Friday in Austin at Disch-Falk Field of the University of Texas will be the site for the 2010 Heartland Conference Baseball Tournament as the top four teams from the Heartland face off in a double-elimination bracket to decide the conference champion.
The tournament's winner will earn a bid into the NCAA Division II Baseball Tournament and move on the the Regional Tournament.
University of the Incarnate Word (36-15 overall, 34-13 conference) finished the regular season in second place and will face University of Texas of the Permian Basin (36-19, 33-16) in a first-round game at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
The Cardinals and Falcons faced off seven times in 2010, with UIW winning the series 4-3. Three of UIW's victories came on the road against UTPB (4-1, 8-5, 6-3) while the Falcons took 2-of-3 from Incarnate Word at Sullivan Field.
In the matchup, Incarnate Word scored 38 runs to UTPB's 42 (16 of those runs coming in a 16-7 Falcon win at Sullivan Field). The Cardinals out-hit Permian Basin 69-to-42, including 8 doubles and 3 homeruns, and UIW has the lone shutout victory in the series.
On the mound, Incarnate Word is led by sophomore starter Kirk Jewasko who has an 11-1 record and the third-best ERA in the conference at 2.41. Jewasko has also struck out 79 batters – which is third-best in the Heartland Conference. Additional starters the UIW will bring to Austin are Memo Cienfuegos (8-4 record, 5.00 ERA), Ethan Lutz (5-3, 5.51), Nathaniel Ramirez (2-1, 5.67) and Elroy Urbina (3-2, 5.87).
Additionally, coming out of the bullpen, are relievers Justin Kanas (2-1 record, 4.58 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 20 appearances), Trey McCarty (5.40 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 13 appearances) and closer Alfredo Caballero.
Caballero leads the Heartland Conference with a 1.32 ERA and has struck out 69 opponents, fourth-best in the conference. His seven saves are the best in the Heartland and has him tied for third-most all-time in a career at Incarnate Word with Dale Drasny (1992-95) and is the fourth-most in a season for a Cardinal.
In the field and at the plate, UIW has nine players hitting better than .300, including third baseman Reno Malay (.414 avg. with 65 hits), shortstop Matt Flores (.405 avg. and 70 hits), left fielder Steven Vidaurri (.398 avg. and 72 hits), center fielder Tyler Hicks (.398 avg. and 72 hits) and first baseman Matt Roohan (.397 avg. and 71 hits).
Roohan leads Incarnate Word with the most extra-base hits (16 doubles, 1 triple and 7 home runs for 24) and runs batted in (51), with Vidaurri not far behind at 22 (17 doubles, 5 homers and 50 RBI) but has only six strikeouts against him in 181 at-bats (Roohan has 12 in 179 at-bats).
Friday's result will determine when and who the Cardinals face on Saturday.
A UIW victory sets them up for a 3 p.m. showdown against the winner of the St. Mary's and St. Edward's game (Friday at 1 p.m.). STMU finished in first in the regular season and SEU finished fourth.
A loss by Incarnate Word on Friday will put them against the loser of the STMU-SEU game at 11 a.m. on Saturday. A loss in this game will mean the end of the season for whichever team is behind after the final out.
The schedule for the tournament follows:
Friday, May 7
Game 1 - -#1 St. Mary's vs. #4 St. Edward's, 1 p.m.
Game 2 - -#2 Incarnate Word vs. #3 UT-Permian Basin, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 8
Game 3 - Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 11 a.m.
Game 4 - Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 3 p.m.
Game 5 - Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser, 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 9
Game 6 - Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, 1 p.m.
Game 7 - Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser, 45 min. following (If Necessary)
