Given the nature of Southern’s roller-coaster season, coach Chris Crenshaw has good reason to believe things might turn in his team’s favor when it plays a three-game Southwestern Athletic Conference series at Prairie View this weekend.
The Jaguars (17-20, 10-7 Western Division) have lost five games, including a four-game sweep at Texas Southern. Before the skid, they had two four-game win streaks and another of five.
The Jaguars are playing a team they swept in Baton Rouge last month while trying to stay in the division race. The teams play at 6 p.m. Friday, followed by the second game at 3 p.m. Saturday and the finale is at 1 p.m. Sunday at Tankersley Field.
“I expect us to bounce back this weekend,” Crenshaw said. “We need to play a little bit better and make smarter decisions. We made some bad decisions in a couple of those games that cost us the game. I expect it to be the same intensity from last weekend.”
“I don’t think they ever lose confidence. We’re looking forward to just playing better baseball and making better decisions.”
Southern tumbled from first to fourth place in the West, a half-game behind Prairie View. Texas Southern now leads with a 14-3 mark, and Grambling is in second at 13-5.
Southern stayed close in the first two games at Texas Southern, losing 6-4 and 8-7, but got blown out from the start in the third game. TSU scored 11 runs in the first inning, hammering starter Antoine Harris.
Ranard Grace and Drew Lasseigne will start the first two games this weekend with the Sunday starter still to be determined.
Southern’s top offensive players are outfielders Tyeler Hawkins and Khyle Radcliffe. Hawkins, the leadoff hitter, has a team-high .376 average and seven home runs with 33 RBIs. Radcliffe is hitting .360 with a team-best 37 RBIs.
Crenshaw said the Jaguars have shown they can hit but need to be more consistent with runners on base.
“We had guys leaving guys in scoring position throughout the weekend,” he said. “We need those same guys to pick it up this weekend.”
Prairie View (21-22, 11-7) has won seven consecutive games and eight of the last nine with sweeps over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Alcorn State.
Outfielders Michael Burroughs and Michael Smith lead the offense. Burroughs is batting .355 with four homers and 44 RBIs, while Smith is hitting .331 with seven homers, 40 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. Second baseman Isaac Davila is hitting .325.
The Panthers’ top pitchers are Matthew Krall (3-1, 5.72) and Michael Dews (3-3, 7.32).
“When we got everybody healthy, we were up, but we hit a wall, it seems like,” Crenshaw said. “We’ve got to pick it back up. The second half started last weekend, and we have four more weekends to try and win the SWAC West Division.”