ANDERSON, S.C. – On the heels of a pair of midweek nonconference clashes, the Anderson baseball team will travel to the coast for a three-game, neutral site series with Staten Island in Myrtle Beach. The Trojans and Dolphins will square off, Saturday night at 7 p.m., then wrap up the series with a Sunday doubleheader that is scheduled for a 3 p.m. first-pitch
WHO: Anderson Trojans (11-1) vs. Staten Island Dolphins (0-0)
WHERE: Cal Ripken Experience
WHEN: Saturday, 7 p.m. / Sunday, 3 p.m. (DH)
COVERAGE
Live Stats: AUTROJANS.COM
Video: N/A
THE TROJANS
The Trojans suffered their first loss of the season two days ago at Lander, then had Wednesday night's contest against Southern Wesleyan suspended in the top of the ninth inning, with the Black and Gold trailing 9-6.
Kye Andress has started all 12 games and leads the Trojans with a .408 batting average and is second on the team in both slugging percentage (.551) and on-base percentage (.473) behind veteran Nick Vella. Andress is on a 12-game hitting streak and is tied for the team lead with six walks. Vella owns a .407 batting average, a team-high .556 slugging percentage and a team-best .484 on-base percentage.
Jackson Van Ness has also started every game this season and is batting .325, while tying for second on the squad with 13 hits, including a team-best five doubles. Catcher Carlos Hernandez owns a .277 batting average and enters the weekend series on a five-game hitting streak. He is tied with Justin Fox for the team lead with 11 RBI on the season. Fox has reached base safely in four straight games and has been hit by a pitch on six occasions this season.
A pair of Trojan hurlers – Walker Noland and Joseph Cottone - have already earned South Atlantic Conference pitcher of the Week accolades, with the pitching staff boasting a 2.64 ERA. Four pitchers each possess a pair of wins – Jackson Herring, Walker Noland, Cottone and Alexander Maurer – with Herring and Maurer each earning their wins in relief. Herring also owns a pair of saves in six appearances.
Noland and Cottone have both tossed more than 16 innings, with Cottone leading the staff with 24 strikeouts. Andrew Imperatore has fanned 22 batters, while Noland owns 19 Ks.
SCOUTING THE DOLPHINS
The Dolphins (0-0) are beginning their second season with an All-Division II schedule, after posting a 7-17 overall record last season and finishing sixth in the conference standings with a 6-15 mark in league play.
CSI is playing its annual Spring Training games in Myrtle Beach as part of the Cal Ripken Experience. In addition to the three-game set against the Trojans, CSI will face Limestone in a Monday doubleheader. To finish off their seven games in four days, the Dolphins will play the Saints again in another double-header matchup on Tuesday, with a noon first-pitch.
THE SERIES vs. STATEN ISLAND
The three-game series marks the first-ever meetings between the two programs.
UP NEXT
Following a four-day layoff, the Trojans will open a four-game road swing, beginning with a three-game South Atlantic Conference weekend series at defending national champion and preseason league favorite Wingate.
