By Daniel Johnson, Sports Editor
Despite losing veteran pitcher Ben Maynard and starting second baseman J.J. Pacheco to injury, the ACU baseball team has already posted the third-best start in the program’s history.
And if the 15-3 Wildcats want to add on to its superb start, it’ll have to continue to win over spring break.
“Everybody on this team hasn’t had a spring break in I don’t know how long,” said third baseman Alec Sowards.
The Wildcats will kick off its spring break with six games on the road – four against Southwestern Oklahoma State in Weatherford, Okla., and two more against Delta State in Cleveland, Miss. – and will end it with a four game series at home against Cameron University on March 17-18. ACU will play Southwestern on Friday and Saturday and then travel to Mississippi to take on Delta State on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“I like long road trips,” said head coach Britt Bonneau. “It’s just another chance to build as a team and learn to play on the road.”
Arguably the toughest of the Wildcats spring break opponents will be nationally ranked Delta State. No. 14 Delta State has won eight of its last 10 games for a 16-4 record and the second-best record in the Gulf South Conference West Division.
Another challenge will be overcoming the environment of Delta State’s home field, which Bonneau said should be a good road test for the Wildcats.
“That environment is kind of like when teams come and play us here,” Bonneau said.
ACU is 12-0 at home and has outscored its opponents 148-40.
No. 8 ACU is ranked higher than Delta State, and head coach Britt Bonneau said the tough competition would help prepare his team for the long haul.
“We can’t get a big head or assume we’ve won something; you don’t get any awards till the end,” Bonneau said.
ACU’s first spring break series against Southwestern will be its first on the road since splitting a series with Northeastern State on Feb. 23. ACU’s only three losses have been on the road, and Southwestern is coming off of a four-game sweep over Eastern New Mexico.
“They’re up and down right now, and since they just got the sweep over Eastern New Mexico, I’m sure they’re feeling good,” Bonneau said.
Despite losing its original lead-off hitter in Pacheco, ACU’s batting lineup has been more than good, hitting a conference leading .397 team batting average and 194 runs scored.
Bonneau said he would need bench players to continue to step up if they want to overcome his team’s early injuries.
