ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson baseball team will look to carry the momentum from a three-game weekend sweep of Coker into the Trojans' midweek contest against Emmanuel when the two teams collide, Tuesday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. First-pitch for the nonconference matchup is slated for 5 p.m.
The Trojans will be hosting a Make-A-Wish celebration prior to Tuesday afternoon's contest around 4 p.m., with local Forest Acres Elementary School student Julie Gilstrap set to throw out the first pitch.
The Anderson Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be collecting donations for Make-A-Wish at the game and will be providing fans with some of Julie's favorite treats.
WHO: Anderson Trojans (12-12) vs. Emmanuel Lions (12-10)
WHERE: Anderson Memorial Stadium; Anderson, S.C.
WHEN: Tuesday, 5 p.m.
COVERAGE
Live Stats: AUTROJANS.COM
Live Video: AUTROJANS.COM
THE TROJANS
Anderson will be bidding to win its' fourth outing in a row after notching a convincing three-game sweep of the Cobras for the second straight season.
Senior Austin Mercado capped off impressive outings by the Trojan pitching staff over the weekend by capturing his second win of the season. He recorded AU's second complete game of the year in Saturday afternoon's 7-2 win over Coker by scattering five hits over seven full innings - his longest stint of the season - and held Coker without a hit over the final four frames.
Freshman Gray Wells raised his batting average 159 points over AU's four-game road swing to lead the Trojans at the plate. Wells batted .700 last week and recorded a .714 on-base percentage over the four-game span. He is riding a six-game hitting streak and is tied for the team lead with seven multi-hit games, including four at Newberry, as well as in the series opener at Coker on Friday. He recorded three base hits in each game of Saturday's doubleheader.
SCOUTING THE LIONS
Emmanuel was tabbed to finish ninth in the Conference Carolinas Preseason Coaches' Poll, after finishing last season with an overall 17-32 record and finishing ninth in the league with a 9-21 mark.
Senior right-handed pitcher Tyler Mayfield, left-hander Clifford Brown and junior infielder Brody Campbell were all named Preseason Conference Carolinas' Players to Watch.
Emmanuel has dropped four of its last six decisions, but took two-of-three from Lander in Greenwood over the weekend.
LAST MEETING WITH THE LIONS
Emmanuel defeated the Trojans, 5-4, back on Feb. 21 in Franklin Springs, Ga.
Senior Justin Fox went 3-for-5 at the plate, with three singles from his leadoff spot. He scored once and drove in a run. James Hanvey was 2-for-3 at the plate and scored a pair of runs, while Jordan Montgomery added a pair of singles and an RBI.
Junior Austin Mann (0-1) took the loss after allowing two runs in the sixth inning without retiring a batter.
Fox led off the game by beating out a hit to the left side of the infield and scored two batters later when Montgomery singled. But Emmanuel evened the score with a run in the bottom of the inning.
After three 1-2-3 innings on both sides, the Trojans grabbed a 2-1 advantage in the top of the fifth behind back-to-back-to-back one-out singles from Hanvey, Braeden Harrison and Fox, with Kye Andress lofting a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Lions responded by batting around and plating four runs in the bottom of the sixth frame, with the Trojans adding solos run in the seventh and eighth to creep back within just one run. AU managed to get the tying run aboard with two outs in the ninth but was unable to get the run across the plate.
THE SERIES vs. EMMANUEL
The series began in 1998, with Emmanuel leading the overall series, 16-11. Emmanuel has won seven of the last eight meetings and 10 of the last 12.
The two teams did not play from 2004-2015.
UP NEXT
Lincoln Memorial will invade the Electric City for a three-game South Atlantic Conference series this weekend. First-pitch against the Railsplitters in the series-opener is scheduled for Friday afternoon at 4 p.m.
