SFA heads down stretch with a lot on the line

Lumberjacks play Baylor Bears tonight

The SFA Lumberjack baseball team goes into a non-conference game with Baylor today with an eye on an upcoming Southland Conference series that will make or break their hopes of playing past this weekend.

SFA plays the Bears (28-22) at 6:30 p.m. today in Waco.

After the game, the Lumberjacks will travel to Huntsville for a three-game SLC series with Sam Houston that begins Thursday.

SFA (24-26) is 11-15 in the Southland after winning eight of its last nine league games.

But the team still has plenty of work ahead of it, regarding earning a berth in the eight-team league tournament next week in Huntsville.

The Lumberjacks trail both Texas-Arlington (13-14) and Southeastern Louisiana (13-14) in battle for the eighth slot in the tournament.

Southeastern Louisiana closes league play with a three games against Nicholls State (4-23) this weekend. Texas-Arlington hosts Texas A&M Corpus Christi (15-11-1).

SFA can sweep Sam Houston and make the tournament if UTA or SLU loses two of three in their respective series. If SFA wins two of three, UTA or SLU has to lose all of its three games.

"We need to win and to get some help," SFA coach Donnie Watson said. "We're playing well, right now.

"The main thing is to keep playing good baseball."

SFA has defeated Sam Houston in five of six games the last two seasons, including two of three last year to give SFA the sixth and final seed into the tournament.

Watson said he will throw "Johnny Staff" against Baylor, a reference to his intention to go with an abundance of pitchers against the Bears.

Senior Lance Luetge (6-6, 3.62 ERA) is scheduled to start Thursday against Sam Houston.