The Temple College Leopards baseball team starts their NTJCAC schedule on Wednesday with a mid-week doubleheader against No. 5 McLennan Community College at Bosque River Ballpark in Waco.
Game times are slated for 1 pm and 3:30 pm.
In 2024, the teams played four times with the Highlanders having won the series, 3-1.
Temple (7-10) comes into to NTJCAC play having won three of their last four games. The Leopards have hit .260 with a .382 on-base percentage, 11 homers, 83 runs batted in, scored 92 times, and stroked 21 doubles. TC has walked 76 times and has stolen 29 bases on 31 tries.
Ryder Rutledge (.447 BA, .563 OBP, 16 runs scored, 17 hits, Lance Cantrell (.411 BA, .500 OBP, HR, 15 RBI, nine walks, two hit-by-pitches), Andrew Ermis (.372 BA, .526 OBP, two HR, 11 RBI, four doubles), Brayden Simmons (.350 BA, .500 OBP, HR, ten RBI) are amongst the Leopards' offensive leaders.
Over the weekend, the Leopards pared down their staff earned run average to 5.74. The staff has collectively struck out 129 batters and walked 74 over 116 innings.
Patrick Collopy, Eric Tenery, Kade Davis, and Tobin Eschief have combined to start all 17 games.
McLennan (11-2) comes into conference play with a six-game winning streak, having outscored the opposition 50-26.
MCC has a .301 batting average with a .443 on-base percentage. The Highlanders haver 52 extra-base hits, 18 homers, 108 RBI, 121 runs scored, 81 walked, and 21 stolen bases.
Cage McCloud (.395 BA, .544 OBP, 17 runs scored, two HR, 16 RBI, 10 walks), Deiten LaChance (.353 BA, .411 OBP, 13 runs scored, two HR, 13 RBI), Daniel Harden (.348 BA, .443 OBP, 16 runs scored, three HR, eight RBI), and Ty Waid (.318 BA, .418 OBP, three HR, 17 RBI) are amongst the chief producers on offense for McLennan.
The Highlanders talented pitching staff has an ERA of 4.88, with 129 strikeouts and 44 walks, with opponents hitting just .246 against them.
Alex Wallace, Kadyn Leon, Logan Harris, Gage Goldman, AJ Ripley, and Owen Egan have combined for the starts.
After the two-game series on Wednesday, the Leopards and Highlanders will play a Saturday afternoon doubleheader at the Danny Scott Athletic Complex.