USA Walks Away With a Win

OF Tristan Clarke

The Privateer offense got back on track with a solid effort on Tuesday night in Mobile, but a barrage of wildness from the UNO pitching staff was too much to overcome in a 10-7 defeat at the hands of South Alabama.

New Orleans pitchers issued 11 walks, six wild pitches, and two hit batsmen, enabling the host Jaguars to outscore their offense.

Tristan Clarke knocked in three runs to lead the Privateers (6-3), and Sam Capielano contributed three hits as well.

UNO returns home for a weekend series against Alcorn State starting on Friday.

Frustrating 10th Inning Dooms UNO

Cable was a bright spot
in Sunday's loss

For the second consecutive day, New Orleans and Troy went to extra innings at Maestri Field. But on Sunday, the outcome wasn't as happy for the Privateers (6-2), who fell 4-3.

In the top of the tenth, two tough plays that could have been made but weren't -- a screaming liner off the glove of second baseman Sam Capielano and a sinking liner off the glove off left fielder Dakota Dean -- opened the door just enough for Troy to take a 4-3 lead.

In the bottom of the frame, the Privateers got back-to-back walks to put runners on first and second with nobody out for Tristan Clarke. But Clarke, after getting ahead 2-0 and 3-2, flew out. Hezekiah Randolph grounded to the pitcher, and after an intentional walk to John Cable, pinch hitter Jay Robinson struck out looking.

Cable had a tremendous day for a Privateer offense that was otherwise held in check in consecutive games by the Troy pitching staff. Cable went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple.

Setback: Demons Beat UNO

The Privateers, trying to close out a regular season Southland title, dropped a back-and-forth contest at Northwestern State on Saturday afternoon, 83-82.

The Demons, in 12th place in the league to start the day, benefited from the return of injured star Zeek Woodley, who burned New Orleans for 28 points, including the game winner with 4.3 seconds left. UNO (17-10, 12-4) appeared sluggish and displayed none of the defensive intensity that got them an emotional blowout win over Stephen F. Austin earlier in the week.

Erik Thomas led the Privateer effort with 23 points.

UNO Wins... Pitcher's Duel? Really?

Bryan Warzek, and later Rafael
Martinez, kept UNO in a pitcher's duel

Yep, they did.

A day after what appeared to be a typical 2017 outing -- a slugfest, and in this case a 12-9 loss to Troy -- the Privateers (6-1) held the Trojans offense in check even as their own hitters uncharacteristically struggled. But in the end, a Dakota Phillips grounder through the legs of Troy second baseman Brandon Lockridge sent UNO home a 3-2 winner in 13 innings.

Bryan Warzek provided New Orleans with a much-needed quality start, throwing six innings and surrendering just two runs. The bullpen was also effective, led by Rafael Martinez's sparkling 4 1/3 innings of shutout ball to finish the game.  Martinez has yet to walk a batter in his 9 1/3 innings thus far this season.

UNO and Troy will play the rubber match tomorrow at noon at Maestri Field.

Troy Deals UNO First Loss

3B Owen Magee

Baseball teams don't go undefeated, and Friday night saw the Privateers (5-1) finally unable to outslug someone, falling to Troy 12-9 at Maestri Field.

With Shawn Semple sitting out this series with a concussion, Riley Hodge got the Friday start and was promptly knocked out of the game in the third inning, unable to hold an early 6-2 New Orleans lead.  Relief pitching was just as spotty for the home team, and the Bucs couldn't hold Troy down long enough for its potent lineup to make a comeback.

It was, however, another sparkling outing for the offense, led by third baseman Owen Magee's two home runs. Tristan Clarke also homered for the third consecutive game.

Game two against Troy will begin tomorrow at noon at Maestri Field.

Swarming Privateers Blitz SFA

Nate Frye had 16 in the
first half against SFA

In a game pitting first-place New Orleans against second-place Stephen F. Austin with huge implications for the regular season title, the Privateers (17-9, 12-3) absolutely dominated from the jump and unleashed a 82-65 destruction on the Lumberjacks at Lakefront Arena.

Erik Thomas and Nate Frye had 18 each to lead UNO, and Frye fueled the Privateers' clinic of a first half, notching 16 points to lead the home team to a stunning 41-21 lead at the break.  New Orleans forced 13 turnovers in that half with an intense, stifling defense, including 8 steals.  Frye led the way for the game with 4 steals.

The Bucs scored the first 10 points of the second half to effectively seal the game, leading by as many as 32 before the game got ragged and the Jacks cut into the lead late.

The win gives UNO a two-game lead in the Southland regular season race with three games to play. They will head to Northwestern State to face the Demons on Saturday.

UNO Overwhelms Jackson State, 16-2

Hezekiah Randolph notched his
first homer of the 2017 season

A night after making local headlines with an upset over a top 5 LSU team, the Privateers (5-0) remained undefeated by hammering Jackson State by a 16-2 score at Maestri Field.

Tristan Clarke, who had his first homer of the season last night, added another opposite field dinger tonight to go along with homers from Hezekiah Randolph, Aaron Palmer, and Jared McKay.  Sam Capielano and Dakota Phillips had three hits each.

New Orleans completes its season opening eight-game homestand with a three-game set against Troy over the weekend.  Make note of the odd start times, with Friday's first pitch at 5:30 p.m. and noon starts on Saturday and Sunday.

Privateers Outslug LSU, 11-8

Tristan Clarke blasted his first
Division I homer against LSU

The Privateers remained undefeated in the early season after passing their stiffest test, collecting 11 runs on 14 hits and outscoring the #4 LSU Tigers 11-8 at Maestri Field.

Center fielder Orynn Veillon led the offensive charge with a 3-for-5 night, smashing two doubles and collecting two RBI.  After a six-run UNO fifth gave them a 7-6 lead, much-hyped newcomer Tristan Clarke hit his first Division I homer in the sixth to put the Bucs ahead 8-6.  They collected three more in that frame and never relinquished their lead.

On the hill, William Griffin pitched four innings of quality relief, surrendering just two runs (one earned) while the Privateer offense was making hay.

New Orleans (4-0) gets right back on the field at the Maes tomorrow night against Jackson State.

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Privateers Blast Prairie View To Start 3-0

Senior Sam Capielano

New Orleans (3-0) finished a three-game sweep of its Urban Youth Invitational games on opening weekend, routing Prairie View 14-0 on Sunday afternoon at Maestri Field.

Leading the Privateer offensive charge were four-year senior Sam Capielano and JUCO transfer Dakota Phillips, who each homered.  Hezekiah Randolph, Tristan Clarke, Orynn Veillon, and Owen Magee also contributed two hits each to UNO's 18-hit onslaught.

On the mound, Bryan Warzek got the start and pitched six shutout innings to collect his first win of the 2017 season.

UNO Pounds UCA, SFA Looms

#1 options: Erik Thomas stood out,
but Jordan Howard struggled

With four games left in the Southland Conference regular season, the Privateers (16-9, 11-3) still own first place after drubbing Central Arkansas at home this afternoon, 84-61.

Erik Thomas, as usual, led the way for New Orleans with 23 points, but UNO's guards also rained a barrage of threes on the Bears, hitting 14 out of 28 as a team from a variety of sources.  Christavious Gill had four, Jorge Rosa three, and Tevin Broyles and Nate Frye two each.  Thomas even swished one along with subs Bryson Robinson and Coleman Edwards.

The Privateers did a tremendous job once again on UCA star Jordan Howard, who was held to just 8 points.

With Sam Houston dropping a clunker at Incarnate Word today, UNO's main competition for the SLC regular season crown appears to be Stephen F. Austin, who just happens to be New Orleans' next opponent, They'll meet the Privateers this coming Thursday night at Lakefront Arena.

Privateers Rally to Beat UIC

Dakota Phillips delivered
a clutch hit in the 8th

The Privateer baseball team found itself down 5-1 to Illinois-Chicago in the bottom of the sixth, but a three-run sixth, then a four-run eighth, helped New Orleans (2-0) pull an 8-5 victory out of the fire at Maestri Field.

UNO starting pitcher Riley Hodge struggled with his control, but freshman Reeves Martin pitched three sparkling innings in relief, and then Jarred Taylor shut the door on the Flames in the ninth.

First baseman Dakota Phillips, who had struggled all day, delivered a sharp single to right in the eighth inning to put the Privateers ahead for the first time at 6-5.

New Orleans finishes its Urban Youth Invitational schedule tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Maestri Field against Prairie View.

UNO Wins Rain-Shortened Opener

The Privateers (1-0) still haven't allowed a run this season.

Shawn Semple fired six innings of two-hit shutout ball before the skies opened up in the middle of the sixth inning with New Orleans leading Southern, 5-0.  The game was called about 15 minutes later after a consistent deluge and no promise of a letup in the near future.

Newcomer Tristan Clarke led what might have become an offensive assault, going 2-for-3 with 2 RBI in his first Division I game.

Ugly But Huge Win in Hammond

Thomas led UNO with 20

Taking the floor in sole possession of first place in Southland Conference, the Privateers (15-9, 10-3) muscled out a huge win over Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond, 60-52.

Grabbing its second road win of the week, New Orleans got its usual effort from Erik Thomas, who led the way with 20 points. Christavious Gill added 16, with a couple of huge triples late to help UNO rally from five points down late in the contest. New Orleans shot just 33% from the field, but held the Lions to only 38%.  Southeastern also turned the ball over 23 times.

It was a game marred by multiple stoppages, most involving clock malfunctions but also several replays.

UNO gets a well-deserved week off before returning home to face Central Arkansas next Saturday night at Lakefront Arena.

Down 11, UNO Rallies to Beat McNeese

Zeno had 15 points, including
13 in the first half

The Privateers (14-9, 9-3) rallied from a double-digit first half deficit to score an important road win in Lake Charles over McNeese, 69-63.

New Orleans, in a hotly contested conference race, maintained the pace by finding a way past the Cowboys using some unheralded scoring threats. Erik Thomas ended up leading the way with 16 points with some late scores, but it was Michael Zeno with 15 and Jorge Rosa with 14, including four critical three-pointers, that helped to save UNO on this night.

After trailing for much of the game, including 17-6 early, the Bucs took the lead for good in the second half at 42-41 on a Rosa triple.

By virtue of Lamar's overtime victory over Sam Houston tonight, New Orleans reclaims sole possession of first place in the Southland Conference.

Next up for the Privateers is a showdown with Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond on Saturday night. UNO fell to the Lions three times in a two-week span last season, the final time in the conference tournament.  This game will be televised on ESPN3.

UNO Wins For Homecoming Crowd

Erik Thomas again

Needing a win after dropping two in a row on the road, the Privateers broke open a 37-37 halftime tie with a strong second half en route to a 78-69 victory over Nicholls.

New Orleans fended off a late Colonels rally behind another strong effort from Southland Player of the Year candidate Erik Thomas, who had 26 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Tevin Broyles had 12, and Christavious Gill and Nate Frye added 10 apiece.

With Sam Houston dropping a contest at league annoyance Abilene Christian, it's a tie at the top of the league standings again, although the Bearkats still own the tiebreaker over UNO.

The Privateers (13-9, 8-3) head back on the road to take on McNeese next Thursday. UNO dusted off the Cowboys easily at Lakefront Arena earlier in the season.

Privateers Fall in OT at ACU

Thibodeaux was three assists from
a second triple-double this season

Just as in their first matchup at Lakefront Arena on December 29, UNO fell behind Abilene Christian by 9 at the half. While the Privateers (12-9, 7-3) again made up that deficit as they did in the earlier contest, they were unable to surpass the Wildcats this time. New Orleans forced overtime on Nate Frye's three at the regulation buzzer, but ended up falling one point short, 70-69.

On the game's final possession in overtime, Christavious Gill missed a three-pointer, and Erik Thomas missed a follow-up.  The buzzer sounded shortly after.

Travin Thibodeaux led the Privateers with 18 points to go along with 10 rebounds and 7 assists.  Thomas added 17.

Abilene Christian, which typically struggles to score, connected on 11 three-pointers in 24 attempts.  They shot 53% overall, counteracting UNO's robust 52%.

New Orleans hosts Nicholls on Saturday evening at Lakefront Arena for homecoming.  The women play at 4:00 p.m.  The men will play at approximately 6:15 p.m.

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