ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson University baseball team is set to wrap up a five-game homestand by playing host to Young Harris on Monday and will close out a stretch of 11 games in 11 days by visiting North Georgia on Tuesday and Southern Wesleyan on Wednesday.
First-pitch for all three games – both home and away - is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Admission to Trojan baseball games is $5 - students, faculty and staff, along with members of the Trojan Club are admitted free of charge. No dogs are allowed inside Memorial Stadium with the exception of service dogs.
WHO: Young Harris (19-14) at Anderson Trojans (11-21)
WHERE: Anderson Memorial Stadium
WHEN: Monday, 6 p.m.
COVERAGE
Live Stats: AUTROJANS.COM
Video: AUTROJANS.COM
WHO: Anderson Trojans (11-21) at North Georgia (18-12)
WHERE: Bob Stein Stadium
WHEN: Tuesday, 6 p.m.
COVERAGE
Live Stats: AUTROJANS.COM
Video: AUTROJANS.COM
WHO: Anderson Trojans (11-21) at Southern Wesleyan (14-22)
WHERE: C. Keith Connor Field
WHEN: Wednesday, 6 p.m.
COVERAGE
Live Stats: AUTROJANS.COM
Video: AUTROJANS.COM
THE TROJANS
Anderson is 11-21 overall and has won three of its last five decisions.
Senior Tyler Miller raised his batting average more than 30 points by going 7-for-11 against Catawba, while posting a pair of doubles and recorded an .818 slugging percentage over the three-game span. Sophomore Matthew Overton was 4-for-8 with nine RBI and recorded a 1.375 slugging percentage in three games against the Indians.
Overton leads the Trojan offense with a .319 batting average and 32 walks on the season and stands second on the team with seven home runs and 26 RBI. Sophomore Dillon Carpenter leads the Trojans with 30 RBI and is batting .318, with redshirt freshman Chandler Castleberry belting a team-high eight homers.
Senior hurler Andrew Dill tossed a two-hit, complete-game gem in an 8-0 shutout of five-time defending conference champion Catawba last Friday. The right-hander limited Catawba to a pair of singles and just one runner reached scoring position. The right-hander struck out a season-high eight batters and walked three.
Sophomore right-handed reliever Christian Carpenter leads the pitching staff in appearances and is one of four hurlers who each have a pair of wins on the season. Freshman right-hander Justin Helms, who has five appearances - all out of the bullpen - leads the team with a 3.00 ERA. Sophomore Brent Reynolds boasts a 3.06 ERA in eight appearances and captured his first win of the season last Tuesday over Erskine.
LAST TIME OUT
After shutting out preseason SAC favorite Catawba, 8-0, in the second game of a Friday afternoon doubleheader, the Trojans dropped the series finale, 11-3, Saturday afternoon.
Miller notched three of the Trojans' six hits on the afternoon, with two singles and a run-scoring double. Freshman Will O'Brien added a ninth-inning single and was hit by a pitch, with Dillon Carpenter reaching base on a single and a walk.
Junior Will Gee (2-5) took the loss after surrendering six runs on nine hits in three innings of work on the mound. The right-hander walked three and struck out two.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAIN LIONS
Young Harris was tabbed to finish 11th in the Peach Belt Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll after posting a 15-30 overall record a year ago and finishing 12th with a 7-17 mark in conference play.
Senior right-handed hurler Michael Livingston was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association (NCBWA) All-Southeast Region Preseason Second Team. Livingston went 6-3 last season and was named Second-team All-Peach Belt Conference with a 3.19 earned run average in 12 starts. Livingston fanned a school-record 15 batters earlier this season in a 13-0 Peach Belt Conference win over Lander in mid-February and was named PBC Pitcher of the Week for his performance. Livingston earned the honor again on March 11, alongside teammate Brett Graczyk, who was named Peach Belt Player of the Week. Junior Tristin Smith also claimed PBC Player of the Week last week.
Young Harris had won seven straight before falling to Georgia Southwestern on Saturday.
THE SERIES vs. YOUNG HARRIS
The Trojans and Mountain Lions have met just four times in school history, with AU leading the all-time series, 3-1. The first-ever meeting between the two programs occurred during the 2016 campaign.
SCOUTING THE HIGHTHAWKS
North Georgia opened the season ranked 23rd in the nation and was picked to finish third in the Peach Belt Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll after winning the PBC regular-season title and the NCAA Southeast Regional for the first time in program history a season ago. The Nighthawks returned seven starters from last year's team, including preseason all-conference players Bill LeRoy and Steven Tomlinson. LeRoy, along with Daniel McCrary, were named Preseason All-American Honorable-Mentions by the NCBWA. Sophomore catcher Andres Perez was named the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week in early March.
After dropping two-out-of-three at home to Georgia College in mid-March, the Nighthawks have reeled off seven straight wins and are coming off a 9-0 shutout of Francis Marion earlier today.
THE SERIES vs. NORTH GEORGIA
The Trojans and Nighthawks have met 34 times in school history since the 2001 season, with North Georgia leading the all-time series, 29-5. The Trojans are looking to snap an 11-game losing streak at the hands of the Nighthawks.
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
Southern Wesleyan was predicted to finish eighth in the Conference Carolinas Preseason Coaches' Poll after posting a 15-34 overall record a year ago and finishing 10th with a 6-21 mark in conference play.
The Warriors snapped a 13-game slide by knocking off Barton, 13-5 and 11-2, in the final two games of a three-game conference series over the weekend. SWU is scheduled to play Truett-McConnell on Tuesday night.
THE SERIES vs. SOUTHERN WESLEYAN
The Trojans and Warriors have met 52 times in school history, with AU leading the all-time series, 33-19. The teams have split the previous two meetings this season – both at Memorial Stadium – with the Warriors taking an 8-4 win on Valentine's Day and AU claiming a 6-5 victory last Wednesday night. The Trojans swept the two matchups last season after dropping six straight to the Warriors in 2015 and 2016. The first-ever meeting between the two programs occurred during the 1998 campaign.
UP NEXT
The Trojans will play host to South Atlantic Conference-opponent Wingate in a three-game series over the weekend. First-pitch versus the Bulldogs on Friday is slated for 6 p.m.
