ANDERSON, S.C. – After winning five of seven games on its latest homestand, the Anderson baseball team will play host to league-leading and nationally ninth-ranked Newberry, Tuesday night at Memorial Stadium. First-pitch vs. the Wolves is slated for 6 p.m.
WHO: Anderson Trojans (17-15, 6-6 SAC) vs. Newberry Wolves (25-5, 10-2 SAC)
WHERE: Anderson Memorial Stadium; Anderson, S.C.
WHEN: Tuesday, 6 p.m.
COVERAGE
Live Stats: AUTROJANS.COM
Live Video: AUTROJANS.COM
TROJAN NOTABLES
• The Trojans are 10-10 at home this season and 7-5 away from Memorial Stadium.
• AU has 18 regular-season games remaining – Home (9)/Away (9).
• The Trojans are 15-1 this season when leading after five innings.
• The Trojans have recorded one extra-inning game this season – they defeated Felician, 9-8, in 10 innings.
• Justin Fox leads the team with 10 multi-hit games.
• Kye Andress and Gray Wells each have nine multi-hit games.
• Carlos Hernandez is riding a 13-game hitting streak.
• Luke Poole is on an eight-game hitting streak.
• Anthony Pandolfi has reached base safely in his last seven games.
• Carlos Hernandez and Braeden Harrison have each recorded a 5-RBI game this season.
• Justin Fox is 17-for-18 in stolen base attempts this season.
• Brandon Gibbs is 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts this season.
• Austin Mercado leads the pitching staff with four wins and has struck out 22 batters, while walking six.
• Nathan Sanders has fanned a team-high 34 batters, while issuing 11 free passes.
SCOUTING THE WOLVES
Newberry was tabbed to finish third in the in the SAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, after garnering one first-place vote. The Wolves finished last season with a 38-13 overall record, including a 19-5 mark in the league and finished second in the regular-season conference standings.
Eight Wolves, including all three weekend starters from a season ago, earned Preseason All-Conference recognition. Senior shortstop Braylin Marine, the reigning SAC Player of the Year, and junior Henry Gibson captured first-team honors, while junior Jacob LeBron and sophomore Ethan LeBron each brought home Second-Team All-SAC honors. Sophomores Jomar Lugo, Jonathan Velez Tyler Chinpire and senior Joe LaFiora were each named Preseason Third-Team All-SAC.
Newberry has climbed to ninth in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's (NCBWA) national poll and has won 13 of its last 14 decisions after having its 13-game win streak snapped Sunday afternoon by Carson-Newman.
THE LAST TIME vs. THE WOLVES
In a midweek battle that lasted more than four hours and produced 37 runs, 35 hits and 18 walks, Newberry outlasted Anderson, 20-17, on March 7 at the Wolves' Smith Road Complex.
Freshman Gray Wells was 4-for-6 at the plate and scored four times, while JC LeGrand notched two singles, drew a pair of walks and posted a grand slam in the Trojans' eight-run eighth inning. Freshman Braeden Harrison was 3-for-6 at the plate, while driving in five runs and scoring twice. Junior Kevin Sosa added three singles and an RBI, with Carlos Hernandez notching a two-run single, three walks and also reached base when he was hit by a pitch in the eighth inning.
Freshman Cory Arthur (0-1) absorbed the loss after allowing five runs on five hits in 1.1 innings. He walked three batters
The Trojans scored four runs before fans could settle in their seats in the top of the first inning, with Hernandez providing a one out, two-run single to do half the damage.
Newberry countered by sending 14 batters to the plate in the bottom of the second inning and scoring nine runs. The Wolves added nine more runs in the bottom of the third to build what appeared to be an insurmountable, 18-4, lead after just three innings.
But with senior right-handed hurler Jackson Herring shutting down the Newberry offense for more than four innings, the Trojans chipped away at the deficit by adding an unearned run in the fourth and a pair of runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to climb back within nine runs.
After a scoreless seventh inning – the only scoreless full inning of the game – AU closed to within 18-17 by erupting for eight runs, with LeGrand powering the way with his one-out grand slam over the right-field fence.
The Wolves then responded with a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth to widen the gap back to three.
The Trojans managed to get the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but were unable to push across any runs in their final at-bat
THE SERIES vs. NEWBERRY
The series began in 1998, with Anderson leading the overall series, 36-24, but Newberry has won eight straight and 10 of the last 12.
UP NEXT
The Trojans will open a four-game road swing with a three-game league series at Catawba this weekend.
