ANDERSON, S.C. - The Anderson baseball team will open a season-high eight-game road swing on Wednesday, when the Trojans visit Lander for a nonconference matchup, with first-pitch at Donly Stadium slated for 6 p.m.

WHO: Anderson Trojans (17-24) at Lander Bearcats (32-10)
WHERE: Dolny Stadium
WHEN: Wednesday, 6 p.m.

COVERAGE
Live Stats: LANDERBEARCATS.COM
Video: N/A
Audio: N/A

THE TROJANS
After sweeping a three-game series with Young Harris, Anderson has dropped three of its last four outings.

Senior Steven Cooper is on a four-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in 29 of his last 30 games, while drawing a walk 18 times in his last 10 games. The Williamston, S.C., native leads the nation with 42 walks on the season, while ranking sixth in the country with 18 doubles and 13th nationally with 48 RBI - including seven in his last four games.

Cooper paces the South Atlantic Conference with a .543 on-base percentage, while standing second in the SAC with a .734 slugging percentage behind his 18 doubles and eight home runs. Cooper ranks in the top-16 in the SAC in 11 statistical categories - on-base percentage (.543/1st), walks (42/1st), doubles (18/2nd), slugging percentage (.734/2nd), RBI (48/3rd), batting average (.406/3rd), runs scored (43/8th), sacrifice flies (4/8th), total bases (94/10th), home runs (8/12th) and hits (52/16th).

Freshman Carson Barrett is riding a seven-game hitting streak and has gotten on base in 13 of his last 14 games, while recording four multi-hit games in his last six appearances, while hitting .407 on the season. The designated hitter/first baseman has not appeared in enough contests on the season to rank in the SAC statistical categories.

Junior Xavier Peralta is hitting .347 in 22 games, while sophomore Tyler Miller (.331 batting average) has reached safely in 15 consecutive games and 36 of his 39 games this season, for an on-base percentage of .412. Senior LJ Newman is batting .340 on the season and is tied for third in the SAC with 11 home runs and ranks eighth in both RBI (44) and total bases (97). The veteran has recorded 17 hits in his last nine games and upped raising his batting average 43 percentage points.

Graduate student Garrett Bernardo has driven in five runs in the last three games, while reaching safely in 13-of-15 games. Senior Kyle Bailey wrapped up the weekend on a five-game hitting streak and has four multi-hit games in the last seven contests.

Senior Brock Goodling, who is second in the nation with 10 saves on the season, has earned a save in five of his last six appearances out of the bullpen, while Andrew Dill and Mitchell Cooksey each have four wins on the season. Sophomore Nick Contafio and junior Ryan Owens have recorded three victories apiece, with Owens slashing his ERA in half over his last five games. Cooksey, a right-hander, leads the pitching staff and would rank third in the conference with his 2.22 ERA, but does not meet the minimum innings to qualify.

LAST TIME OUT
The Trojans closed a four-game homestand by dropping two-of-three outings to Carson-Newman, including a pair of one-run losses to bookend the SAC series.

Following last Friday night's, 7-6, loss the Trojans trounced Carson-Newman by an 11-2 score but fell, 5-4, in Saturday's series finale. The senior trio of Newman, Cooper and Bailey, along with Barrett, combined for 19 hits, including four doubles in the three-game set. They added eight walks and drove in nine runs.

SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Lander posted a 22-26 overall record, including a 10-20 mark in the Peach Belt last season and did not qualify for the conference tournament after finishing 11th in the PBC standings. The Bearcats were a preseason pick to finish eighth in the Peach Belt in the 2016 Preseason Coaches' Poll, while Colby Painter and Will Jones were named Preseason All-Conference. Painter, a two-time All-PBC selection, batted .328 with seven home runs, 14 doubles, 37 runs scored and 29 RBI. He also walked 24 times and was hit by a pitch 11 times last season. He had a .525 slugging percentage and a .435 on-base percentage.

Jones led the Bearcats on the mound with a 5-3 overall record. In 14 appearances, he had a 4.75 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 36 innings pitched. He also batted .262 with nine home runs, five doubles, 41 runs scored and 28 RBI.

Senior first baseman Colby Lusignan was named the season's first Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week in early February, Lusignan hit .833 with a 1.333 slugging percentage as the No. 32 Bearcats opened 2016 by splitting two games with 29th-ranked Mount Olive. Junior left-hander Colton Rogers was named PBC Pitcher of the Week in mid-February following LU's 6-1 win over Flagler. He scattered six hits with four walks and struck out seven for his first win of the year.

Jones earned PBC Pitcher of the Week honors on Feb. 29 after Lander knocked off Young Harris, 2-0. He Jones scattered seven hits, issued no walks and struck out 13. He struck out the side in order in the fourth, never allowed more than two hits in any inning and YHC baserunners reached third only one time. He set down the side in order in the sixth, seventh and eighth, retiring 10 in a row during that stretch.

Mason Dodd, a native of Augusta, Ga., was named the PBC's Freshman of the Week on March 21, after hitting hit .500 in a three-game series at Columbus State, and driving in nine runs.

Lander (32-10, 19-8 PBC) has won four of its last five decisions and 16-of-19 home contests on the year and is ranked No. 8 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, No. 13 by D2 Baseball News and 14th by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

THE SERIES vs. LANDER
Lander defeated the Trojans, 24-3, three weeks ago at Memorial Stadium and captured the only game against the Trojans last season, taking a 9-5 victory over the Black and Gold at Memorial Stadium on April 7. Anderson seeking its first win over Lander since the 2013 season when it earned a 4-1 win at Fluor Field.

UP NEXT
Anderson opens a three-game South Atlantic Conference series at Newberry on Friday. First-pitch is set for 6 p.m. at the Smith Road Complex.