C-USA PLAY CONTINUES STRONG START
Last week saw Louisiana Tech (5-1) and Southern Miss (5-1) pick up the first pair of sweeps during conference play.

Week three is set to get underway as all 12 teams continue conference series on Friday:

Friday-Sunday Series
UTSA vs. Charlotte
FIU vs. Old Dominion
Middle Tennessee vs. WKU
Southern Miss vs. LA Tech
UAB vs. Marshall
Rice vs. Florida Atlantic

LA TECH RIDING HIGH
Louisiana Tech (18-6, 5-1 C-USA) was one of two C-USA teams to go 4-0 last week, knocking off then-No. 21 LSU and a three-game sweep of FIU in Ruston. The Diamond Dogs completed a season sweep of the Bayou Bengals, and LA Tech is ranked as high as No. 23 in the Collegiate Baseball Poll as they head into action this week when they host No. 19 Dallas Baptist before a key three-game set with the other 5-1 squad in C-USA play, Southern Miss.

CHARLOTTE MAKES STATEMENT
Charlotte, ranking as high as No. 23 in the Baseball America poll, made a statement last weekend, taking two of three from Old Dominion in Norfolk. The 49ers took a pair from a team who had won 14 of 15 heading into the weekend, and Charlotte’s bats made plenty of noise, totaling 36 runs on the weekend against one of the nation’s better pitching staffs.

GET ON BASE!
Charlotte (fifth at .439), Old Dominion (21st at .415)  and Florida Atlantic (25th at .411) are all inside the national top-25 in on-base percentage heading into the third week of conference play. 

Charlotte INF Nate Furman leads C-USA and ranks fifth nationally individually (.558), while Florida Atlantic INF Nolan Schanuel ranks eighth in the country in that category at .545.

BETTER THAN AVERAGE
A pair of C-USA teams find themselves in the top-25 nationally in batting average - Old Dominion (14th at .317), Florida Atlantic (22nd at .310).

Individually, Florida Atlantic INF Nolan Schanuel and Charlotte INF Nate Furman are 1-2 in Conference USA in batting average at .436 and .424, respectively. Schanuel ranks 15th in the nation.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
Southern Miss OF Slade Wilks, leads C-USA with 12 doubles, which ranks 14th nationally in that category, while LA Tech INF Taylor Young sits 20th with 11.

On the team side, Florida Atlantic ranks seventh in the country in doubles with 63, while Old Dominion (eighth with 62) and LA Tech (22nd with 55) are each in the national top-25. In terms of doubles per game, ODU is third in the country (2.82), while FAU is 13th (2.52).

TRIPLE DOG DARE YOU
Old Dominion and UTSA enter the week ranking 24th in the country in triples (eight apiece). 

LA Tech INF Taylor Young and FIU OF Alec Sanchez are tied for the lead in C-USA and rank 11th nationally with three triples apiece thus far.

IT'S ABOUT SACRIFICE
UTSA leads C-USA and ranks ninth nationally with 16 sacrifice flies. 

Individually, Old Dominion INF/P Kenny Levari ranks fifth nationally with five sacrifice flies this season and LA Tech INF Taylor Young ranks 15th nationally with four.

RUN IT UP!
Four C-USA squads rank within the national top-20 in total runs scored - Old Dominion (10th with 219), Florida Atlantic (16th with 206), Charlotte (17th with 204) and LA Tech (17th with 204).

The Monarchs are sixth, however, in runs per game (10.0), while the 49ers rank 15th (8.9), LA Tech ranks 22nd (8.5).

Individually, LA Tech INF Taylor Young ranks seventh nationally with 34 runs scored, while Charlotte INF Nate Furman is 17th with 32.

SLUGFEST
Old Dominion is again in the top-5 nationally in slugging percentage (third at .588).

Individually, Old Dominion OF/INF Andy Garriola ranks 18th nationally in the category at .822, while Florida Atlantic INF Nolan Schanuel is 24th (.798).

EARNED RUN AVERAGE LEADERS
Southern Miss ranks inside the top-15 nationally in earned run average (11th with 3.15).

Individually, UTSA RHP Luke Malone leads the conference and ranks 18th in the country with a 1.21 E.R.A.

STRIKEOUT/WALK RATIO
Southern Miss leads the nation in strikeout to walk ratio through the first several weeks of the season (4.94), while LA Tech is 20th at 3.19. 

There are a pair of C-USA players in the top-15 - Southern Miss RHP Tanner Hall leads C-USA and ranks eighth nationally in strikeout to walk ratio (12.00), while Middle Tennessee LHP Peyton Wiggington is 13th (10.67). Additionally, LA Tech RHP Jonathan Fincher ranks 22nd nationally (9.00).

DON’T WALK, STOP SIGN IS ON
Southern Miss ranks second in the nation in walks allowed per nine innings at 2.19, while Old Dominion ranks sixth at 2.68.

Individually, there are four C-USA players inside the national top-25 in this category - Middle Tennessee LHP Peyton Wiggington is seventh (0.81), UTSA RHP Luke Malone is 10th (0.91), Southern Miss RHP Tanner Hall is 14th (1.04) and LA Tech RHP Jonathan Fincher is 21st (1.16).

NOW WALK IT OUT
Charlotte ranks second nationally in walks with 165, as the only C-USA team within the top-25.

LA Tech INF Taylor Young and Charlotte INF Nate Furman are tied for 17th nationally in total walks, with 23 apiece.

GOING YARD
Old Dominion OF/INF Andy Garriola leads C-USA and ranks 10th nationally in home runs (10).

On the team side, Old Dominion paces C-USA in fourth nationally with 46 total home runs, while Florida Atlantic is 21st with 37.

IT’S A HIT
Florida Atlantic ranks eighth in the country in hits, with 276 as a team, while Old Dominion ranks 22nd (253). 

Individually, Florida Atlantic INF Nolan Schanuel leads C-USA with 41 hits, and ranks 10th in the country. His teammate at FAU, OF/INF Gabriel Rincones, Jr., and Charlotte INF Nate Furman are tied for 21st-most in the country with 39 apiece. 

Schanuel and Rincones, Jr., ranks 11th and 15th nationally in total bases with 75 and 74, respectively, which also ranks 1-2 in C-USA.

DRIVE THEM IN
Florida Atlantic OF/INF Gabriel Rincones, Jr. and LA Tech OF Cole McConnell enter the week leading the conference with 34 RBI apiece, which are 11th-most in the country. Old Dominion OF/INF Andy Garriola is third in the conference with 32 RBI entering play this week.

STRIKE ‘EM OUT!
FIU RHP Patrick Pridgen leads C-USA in strikeouts with 52. That total ranks 16th nationally.

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