A year ago, St. Edward's baseball was hovering around .500 until a late surge propelled the Hilltoppers to a 3-2 record in the Lone Star Conference Tournament and into the NCAA Regional, where the team fell just three wins shy of the College World Series.
St. Edward's carried that momentum this season, picking up a national ranking and the second seed in the Lone Star Conference Tournament with a 36-13 record, including 34-13 in conference play.
The Hilltoppers rank second in the conference in earned run average and fifth in runs scored, often plating runs 350 to 400 feet at a time with 59 home runs on the season.
Still, how far the Hilltoppers go always seems to come back to the team from that 80-mile stretch down I-35. St. Edward's kicks off its postseason in a rivalry matchup hosting St. Mary's in an in-season sequel to the Battle of the Saints.
St. Edward's took three of four games against St. Mary's this season, with a competitive first three games racking up a combined score of 21-19, winning 10-6 and 8-6 before losing 7-3, before the Hilltoppers blew things open in the final game with a 15-4 win.
LANCE LITTLE was a monster in the series, hitting 8-for-15 with three home runs and seven RBIs amid a tremendous first season at St. Edward's. Little finished sixth in the conference in batting average (.409) and slugging percentage (.716), second in on-base percentage (0.523), fourth in runs score (64), and tied for second in home runs (15).
And while St. Edward's has gotten production up and down its lineup, the heart of the order with Little, CULLEN AINSWORTH, Drewek Davis, and LUKE JOHNSON has been a nightmare for opposing pitchers, with each hitting double-digit home runs while combining for 207 RBIs and 132 runs.
The Hilltoppers have also leaned on youth at the top of the lineup, getting a solid season from freshman leadoff hitter and third baseman TREVOR SEBEK and one of the top freshman seasons in the Lone Star Conference from left fielder CONNOR COX.
Sebek stepped into the lineup and hit .298 with a .587 slugging percentage and .390 on-base percentage, scoring 45 runs and driving in 29 RBIs. All Cox has done all season is get the ball to the sweet spot on the bat, hitting .394 with a .587 slugging percentage, hitting six home runs, with ten doubles while driving in 45 RBIs and scoring 53 runs.
Senior MATTHEW GILES stopped in late with a .313 batting average and a .417 on-base percentage. RYAN FEDDERSEN has split time with Johnson at the DH over the past few weeks, hitting .458, and KYLER KERLIN has had a late-season resurgence at second base and late in the lineup. WESTON SYMES has been a steady glove at shortstop and solid at the plate, getting on base with patient at-bats and moving runners over with bunts.
On the mound, the Hilltoppers have the kind of 1-2 punch in WESLEY GAFFORD and LUKE JOHNSON that becomes all the more valuable in playoff settings.
Gafford was named a preseason All-American and has been solid, with a 7-3 record and 82 strikeouts. Short has dominated, setting a school record with 115 strikeouts in a season, ranking third in the nation. He also has a 10-1 record with a 2.25 ERA.
JACK GRANACK has been steady as a starter with a 6-6 record, and the Hilltoppers may have found something moving JARED SCHAEFFER into the rotation as the fourth starter, getting a 4-2 record with 35 strikeouts to just seven walks and a 3.28 ERA. KEVIN SKWERES and AUSTIN ESSEX have been the most trusted arms in the bullpen, with 3.22 and 2.41 ERAs.
St. Mary's boasts one of the hottest hitters in Division II in Jake Mares, who is in the midst of a school-record 25-game hitting streak. Clay Bradford is a dual threat at the plate (.422 batting average, 14 home runs, 52 RBIs) and on the mound. John Curtis leads the pitching staff with 52 strikeouts and a 4.04 ERA.
The series begins Friday at 1:00 p.m., with the second game at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday and a 1:00 p.m. Sunday game if necessary.
