ANDERSON, S.C. - The Anderson baseball team will be looking for its fourth consecutive victory when the Trojans open a four-game homestand by welcoming Limestone to Memorial Stadium on Tuesday. Game time is set for 6 p.m.

WHO: Limestone Saints (14-25) at Anderson Trojans (16-21)
WHERE: Anderson Memorial Stadium
WHEN: Tuesday, 6 p.m.

COVERAGE
Live Stats: AUTROJANS.COM
Video: AUTROJANS.COM
Audio: AUTROJANS.COM or REDZONEMEDIA.COM

THE TROJANS
Anderson will be going for its second season sweep in two years past Limestone when the Saints invade Memorial Stadium.

Freshman Carson Barrett enters the week riding a four-game hitting streak, while upping his batting average 21 percentage points over the four-game span to .411 on the season. The Travelers Rest, S.C., native owns a .699 slugging percentage and has driven in 27 runs in 23 games. The designated hitter/first baseman would rank fourth in the South Atlantic Conference, but has not appeared in enough contests.

Senior Steven Cooper continues to rank in the top-8 in the SAC in 10 statistical categories, while leading the league with a .532 on-base percentage after being walked 18 times in his last 11 games. The Williamston, S.C., native has reached base safely in 27 of his last 29 contests. He is second in the SAC with a .750 slugging percentage and appears in the top-8 in walks (36/2nd), doubles (16/3rd), runs scored (40/4th), RBI (41/5th), total bases (87/5th), batting average (.405/5th), sacrifice flies (4/7th) and home runs (8/8th).

Junior Xavier Peralta, who missed last week's mid-week contests, is hitting .352 in 21 games while platooning at second base. He had a five-game hitting streak snapped Sunday at Young Harris, but drove in a pair of runs. Sophomore Tyler Miller is on a six-game hitting streak, while recording 10 hits in three games against Young Harris. His season-high .350 batting average is fourth on the team and the Anderson, S.C., native has gotten on base in all but three of 35 games on the season.

Senior LJ Newman, who is tied for third in the conference with 10 home runs, has clubbed four homers in the last six games and has driven in 14 runs in the last seven contests. He is hitting .321 on the season after posting at least one hit in 10 of the last 11 games. Outfielder Garrett Bernardo posted eight hits in three games against the Mountain Lions and has raised his batting average 39 percentage points to .302 in a six-game span. Sophomore infielder Zach McIlroy is hitting .300 with six doubles on the year, while reaching base safely in 12 of his last 14 games.

Senior closer Brock Goodling is currently tied for tops in the nation with 10 saves on the season, while posting a save in each of his last five appearances.
Andrew Dill and Mitchell Cooksey each have four wins on the season, while sophomore Nick Contafio has recorded three victories. Cooksey, a right-hander, continues to lead the pitching staff with a 2.10 ERA in 13 appearances, including one start.

LAST TIME OUT
The Trojans completed a sweep of Young Harris with a 6-3 win in nonconference action Sunday afternoon at Zell B. Miller Field.

Anderson led wire-to-wire after jumping out to a 5-1 lead and led 6-1 after seven innings.

Junior Matthew Powell was 3-for-4 at the plate, with three singles and a run scored, while Miller added two singles, a walk and scored twice. Senior Kyle Bailey was 2-for-5 with a pair of singles, while Peralta and Michael Rochester each drove in two runs.

Cooksey (4-2), who shares the team lead in victories, earned the win with 3 2/3 innings of relief. The right-hander surrendered two runs on five hits, while striking out five and walking one. Goodling notched the save after allowing a pair of hits and a walk in the ninth inning.

SCOUTING THE SAINTS
Limestone (14-25) was tabbed to finish seventh in the Conference Carolinas Preseason Coaches' Poll, after posting a 15-27 overall record last season, including a 10-15 mark and an eighth-place finish in the CC. The Saints did not earn a berth in the postseason league tournament.

Freshman third baseman Chase Allen was selected as the Conference Carolinas Baseball Player of the Week following a solid weekend series against LIU Post in mid-February. Allen batted .385 in the four-game series sweep over the Pioneers and finished with a home run, two doubles, seven RBIs, and five runs scored to help guide the Blue and Gold to its best start since 2013, at 7-3.

Limestone, which opens a five-game road swing with Tuesday's contest, has dropped two straight and eight of their last 10 decisions.

Junior Dillion Palencia leads a trio of Saints hitting above .300 on the season with a .342 batting average, while junior Cory Bryant owns a .316 batting average over 19 games. Junior Garrett Lowry is batting .314, while leading LC with eight triples.

Anders DeShields, Mark Burnside and Bryon Munsterman all have three wins for the Saints, with DeShields owning the squad's lowest ERA (2.39) and holds opponents to a .193 batting average.

THE SERIES vs. LIMESTONE
Anderson knocked off the Saints, 9-6, in mid-February in Gaffney, S.C., behind a balanced offensive attack. The Trojans outhit Limestone, 14-7, and capitalized on three errors by the Saints' defense to halt Limestone's four-game win streak.

Bernardo and Peralta each posted three hits on the afternoon, with Bernardo adding a walk, an RBI and a run scored. Peralta crossed the plate twice. Bailey was on base four times with a single and a double to go along with a pair of walks, while scoring three times from his leadoff spot. Rochester belted his second home run of the season - a three-run shot in the seventh, with junior Stephen McKnight posting a pair of singles, an RBI and a run scored. Cooper drove in two runs.

Dill earned his first win of the season after allowing just one run on one hit in 2 1/3 innings of relief. The right-hander walked three batters and struck out two. Goodling collected his second save of the campaign by tossing a perfect ninth inning.

The Trojans claimed a pair of wins over Limestone a year ago, winning 12-3 in mid-February at Memorial Stadium and following up a month later with a 4-2 victory in Gaffney.

Bernardo had three extra-base hits in AU's home win, while Bailey added two hits on the day, including an RBI single. Catcher Travis Smith clubbed AU's lone home run for the game and finished the game 2-for-4 with four RBI and a run scored.

Last year's contest in Gaffney saw McIlroy led AU with a 3-for-4 performance with a run scored and a pair of stolen bases. Bernardo, Cooper and Newman all posted two hits in the win.

UP NEXT
Anderson welcomes Carson-Newman to the Electric City for the Trojans' final South Atlantic Conference homestand of the season. First-pitch for Friday's first contest of the three-game series is set for 6 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.