Nevada to host Louisiana Tech

RENO - Fresh off a 1-2 record in Hawai'i, the University of Nevada baseball starts a four-game homestand against WAC rival Louisiana Tech today at Peccole Park.

First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. The teams will play Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. On Tuesday, the Wolf Pack will host Pacific at 2 p.m.

Nevada is 24-22 overall and 9-9 in conference play. The Wolf Pack fell to third behind Hawai'i after two losses last week, and lead Fresno State, 8-10, by just one game. The Bulldogs enter the series 15-31 overall and 6-14 in conference.

The Wolf Pack swept Louisiana Tech earlier this year, outscoring the Bulldogs 55-20 in the three-game series, including a 27-9 rout in the series finale.

Nevada is scheduled to start Travis Sutton (7-3, 4.17), Adam Colton (3-1, 6.62) and Ryan Rodriguez (3-6, 6.51). They will be opposed by Matt Lacy (1-8, 7.10), Clayton Meyer (4-5, 5.42) and Mitch Tucker (3-4, 7.69).

Sutton has three wins and a no decision in his last four starts. In that span, he's thrown 33 innings, allowed just 26 hits and struck out four batters. Rodriguez won for the first time in seven starts when he beat Hawai'i last weekend. His last win before that came on Feb. 29 against Cal-State Northridge.

Louisiana Tech comes in No. 5 in team batting average, and has just three starters over .300. First baseman Kyle Spangler leads the Bulldogs with a .363 average, followed by outfielder Jeff Walker at .346 and catcher Boyce Mims at .330.

Conversely, Nevada has five active starters over the .300 mark - outfielder Jacob Butler (.362), third baseman Joe Mercer (.349), catcher Brett Hayes (.321), outfielder Chris Gimenez (.313) and shortstop Robert Marcial (.309). Ben Mummy, who broke his left wrist recently, finished the season at .367.

Butler ranks first in the WAC in slugging percentage (.644), first in runs scored (49), first in RBI (45), first in homers (13), first in walks (37), second in total bases (114), third in hits (64) and third in on-base percentage (.472). He had a 20-game hit streak snapped last week against Hawai'i.