ANDERSON, S.C. - Looking to put last weekend behind it, Anderson University baseball returns to the diamond on Tuesday as it squares off with in-state rival Newberry for the fifth time this season in a rare nonconference matchup on Tuesday. First pitch from the Smith Road Complex is scheduled for 6 p.m.
The Trojans
Despite dropping its last three games, AU clings to a 14-13 overall
record with an even 9-9 mark in South Atlantic Conference action.
With the even conference record, the Trojans sit alone in sixth
place in the current conference standings, as the top-eight in the
final league standings will advance to the SAC Tournament in late
April.
Despite seeing his 13-game hitting streak come to an end on Saturday in the final game against Catawba, junior catcher LJ Newman ranks fifth in the conference in average with a .408 mark, while ranking fourth in doubles (12) and fifth in slugging percentage (.673). Within his hitting streak, Newman tallied seven multi-hit games with seven doubles and a pair of home runs.
As a team, the Trojans continue to lead the conference in triples with 13 for the season. The Trojans are one of three teams in the SAC with double-figure triples and one of five teams to carry a team batting average above .300 on the year with a .309 mark.
The Wolves
After taking two-of-three from Tusculum over the weekend, Newberry
boasts a 16-14 overall record with a 9-8 mark in league play, as it
sits a half-game ahead of AU in the current SAC standings. For the
season, Newberry is 3-1 against Anderson after the teams opened up
their respective conference schedules in early February with the
Wolves taking two-of-three. On March 4, the teams played a rare
nonconference game at Anderson Memorial Stadium with Newberry
claiming a 9-7 win.
Leading the Newberry offense is senior infielder Albert Baur who is hitting .391 for the season with nine home runs and 34 RBI. Baur currently leads the conference in doubles with 14 and ranks second in total bases with 90, as he has tallied at least two hits in five of his last six games.
Senior right-hander Alex Roberts tossed six complete innings against the Trojans in their nonconference game on March 6 and struck out nine AU hitters for his third victory of the season. Since the win, Roberts has dropped his last two starts and ranks fourth on the team in strikeouts with 30.
