SAN ANGELO, Texas – The No. 23 Angelo State baseball team will hit the road for the final time in the 2024 regular season as they travel to Austin to take on St. Edward's in a four-game conference series beginning on Friday, April 19.
 
#23 ANGELO STATE RAMS (30-12, 28-12 LSC) vs. ST. EDWARD'S HILLTOPPERS (19-23, 19-21 LSC)
Game 1/2: Fri., Apr., 19, 1:00 p.m. | Game 3: Sat. Apr., 20, 1 p.m. | Game 4: Sun. Apr., 21, 1:00 p.m.
Lucian-Hamilton Field – Austin, Texas
Live Video: lonestarconferencenetwork.com/asu
Live Stats: angelostats.com
Listen Live: https://www.kksa-am.com/

LAST TIME OUT
The Rams earned a four-game sweep against Texas A&M-Kingsville over the weekend. In game one, home runs by Tripp Clark and Jacob Guerrero powered ASU to a 15-5 run rule victory. Caleb Huertz saw action on the bump in three of the four games and allowed a run as he struck out five in three innings of work while he collected a save in game three.

SERIES HISTORY:
All-Time Series: ASU leads 19-4
Last Meeting: May. 12, 2023 – ASU, 12-4 – San Angelo, Texas
The Rams average nearly eight runs a game against the Hilltoppers as they enter the weekend riding a 14-game winning streak dating back to 2020. In their last matchup, ASU defeated the SEU in the semifinals of the Lone Star Conference tournament on the way to clinching their third straight conference title.

SCOUTING THE HILLTOPPERS:
St. Edward's enter the weekend with a 19-23 record after dropping the series to Lubbock Christian three games to one. The Hilltoppers' 19-21 conference record puts them sitting in the eighth and final seed in the LSC Postseason Tournament as they lead ninth place Texas A&M International by one game.

At the plate, SEU's .290 team batting average sits them in tenth in the LSC. Diego Solis, Davis Drewek and Trevor Sebeck are the only qualified batters on the team hitting above .300. Sebeck leads the team in doubles while Drewek leads in home runs (10) and RBIs (40).

The Hilltoppers 6.78 team ERA shelves them in the upper half of the LSC. Jack Granack leads the starting pitchers in ERA (5.14) and strikeouts (54) while opponents hit .260 against him.

TRIPP FOR TWO:
Tripp Clark has been named to his second Lone Star Conference Hitter of the Week honors for his performance in the series against the Javelinas where he went 8-for-14 with three home runs, two doubles and nine RBI. The Accounting major from Waco also scored six runs, walked twice, was hit by a pitch and was intentionally walked.

QUICK HITS:
- Tripp Clark leads the conference in batting average (.459) and RBIs (66) while in the top five for OPS (1.284, 2^nd) and hits (68, 3^rd)
- Jacob Guerrero leads the LSC in doubles (19)
- Tayten Tredaway's 18 doubles puts him fourth in the LSC
- Weston Valasek has been hit by a pitch 23 times this season which not only leads the conference, but also DII.
- Justin Harris' 36 walks is second best in the conference
- Dax Dathe's 76 strikeouts continues to lead the conference while…
- Alezeah Gutierrez is fourth with 57 strikeouts of his own while sitting fifth with a 4.58 ERA.

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:
LSC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:
- Feb. 12 – Tripp Clark (Hitter)
- Mar. 4 – Dax Dathe (Pitcher)
- Mar. 11 – Alezeah Gutierrez (Pitcher)
- Mar. 19 – Jacob Guerrero (Hitter)
- Apr. 9 – Alezeah Gutierrez (Pitcher)
- Apr. 15 – Tripp Clark (Hitter)

NCBWA SOUTH CENTRAL REGION PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:
- Feb. 12 – Tripp Clark (Hitter)
- Mar. 4 – Dax Dathe (Pitcher)
- Mar. 11 – Alezeah Gutierrez (Pitcher)
- Mar. 19 – Jacob Guerrero (Hitter)
- Apr. 10 – Alezeah Gutierrez (Pitcher)

NCBWA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
- Mar. 20 – Jacob Guerrero (Hitter)

CONFERENCE FAVORITES:
The Rams were selected as the favorites to take the 2024 LSC crown, earning the top spot in the preseason poll with 503 points, including 38 of the 39 first-place votes. Coming in second was UT Tyler followed by St. Edwards and Lubbock Christian.

NCBWA PRESEASON ALL - AMERICANS:
The Rams had four players selected to the NCBWA Preseason All-American Team, earning First-Team honors was outfielder Jacob Guerrero who was also selected as the 2024 Lone Star Conference Preseason Player of the Year. Being named to the All-American Second-Team is starting pitcher Braxton Pearson, who was named Lone Star Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year, and catcher Tripp Clark. Rounding out the honors is utility man Austin Beck who was named an Honorable Mention.