ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson baseball team will play host to Lincoln Memorial in a three-game South Atlantic Conference series, this weekend at Anderson Memorial Stadium.
First-pitch for Saturday afternoon's twin bill is slated for 2 p.m., with Sunday's single game scheduled for a 2 p.m. first-pitch.
WHO: Anderson Trojans (13-12, 3-3 SAC) vs. Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters (14-6, 2-4 SAC)
WHERE: Anderson Memorial Stadium; Anderson, S.C.
WHEN: Saturday, 2 p.m. (DH) / Sunday, 2 p.m.
COVERAGE
Live Stats: AUTROJANS.COM
Live Video: AUTROJANS.COM
THE TROJANS
Behind some stellar pitching performances and timely hitting, AU has won four straight and is bidding for its second five-game win streak of the season.
The pitching staff has shared the wealth, with senior Austin Mercado tossing AU's second complete game of the season last weekend at Coker, while allowing just one earned run and limiting the Cobras to five hits and a .208 batting-average-against. Nathan Sanders tossed six innings in the first game of last weekend's twin bill and struck out seven Cobra batters without issuing a free pass.
As a team, the Trojans hit .374 over the four-game stretch and batted .393 with two outs, while hitting .383 with runners in scoring position.
Freshman Gray Wells raised his batting average 108 points over the four-game span and is riding a seven-game hitting streak after posting 12 hits in 18 at-bats (.667 batting average), while notching a .722 slugging percentage and a .700 on-base percentage. The Chapin native leads the squad with eight multi-hit games.
Senior Carlos Hernandez lifted his batting average 47 points after going 8-for-19 at the plate last week and leads the club with 23 RBI on the season. Freshman Braeden Harrison currently owns the team's longest hitting streak – at nine games – and is batting .309 on the season, while also belting two home runs last week. Alongside Wells, third baseman Brayden Owens owns a seven-game hitting streak and is hitting .323 on the season. Kye Andress has reached base safely in his last 11 consecutive games.
SCOUTING THE RAILSPLITTERS
The Railsplitters were tabbed to finish sixth in the SAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, after finishing last season with an overall 27-18 record, including a 15-8 mark in the league and finished sixth in the conference standings.
Carson Boles, Patrick Queener, Ryan Kurth and Cameron Bowen were all named Preseason All-SAC.
LMU is second in the league with 130 walks on the season and is fourth in stolen bases (55) and triples (8), while the pitching staff is second in the SAC with a 4.05 ERA. Queener, a senior right-handed hurler is third in the SAC with a 1.73 ERA and owns 37 strikeouts, while another right-hander, David Ellison, is second with three saves on the year.
Wingate took two-of-three from the 'Splitters last weekend, but LMU has won two of its last three decisions and is coming off a nonconference, 9-8, home win last Wednesday night over UVA Wise. The Railsplitters are 9-2 at home, while posting a 5-4 road record on the season.
THE SERIES vs. LINCOLN MEMORIAL
Lincoln Memorial leads the overall series, which began in 2009, by an 18-14 count. The two teams have split the last four matchups evenly, with two wins apiece, while LMU has won seven of the last 10. The Trojans and Railsplitters did not square off last season.
UP NEXT
AU is slated to open a four-game road swing at Peach Belt Conference-foe North Georgia, Tuesday night. First-pitch against the Nighthawks in Dahlonega is scheduled for 5 p.m.
