SHREVEPORT-After a successful weekend in its Summit League opener at Southern Utah, the Centenary baseball team returns home to host North Dakota State in a four-game set beginning on Friday at 6:00 pm at Shehee Stadium.
The Gents will play a double-header on Saturday with the first game scheduled at 1:00 pm and a single game on Sunday at 11:35 am.
Centenary enters the weekend series with a 13-14 overall record and a 3-1 mark in league play.
Senior Cliff Shepard paces the offense with a .347 clip and a team-best 35 hits, eight doubles and 23 RBI. Junior Keegan Acker is hitting .328 with 18 walks and freshman Trey McGee owns a .302 average.
Projected rotation starters this weekend will be junior Boone Whiting, who owns a team-best 2.86 ERA and a 2-1 record. The righty has tossed 44.0 innings and struck out 61 hitters.
Expected to get the start in Game 2 will be junior Justin Kraft with a 5.67 ERA and a 2-3 record. The right-hander has thrown 39.2 innings and fanned 27. Junior David Benson is also projected to get a start, owning a 4.50 ERA and a 3-2 record through 42.0 innings with 32 strikeouts, while sophomore Seth Lugo is 0-1 with a 6.57 ERA and two saves on the season, will see action as well.
North Dakota State has a similar record heading into the weekend series at 12-14 and 3-1 in league play. The Bison took three games from Western Illinois last weekend in Macomb, Ill.
Zach Wentz leads the offensive attack with an impressive .460 clip and a team-best 46 hits and 27 RBI. Justin Kline follows with a .378 average.
On the mound and projected to get the starts this weekend are: RHP Kyle Kingsley (4.33 ERA, 3-1), RHP McHale Maristuen (5.65 ERA, 1-4), RHP Mark Hermes (3.46 ERA, 1-0), and RHP Wentz (6.00 ERA, 1-1).
Centenary and North Dakota State haven't faced each other since May 1-3 of last season when the Gents swept the Bison in a four-game set in Fargo, ND. Kraft, juniors Stephen Tromblee and Derek Dalzell and Whiting each got a win in the series.
Following the weekend series, Centenary will host Hawaii on Tuesday at 6:30 pm.
