The Temple College baseball team will host Grayson College in a North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference doubleheader on Wednesday at the Danny Scott Sports Complex in a battle between two of the conference's top three teams in early action.
Game one is slated for a noon first pitch, with the second game commencing 30 minutes after the completion of game one.
Temple (22-13 overall, 13-6 home, 8-4 NTJCAC) is coming off a series split where they lost a pair of one-run games at home and won two games in Cisco. The Leopards are in sole possession of third place coming into their fourth conference series.
Grayson (19-12 overall, 7-6 away, 13-3 NTJCAC) is coming off a four-game sweep of North Central Texas College, having outscored the Lions 47-8. The Vikings dropped a non-conference game at No. 25 Seminole State College (OK) on Monday, 18-13. Grayson is tied for first place with Weatherford College.
The Leopards are hitting .263 as a team with a .378 on-base percentage and .395 slugging percentage. TC has hit 22 homers, driven in 165 runs, scored 185 times on 249 hits, doubled 36 times, booked 11 triples, walked 152 times, and have stolen 50 bases.
Kade Davis (.414 BA, .530 OBP, four HR, 34 RBI, 27 walks, six triples). Wade Stallones (325 BA, .467 OBP, 13 RBI, 19 walks), and Chase Fricke (
The Vikings are hitting .357 with a .470 on-base percentage and .609 slugging percentage. Grayson has crushed 50 homers, driven in 261 runs, scored 290 times on 335 hits, 62 doubles, 12 triples, 171 walked and 58 stolen bases.
Blake Lewis (.475 BA, .524 OBP, seven HR, 35 RBI, 11 doubles, 13 SB), Colton Roquemore (.411 BA, .485 OBP, seven homer, 37 RBI), Easton Paxton (.390 BA, .500 OBP, five HR, 36 RBI, 13 SB), JT Cienega (.370 BA, .478 OBP, three HR, 23 RBI), Caleb Watkins (.361 BA, .458 OBP, three HR, 13 RBI, ten walks, 10 HBP), and David Hogg II (.313 BA, .504 OBP, six HR, 30 RBI, 30 walks) are amongst the offensive leaders for the Vikings.
Temple is much improved on defense having committed 34 errors (tied for 24th fewest in NJCAA) on 1,038 total chances (.967 fielding percentage, tied for 15th).
Grayson has a .945 fielding percentage, having committed 45 errors on 819 total chances.
The Leopards' staff earned run average has improved to 4.60 over the course of the season. In 240 2/3 innings pitched, TC has allowed 144 runs (123 earned) on 203 hits, struck out 246 hitters, walked 111, and hit 32 batters. Opponents hit .226 against the Leopards.
Joseph McMurtry (6-0, 1.35 ERA, 40 IP, six earned runs allowed, 23 hits, 56 strikeouts, 15 walks), Thomas Perez (3-1, 3.51 ERA, 33 1/3 IP, 13 earned runs, 28 hits, struck 31, walked nine), Peyton Reynolds (3-2, 5.57 ERA, 20 runs, allowed in 32 1/3 innings, 29 strikeouts, 11 walks), and Kade Davis (3-3, 5.68 ERA, 35 strikeouts, 20 walks in 37 2/3 IP) are the primary starters for TC. The Leopards have plenty of depth in the pen, in both short and long-relief capacities.
Grayson's staff ERA is 6.16 in 222 innings pitched. The Vikings have allowed 212 runs (152 earned) on 232 hits, struck out 239 batters, walked 173, and have hit 42 hitters.
Kai Parker (4-0, 5.29 ERA, 32 1/3 IP, 19 earned runs, 45 hits, 37 strikeouts, 12 walks) and Grant Origer (4-1, 6.27 ERA, 33 IP, 23 earned runs, 33 strikeouts, 25 walks) have carried much of the starting work for Grayson, with having solid depth in the bullpen.