La. Tech hosts Grambling State in 34th meeting between programs
Story by: La Tech Athletics
RUSTON – The Diamond 'Dogs (14-10, 2-1 CUSA) return to the Love Shack to kickstart a four-game homestand on Tuesday when they play host to the nearby Grambling State Tigers (9-13, 5-1 SWAC). First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
The upcoming contest marks the 34th time the two programs meet since their first matchup on April 9, 1971, when Louisiana Tech won 8-0 in a seven-inning game played at a neutral site in Baton Rouge. Their first game played in Ruston was not until February 12, 2000, with Grambling taking it 9-8 at the original J.C. Love Field.
The Bulldogs are currently riding a 28-game winning streak against the Tigers, with Grambling's last win over Tech dating back to March 1, 2005, with the Tigers taking a close 10-9 victory in Ruston. Tech has outscored the Tigers 52-7 in their last five contests and has only allowed double-digit runs to Grambling twice in their series history: their 2005 loss and a 17-12 Tech win at Grambling on March 31, 2015.
The Diamond 'Dogs are coming off a 3-1 week including a series win to open Conference USA play over Sam Houston on the road. Garrison Berkley posted a career day at the plate in Sunday's rubber match, going 4-5 with a pair of homers, a double, three RBI and four runs scored. Thaxton Berch also belted his first career homer in Sunday's 9-7 win.
In Friday's 6-5 win for the 'Dogs, Sebastian Mexico ripped a pair of triples in the third and fifth innings to tie the single-game program record that was set on March 19, 1990, by Daniel Robinson against Louisiana College, which is now known as Louisiana Christian University. Two days prior to Berch hitting his first career home run, Trey Hawsey pounded his first career jack over 400 feet over the batter's eye at Sam Houston's Don Sanders Stadium.
Colton Coates went 2-4 in all four of Tech's games last week. He doubled, drove in a run and scored twice in Tuesday's 6-2 midweek win over ULM, and scored four total runs over the weekend at Sam Houston.
Grambling State enters Tuesday's contest as one of the SWAC's top teams, currently sitting in a tie for the top spot with Bethune Cookman at a 5-1 conference record. The Tigers are coming off a series win over Texas Southern despite suffering their first SWAC loss in Sunday's series finale. Grambling won Friday's series opener, 12-7, before exploding in a 15-5 eight-inning run rule victory on Saturday. They fell short of a sweep after dropping Sunday's contest, 19-10.
The Tigers are led by head coach Davin Pierre, who is in his fourth year leading the Grambling baseball program. Pierre is 90-98 during his tenure with just one winning season in 2023, finishing the year 29-26 and clinching the SWAC Western Division title with a 22-7 conference record. Grambling ended 2024 with a 26-28 record yet clinched a berth for the NCAA Tournament and made it to the Bryan-College Station regional after winning the SWAC tournament.
Grambling is one of their league's top home run hitting teams with 23 total this year to tie for the second-most in the SWAC. Seven players have multiple homers with four of those having at least three so far. Cameron Hill leads the team with five bombs, 29 RBI, 45 total bases and a .506 slugging percentage. Trey Bridges leads the team with 26 hits and is the only Grambling player batting over .300 thus far. The Tigers have five different players with 20 hits and five players that have scored at least 20 runs.
Martavius Thomas leads the team and ranks fourth in the SWAC with 16 stolen bases on a perfect 16 attempts. Nyan Hayes' 11 steals on 11 attempts accounts for the other of the only two players on Grambling's roster with double-digit steals this season.
The Tigers have won just four of their 12 non-conference games this year with victories over Jackson State, Southern, Alabama A&M and Prairie View A&M, and have given up at least 10 runs in their last nine non-conference games.
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