C-USA PLAY SET TO GET UNDERWAY
This week marks the start of Conference USA play as all 12 teams start conference series on Friday:
 
Friday-Sunday Series
Charlotte vs. WKU
FIU vs. Marshall
Middle Tennessee vs. Old Dominion
Southern Miss vs. Florida Atlantic
UTSA vs. LA Tech
Rice vs. UAB
 
SOUTHERN MISS KNOCKS OFF NO. 18 TULANE IN MIDWEEK
Southern Miss (10-6) opened its week last week with a top-20 win over then-No. 18 Tulane, 7-2 last Wednesday night in Hattiesburg. Starting pitcher and C-USA Pitcher of the Week Tanner Hall threw eight nearly spotless innings, holding the Wave to just four hits and one unearned run with eight strikeouts to just one walk. Hall spun a gem in his last midweek start as well, as Southern Miss took down then-No. 9 Mississippi State in Pearl, Mississippi.
 
ODU KEEPS ROLLING
Old Dominion enters the week ranked in three of the major polls (No. 21 in the Collegiate Baseball, No. 24 in the Baseball America and No. 25 in the NWCBA  polls). The Monarchs went 4-0 last week and have won 10 consecutive games.
 
GET ON BASE!
Charlotte (ninth at .442) and Florida Atlantic (11th at .438) are inside the national top-12 in on-base percentage heading into conference play.
 
Charlotte INF David McCabe ranks fifth in the country in that category at .600.
 
BETTER THAN AVERAGE
Two C-USA teams find themselves in the top-25 nationally in batting average - Florida Atlantic (14th at .326) and Old Dominion (23rd at .319).
 
Charlotte INF Nate Furman and his teammate, INF David McCabe are 1-2 in Conference USA in batting average at .435 and .429, respectively.
 
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Florida Atlantic INF Jackson Ross, Southern Miss OF Slade Wilks and LA Tech INF Taylor Young are tied for the lead in C-USA with eight doubles apiece, and they rank 18th nationally in that category.
 
On the team side, Florida Atlantic ranks second in the country in doubles with 46, while Old Dominion (12th with 41) and UTSA (22nd with 37) are also in the national top-25. In terms of doubles per game, ODU is second in the country (2.93), while FAU is seventh (2.71).
 
TRIPLE DOG DARE YOU
Old Dominion enters the conference play ranking 10th in the country in triples (eight).
 
LA Tech INF Taylor Young leads C-USA and ranks fifth nationally with three triples thus far.
 
IT'S ABOUT SACRIFICE
UTSA and Florida Atlantic are tied for 15th nationally with 11 sacrifice flies apiece.
 
Individually, Old Dominion INF/P Kenny Levari and LA Tech INF Taylor Young are tied for fifth nationally with four sacrifice flies each thus far this season.
 
RUN IT UP!
Three C-USA squads rank within the national top-25 in total runs scored - Florida Atlantic (sixth with 160), Old Dominion (16th with 145) and LA Tech (23rd with 138).
 
The Monarchs are fifth, however, in runs per game (10.4), while the Owls rank 16th (9.4).
 
Charlotte INF Nate Furman and LA Tech INF Taylor Young have scored 23 runs apiece thus far this season, tying for 10th-most in the nation.
 
SLUGFEST
Two C-USA teams are within the top-20 nationally in slugging percentage - Old Dominion (eighth at .564) and Florida Atlantic (16th at .531).
 
EARNED RUN AVERAGE LEADERS
Two C-USA squads rank inside the top-20 nationally in earned run average - Southern Miss (15th with 2.62) and Old Dominion (20th with 2.79).
 
Individually, UTSA RHP Luke Malone leads the conference and ranks 17th nationally with a 0.55 E.R.A., while Southern Miss RHP Hunter Riggins is 24th in the country with a 0.69 E.R.A.
 
STRIKEOUT/WALK RATIO
Southern Miss ranks fourth in the nation in strikeout to walk ratio through the first several weeks of the season (4.97).
 
WHIP IT GOOD
Southern Miss ranks 10th in the nation with a 1.05 WHIP, while LA Tech ranks 20th at 1.13 heading into conference play.
 
DON’T WALK, STOP SIGN IS ON
Southern Miss leads the nation in walks allowed per nine innings at 2.00, while WKU ranks 16th at 2.88.
 
NOW WALK IT OUT
A pair of C-USA teams rank inside the top-12 nationally in walks - Charlotte is fourth nationally with 113, while Florida Atlantic ranks 12th with 94 on the season.
Charlotte INF David McCabe ranks seventh nationally in total walks, with 17, and leads the nation in walks per game (1.42).
 
GOING YARD
UTSA OF Ian Bailey is tied for the league lead alongside FIU INF/OF Gabriel Rincones, Jr. in home runs (six), which ranks 27th in the country heading into the third week of the season.
 
On the team side, Florida Atlantic and LA Tech rank 16th in the nation in total home runs, with 24, while Charlotte ranks 22nd with 23.
 
IT’S A HIT
Florida Atlantic ranks second in the country in hits, with 197 as a team. The Owls are one of two C-USA teams in the top-25 nationally in that category, as Marshall ranks 21st with 173.
 
Individually, Florida Atlantic OF/INF Gabriel Rincones, Jr. enters conference play with 28 hits, which are 13th-most in the country. Charlotte INF Nate Furman ranks 18th (27 hits) and Marshall INF/OF Luke Edwards is 24th (26 hits).
 
Rincones, Jr., ranks 10th nationally in total bases with 53, which also leads C-USA.
 
DRIVE THEM IN
Florida Atlantic OF/INF Gabriel Rincones, Jr. enters league play leading the conference with 27 RBI, which are seventh-most in the country. Marshall C Ryan Leitch ranks 12th nationally with 24 RBI.
 
STRIKE ‘EM OUT!
FIU RHP Patrick Pridgen leads C-USA in strikeouts with 42. That total ranks seventh nationally and is just three behind the national leader (San Diego’s Brycen Mautz, who has 45).

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