For Immediate Release:  Thursday, March 27, 2003
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Sports Information Director, (956) 381-2240

BRONCS HOST DBU, TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE

EDINBURG, TX—The University of Texas-Pan American’s baseball team will return home to play its next four games. The Broncs will host Dallas Baptist Friday evening at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. Next Tuesday, Texas-Pan American will host Texas A&M-Kingsville in a doubleheader, starting at 3:00 p.m.

The Broncs are 14-15, and are 14-7 at home and 0-8 away from home this season. Dallas Baptist is 20-14 after splitting a doubleheader against Ouachita Baptist Tuesday, and freshman right-hander Lance Broadway has already pitched two no-hitters this season. Texas A&M-Kingsville is 22-10 and will play a three-game Lone Star Conference series at West Texas A&M this weekend before visiting the Edinburg Baseball Stadium Tuesday.

“Dallas Baptist has always had a good team and a good program,” said UTPA Head Coach Willie Gawlik. “Kingsville has had a good program for years. We’ll have our hands full for the next four games.”

Texas-Pan American has hit .314 at home, and .212 on the road this season, and the Broncs’ earned run average is 3.93 at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium and 10.50 away from home. “It’s evident that we play better at home, since we haven’t won a game on the road this season,” said Gawlik. “We’re more confident at home. When we played at home in our (UTPA/Al Ogletree Classic) tournament, we expected to win rather than hoping to win, and we have to have that attitude every time out.”

Freshman outfielder Louie Alamia (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg North HS) has hit in 21 consecutive games. He leads the Broncs with a .422 batting average, and is only a game away from tying the UTPA record of 22 consecutive games with a hit, set by Joel Hernandez in 1975.

Gawlik said that the Broncs must play sound baseball to be successful. “We have to play our game, pitch well, play good defense, and get people on base,” said Gawlik. “Against Southwest Texas, we only attempted two stolen bases, because we didn’t get many people on base. Our pitchers have to throw strikes, hit our spots, and not get behind in the count.

Sophomore left-hander Ricky Anderson (Corinth, TX/Lake Dallas HS/North Central Texas College) and senior right-hander Travis Parker (Brownsville, TX/Hanna HS/UT-Brownsville) are expected to start for UTPA against Dallas Baptist. The Patriots are expected to start Broadway and right-hander Jeff Gilmore.

The Broncs host TAMU-Kingsville in a doubleheader Tuesday, then visit Texas A&M-Corpus Christi next weekend.

BA-53-0302503