Friday, April 25
JACKSONVILLE
6:00 PM
Jacksonville State University
vs
Sam Houston
Baseball Begin Second Half of CUSA Slate Versus Sam Houston
4/24/2025 3:49:00 PM | Baseball
JACKSONVILLE - Jacksonville State begins the second half of the Conference USA slate this weekend at The Jim hosting Sam Houston.
The series begins on Friday at 6 p.m. Tickets for the weekend are available online at JaxStateSports.com. All Jax State students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free.
Through the first five weekends of league action, the Gamecocks have picked up a three series wins (Liberty, at Kennesaw State and at New Mexico State). Jax State returns home after battling the wind and dust storms last weekend in Las Cruces, New Mexico and taking the series from the Aggies. Jax State completed the season sweep of UAB last Tuesday with a 9-5 win over the Blazers.
Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium will have a Truist Park flavor on Sunday as the Gamecocks close out the Conference USA series with SHSU. Matthew Kaminski, the famed organist for the Braves and can be heard throughout Truist Park, will be playing tunes throughout Sunday's contest with the Bearkats. Kaminski is making his third trip to The Jim as he has performed during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Away from playing at all the Braves' home games, he has typically played at many college baseball programs – Georgia, Georgia Southern, Mississippi State.
SERIES INFO
Sam Houston (8-33, 2-13 CUSA) at Jax State (24-17, 7-8 CUSA)
Friday, April 25 (6 p.m.)
Probable Starters
Jax State: Jackson Phipps (3-2, 3.64 ERA), LHP, Jr.
Sam Houston: Noah Kendrick (1-6, 5.80 ERA) RHP, So.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: Gamecock Sports Network
Live Stats: JaxStateSports.com
Saturday, April 26 (6 p.m.)
Probable Starters
Jax State: Steven Cash (3-2, 4.28 ERA), LHP, Jr.
Sam Houston: Ryan Peterson (1-8, 5.96 ERA) RHP, So.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: Gamecock Sports Network
Live Stats: JaxStateSports.com
Sunday, April 27 (1 p.m.) - ATLANTA BRAVES ORGANIST PERFORMANCE
Probable Starters
Jax State: TBA
NM State: TBA
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: Gamecock Sports Network
Live Stats: JaxStateSports.com
GAMECOCK STORY LINES
• The weekend series with Sam Houston is the second one between the two programs after Jax State traveled to Huntsville, Texas in the final series of the 2024 season. The Bearkats swept the series, including a doubleheader sweep on Friday after weather in the area pushed the Thursday opener back a day. SHSU posted wins of 12-2 and 11-1 in the twinbill and capped off the series with a 6-2 decision. The Gamecocks and Bearkats have faced each other four times with the Bearkats claiming all four wins. The first meeting between the two clubs came in the 1986 NCAA Division II Regional in Troy, Alabama. SHSU topped Jax State, 8-6, to eliminate the Gamecocks.
• The Gamecocks begin the weekend as the one of the NCAA Division I Baseball leaders in triples and stolen bases. In the first 41 games, Jax State has collected 15 triples and ranks 18th in the nation behind Arizona (27).The Gamecocks are one triple back of Sam Houston's league-leading 16 triples on the season. Senior Drew Collins, redshirt sophomore Cooper Blauser and junior Caleb Johnson have three triples each. Jax State also ranks in the NCAA Top-40 in stolen bases with 88 on the season. Last season the Gamecocks accumulated 92 total stolen bases. The trio of Collins, Blauser and Johnson have combined for 47-of-57 on the base paths.
• Junior Carson Hornung had his 27-game on-base streak snapped against Dallas Baptist on April 13. It was the first game since February 25 at Alabama that he had not reached base. During that stretch of games, Hornung hit .365, including three home runs. He delivered 11 RBI and tallied 28 walks and three HBP. Hornung had nine multi-hit games during the streak. He enters the weekend leading CUSA with 34 walks, with 26 of those walks coming during the 27-game streak.
• Junior Grayson Ashe has reached base in the last 11 games. Redshirt sophomore Cooper Blauser is also is riding an 11-game on-base streak. In the last 11 games, Blauser is hitting .348 (16-46) with six of those hits doubles. Over the last 11 games, Ashe has eight hits-five for extra bases, including three home runs in each of the three games last weekend at NM State.
• The power button has been on for Jax State in the last five games with eight home runs, including a home runs in each of the last five games. The Gamecocks have also collected 15 doubles and a pair of triples that have led to 42 runs scored over the five-game span.
The series begins on Friday at 6 p.m. Tickets for the weekend are available online at JaxStateSports.com. All Jax State students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free.
Through the first five weekends of league action, the Gamecocks have picked up a three series wins (Liberty, at Kennesaw State and at New Mexico State). Jax State returns home after battling the wind and dust storms last weekend in Las Cruces, New Mexico and taking the series from the Aggies. Jax State completed the season sweep of UAB last Tuesday with a 9-5 win over the Blazers.
Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium will have a Truist Park flavor on Sunday as the Gamecocks close out the Conference USA series with SHSU. Matthew Kaminski, the famed organist for the Braves and can be heard throughout Truist Park, will be playing tunes throughout Sunday's contest with the Bearkats. Kaminski is making his third trip to The Jim as he has performed during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Away from playing at all the Braves' home games, he has typically played at many college baseball programs – Georgia, Georgia Southern, Mississippi State.
SERIES INFO
Sam Houston (8-33, 2-13 CUSA) at Jax State (24-17, 7-8 CUSA)
Friday, April 25 (6 p.m.)
Probable Starters
Jax State: Jackson Phipps (3-2, 3.64 ERA), LHP, Jr.
Sam Houston: Noah Kendrick (1-6, 5.80 ERA) RHP, So.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: Gamecock Sports Network
Live Stats: JaxStateSports.com
Saturday, April 26 (6 p.m.)
Probable Starters
Jax State: Steven Cash (3-2, 4.28 ERA), LHP, Jr.
Sam Houston: Ryan Peterson (1-8, 5.96 ERA) RHP, So.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: Gamecock Sports Network
Live Stats: JaxStateSports.com
Sunday, April 27 (1 p.m.) - ATLANTA BRAVES ORGANIST PERFORMANCE
Probable Starters
Jax State: TBA
NM State: TBA
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: Gamecock Sports Network
Live Stats: JaxStateSports.com
GAMECOCK STORY LINES
• The weekend series with Sam Houston is the second one between the two programs after Jax State traveled to Huntsville, Texas in the final series of the 2024 season. The Bearkats swept the series, including a doubleheader sweep on Friday after weather in the area pushed the Thursday opener back a day. SHSU posted wins of 12-2 and 11-1 in the twinbill and capped off the series with a 6-2 decision. The Gamecocks and Bearkats have faced each other four times with the Bearkats claiming all four wins. The first meeting between the two clubs came in the 1986 NCAA Division II Regional in Troy, Alabama. SHSU topped Jax State, 8-6, to eliminate the Gamecocks.
• The Gamecocks begin the weekend as the one of the NCAA Division I Baseball leaders in triples and stolen bases. In the first 41 games, Jax State has collected 15 triples and ranks 18th in the nation behind Arizona (27).The Gamecocks are one triple back of Sam Houston's league-leading 16 triples on the season. Senior Drew Collins, redshirt sophomore Cooper Blauser and junior Caleb Johnson have three triples each. Jax State also ranks in the NCAA Top-40 in stolen bases with 88 on the season. Last season the Gamecocks accumulated 92 total stolen bases. The trio of Collins, Blauser and Johnson have combined for 47-of-57 on the base paths.
• Junior Carson Hornung had his 27-game on-base streak snapped against Dallas Baptist on April 13. It was the first game since February 25 at Alabama that he had not reached base. During that stretch of games, Hornung hit .365, including three home runs. He delivered 11 RBI and tallied 28 walks and three HBP. Hornung had nine multi-hit games during the streak. He enters the weekend leading CUSA with 34 walks, with 26 of those walks coming during the 27-game streak.
• Junior Grayson Ashe has reached base in the last 11 games. Redshirt sophomore Cooper Blauser is also is riding an 11-game on-base streak. In the last 11 games, Blauser is hitting .348 (16-46) with six of those hits doubles. Over the last 11 games, Ashe has eight hits-five for extra bases, including three home runs in each of the three games last weekend at NM State.
• The power button has been on for Jax State in the last five games with eight home runs, including a home runs in each of the last five games. The Gamecocks have also collected 15 doubles and a pair of triples that have led to 42 runs scored over the five-game span.
Players Mentioned
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