Jags set to host Jarvis Christian in three-game set

The UHV baseball team has been able ride its bats to wins in four of their last six games played.

The Jaguars , who are hitting .405 as a team in that span, will hope to replicate that form when Jarvis Christian College comes to town for a three-game series starting at 6 p.m. Sunday.

The series was pushed back two days due to rain.

"We had great ABs back-to-back-to-back, stringing those together," said head coach Jonathan Stavinoha. "That's what really makes this offense go. If we can string those ABs together and execute in good baseball positions, we'll be good."

In a series win over Huston-Tillotson, sophomore pitcher Mason Longoria turned in a career-best start in an 8-2 win in the opener.

The right-hander from Victoria struck out a career-high nine batters while allowing one run on three hits for his third win of the year. Of his 89 pitches, Longoria threw 64 for strikes.

It was his third start in which he went seven innings or more.

Longoria was named Red River Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week after his outing.

"He was able to establish his fastball early on in the zone," Stavinoha said. "He found that fastball hard at the knees and then came in with his slider, and was able to work his breaking ball and changeup in there. Once the fastball and slider work, you're able to get ahead and execute pitches. That's exactly what he did."

The Jaguars had five home runs from four different players.

During the 15-9 win to close out the series, Raul Lopez hit his fifth homer of the year while Kaden Fikac had his fourth. It was the eighth multi-home run game this year for UHV (17-19, 11-7).

Zach Lee and Haldamel Perez each homered to open the series with the Rams last week. Lee had a pair of home runs for his second multi-home run game as a Jaguar and shares the team lead in home runs with Perez at six.

The team's 31 home runs ranks second in the RRAC.

"Laying off breaking stuff below the knees has been big. We're not chasing out of the zone," Stavinoha said. "Getting a pitch you can hit is always key. But I was preaching to the boys this week that we've got to find other ways to consistently score other than just relying on the home run ball. We've got to get runners on and get them over. We've got to manufacture some runs because the home run isn't always going to come."

Hayden Leopold thrived in the leadoff spot last week for UHV, going 7-for-14 with two RBIs, four runs scored, a double and a triple to his name.

The senior infielder from Columbus enters the Jarvis series on a five game hitting streak in which he's hitting .500 with six RBIs.

"The first three weeks of the season, he struggled a little bit but that's because I think he had the home run mentality," Stavinoha said. "He's bought in. We've had some good talks and changed his approach a little bit."

Jarvis (14-23, 8-13) heads into the weekend after being swept by Texas A&M-Texarkana. Three runs or fewer decided each game in that series and 14 other games this season for the Bulldogs.

"They can take a game from a few guys here and there," Stavinoha said. "They're a team that won't go away. They're going to keep battling. You've got to keep your foot on the pedal if you get ahead."