SLC play.
On the mound against conference opponents, Louis Castano has been dominant in relief with a 1.50 ERA and a 3-0 record across six appearances with one save. Over his last four appearances, the righty has been nearly unhittable with just two hits allowed in 11 innings of work with 11 strikeouts and zero walks. Ben Norton has four saves in league play while maintaining a 2.08 ERA while senior Joshua Caravalho owns a 3-1 record as a starter.
Northwestern State (20-14, 12-6 SLC) arrives in Houston after hosting UTRGV for a three-game series, with the Demons took two of three. NSU has a .256 team batting average and a .772 OPS in conference play with Rocco Gump leading the team with 22 hits and 14 RBIs, while Braden Benton leads in OPS (1.228) and walks (15). The Demons have shown strong plate discipline, drawing 94 walks and getting hit 23 times, contributing to a .373 team on-base percentage. They've also stolen 34 bases in 41 attempts, giving the Demons 12 more stolen bases against SLC foes than any other team. On the mound, Trent Hillen comes into the series with a 3-0 record in six SLC starts with a 2.50 ERA.
Midway through their SLC schedule, the Huskies hold a one-game lead on both McNeese and Southeastern with the Demons sitting in fifth place at 12-6. The Demons swept the series in Natchitoches, La. last season with HCU taking two-of-three the last time the two teams met in Houston during the 2023 season.
Following the series, HCU will hit the road again for a midweek non-conference matchup at Texas State on Tuesday, April 15, with first pitch scheduled for 6:00 p.m. in San Marcos.
