April 27, 2006

The West Texas A&M University baseball team closes out the 2006 regular season at Abilene, Texas this weekend with a four game series against division leader Abilene Christian beginning on Friday, April 28 at 4 p.m. and finishing on Saturday, April 29 at noon. The games have serious implications for the Buffs who look to make the Lone Star Conference post-season tournament for the first time.

While other WTAMU teams have made the post-season, those teams were part of the Missouri Valley Conference in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Since bringing baseball back to WTAMU in 1994, the Buffs have never made a post-season appearance. The Buffs need a single win in the series OR one loss by Texas A&M-Kingsville, who play Eastern New Mexico this weekend, to make the tournament.

Sophomore center fielder Justin Graham tops the Buffs at the plate with a .380 batting average, with five doubles, two triples and 20 RBI. RBI leaders sophomores Brady Ribinskas and Brian Schupp, designated hitter and third baseman respectively, have 32 apiece and are both close to a .400 on base percentage. Schupp posts a .309 batting average with a team high three triples and is tied for second in home runs with four. Ribinskas leads the team with six home runs and boasts an average of .305 in 34 games.

After picking up his third win of the season in the second of the four game series against Tarleton over the weekend, sophomore southpaw Jessie Rodriguez leads the starting pitchers with a 5.64 ERA, as well as in innings pitched (75.0), strikeouts (57), and starts (13). Freshman Ruben Batista brings a 6.81 ERA into the game with a 4-5 record over 12 starts, including 70.0 innings pitched.

ACU is led by first baseman Joel Wells whose .401 batting average, 16 home runs and 55 RBI are team highs, as well as ranking him sixth, first and second respectively in the LSC. Outfielder Johnny Zepeda tops the Wildcats with 16 doubles and adds another 44 RBI, while batting .395. The Wildcats' pitching staff boasts seven pitchers with an ERA under 5.00. Starting pitchers Brian Kennedy and Chris Wiman both rank among LSC leaders in ERA with a 3.34 and 3.73 respectively. Wiman tops the conference with 70 strikeouts.

The Lone Star Conference tournament will be played at Abilene, Texas and will run from Saturday, May 6 through Tuesday, May 9.

-WT-