ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson University baseball team will be looking to get back in win column when Queens invades the Electric City for a three-game South Atlantic Conference series this weekend at Memorial Stadium.

First-pitch for Friday night's series-opener is set for 6 p.m., with Saturday afternoon's twin bill slated for 1 p.m.

Admission to Trojan baseball games is free - No pets are allowed inside Memorial Stadium with the exception of service dogs.

WHO: Anderson Trojans (10-12, 3-6 SAC) vs. Queens Royals (4-19, 4-5 SAC)
WHERE: Anderson Memorial Stadium; Anderson, S.C.
WHEN: Friday, 6 p.m. / Saturday, 1 p.m. (DH)

COVERAGE
Live Stats: AUTROJANS.COM
Video: AUTROJANS.COM (Friday Only)

THE TROJANS
Anderson has dropped six straight decisions and eight of its last nine outings, with half of the setbacks coming on the road. The Trojans are seventh in the conference with a .282 team batting average and rank eighth in the league with a .382 on-base percentage. AU leads the league with triples, but is ninth in the SAC in overall extra-base hits and ninth with a 6.34 ERA.

Junior outfielder Nick Vella continues to pace the Trojans at the plate and ranks third in the league with a .419 batting average, while standing second in the SAC with his .510 on-base percentage and seventh with a .605 slugging percentage. He is fourth overall with 36 hits and continues to lead the conference with three triples. Senior first baseman Dillon Carpenter and junior Chandler Castleberry have started all 22 games for the Trojans, with Carpenter hitting .326 and Castleberry owning a .282 batting average. The tandem has reached base safely in every contest this season with Carpenter tied for 11th in the league with 21 RBI. Castleberry has accounted for four doubles, a pair of triples and a team-high three home runs.

Senior Christian Carpenter is tied for the league-league with six saves and boasts a team-best 1.54 ERA in 10 appearances. The right-hander has fanned 15 batters in 11 2/3 innings. Sophomore Lucas Smith (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season a week ago at Wingate, but is tied for second in the SAC in wins and paces pitchers in the league with 47 strikeouts.

SCOUTING THE ROYALS
Last season marked Queens' first campaign on the diamond.

The Royals were tabbed to finish 10th in the South Atlantic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, after posting a 14-30 overall record in last season, including a 5-19 mark in conference play and finishing 11th in the league standings.

Redshirt-sophomore Noah Jones was named Preseason Second-Team All-Conference as a first baseman, after earning all-conference honors a year ago and also picked up all-region accolades from the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).

THE SERIES vs. QUEENS
This weekend will mark the first-ever matchups in program history between the two teams.

UP NEXT
AU will embark on a five-game road swing and is scheduled to play seven of its next eight contests on the road. The Trojans are slated to visit Southern Wesleyan on Tuesday afternoon, with first-pitch set for 6 p.m. in Central, S.C.