3/5/2020 | Baseball PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico baseball will begin the first of two consecutive home series this weekend against UT Permian Basin at the Greyhound Baseball Field. 

The four-game series will get started with a 6 p.m.Friday night first pitch followed by a Saturday afternoon double-header slated to begin at 2 p.m.The series will conclude on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.

Eastern New Mexico will look to build off a dramatic come-from-behind victory in their last outing against fourth place UAFS on the road. The Hounds won 7-6 in that contest thanks to a four run top of the ninth inning and a second consecutive strong offensive performance.

The Greyhounds have recorded 12 hits in back-to-back games and recorded a series high 41 hits in four games throughout the series against the Lions. The Hounds are six games back of the eighth and final spot for the Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament, but will play four consecutive opponents who also sit outside of the top eight in the next few weeks. 

SCOUTING THE FALCONS
The Falcons enter this weekend’s series in 12th place in the Lone Star Conference standings with a record of 5-13 on the year. The Falcons picked up a single win against West Texas A&M, two wins against St. Edward’s, and then consecutive weeks of one wins against UAFS and St. Mary’s.  
UT Permian Basin ranks 13th in the LSC in team batting average with an average of .222 on the season and 12th in team ERA with a mark of 8.09. The Falcons have been strong in the field so far in 2020, ranking fifth in team fielding percentage (.963).
The Falcons will be led at the plate by Nick Hernandez and Garrett Thompson, who will enter the season with batting averages of .305 and .298 and each recorded at least one base hit in every game of last weekend’s series at home against St. Mary’s. Junior Trever Berg has picked up three of the wins for the Falcons on the mound and has posted a solid 4.71 ERA through 28.2 innings of work this season.

IT GETS EASIER FROM HERE
With the expansion of the LSC to include 14 total teams of high quality moving into this season, it was no secret that head coach Riley Price and company would be facing a tall task to compete for a LSC Postseason Tournament spot. However, if Price and company plan on making a move for one of the eight spots available, the next few weeks will provide ample oppurtunity to secure wins. 
The Hounds will face teams currently in 12th, 10th, 13th and 9th place over the next four weeks, with three of those series taking place at home. Eastern has been battle-tested so far this year and has already played three out of the top four ranked teams in the LSC entering this weekend. 

DIFFERENT WEEK SAME COOMBES
Sophomore Ethan Coombes has submitted himself as the ace of the Eastern New Mexico baseball pitching staff this season and had yet another quality outing last Saturday against UAFS. Coombes threw all 6.0 innings against the Lions, allowing just four hits and two earned runs while striking out five batters along the way.
He has surrendered just three earned runs over his last 13.0 innings of work, allowing just eight total hits while striking out 13 batters. Coombes currently ranks ninth in the Lone Star Conference with 28.2 innings pitched and 15th in the league with 30 strikeouts.

FRESHMAN FRENZY
The future is bright with the ENMU baseball program as a a wealth of underclassman have been thrust into the starting lineup this season, including freshman Jude Perea, who will enter this weekend’s series on a six game hitting streak. 
Freshman Camden Matthews recorded three hits last weekend in the series against UAFS and drove in the winning run on Sunday afternoon in the top half of the ninth inning with a two-run double. Classmate Rio Granger got that four run ninth inning for the Hounds started with a leadoff triple, showcasing the young, clutch talent that coach Price will have to work with in the next few seasons. 

WE WANT MO MOSES
Junior Trevor Moses has been the heart and soul of the Greyhound lineup all season and has hit .361 over the last 10 games. Moses has recorded five multi-hit games for the year, all of which have come throughout those last 10 contests.