ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson University baseball team is set to visit Emmanuel on Tuesday, then return to Memorial Stadium to open a four-game homestand when Belmont Abbey visits the Electric City on Wednesday afternoon.
First-pitch for both Tuesday's contest in Franklin Springs, Ga. and Wednesday's game at Memorial Stadium is slated for 3 p.m.
Admission to Trojan baseball games is free - No pets are allowed inside Memorial Stadium with the exception of service dogs.
WHO: Anderson Trojans (9-4) at Emmanuel Lions (6-7)
WHERE: Franklin Springs, Ga.
WHEN: Tuesday, 3 p.m.
COVERAGE
Live Stats: AUTROJANS.COM
Video: N/A
WHO: Belmont Abbey Crusaders (5-10) at Anderson Trojans (9-4)
WHERE: Anderson Memorial Stadium
WHEN: Wednesday, 3 p.m.
COVERAGE
Live Stats: AUTROJANS.COM
Video: N/A
THE TROJANS
The Trojans are 9-4 on the season after taking two-of-three from Coker over the weekend and have won six of their last eight decisions. AU will be looking to remain perfect on the road this season after capturing wins at Limestone and at No. 8 North Greenville.
Junior Nick Vella leads the South Atlantic Conference with his .563 batting average – nearly 100 points higher than the next player in the league. The Queens, N.Y., native also paces the conference in hits (27), runs scored (23) and on-base percentage (.650), while ranking second in doubles (7) and slugging percentage (.854). Vella leads AU with nine multi-hit games and carries a 12-game hitting streak into Tuesday's contest.
Redshirt senior Dillon Carpenter owns a .392 batting average and leads the league with 18 RBI. The Charlotte, N.C., native has a .510 slugging percentage and enters the week riding a 13-game hitting streak. Another redshirt senior, Daniel Blazejewski, has seen action in 10 games and is hitting .368, while junior Chandler Castleberry has started every game this season and is hitting .348. The Waxhaw, N.C., native is coming off a monster week that saw him post a .556 batting average, drive in 12 runs and score nine times in four games. He is also carrying a 12-game hitting streak into Franklin Springs.
Sophomore right-hander Lucas Smith (3-0), the reigning SAC and Southeast Region Pitcher of the Week, made a bid for back-to-back honors after tossing his second nine-inning complete-game gem in as many outings last Friday night. The native of St. Petersburg, Fla., leads the SAC with his two complete-game gems and remains one of only five hurlers in the SAC to toss a complete game this season – and the only one to post a nine-inning complete game.
Smith is second in the SAC with 28.0 innings pitched and strikeouts (34), while ranking fourth with a 1.29 ERA. Senior Christian Carpenter leads the league with his five saves and has fanned 11 batters in 8 1/3 innings, while owning a 1.08 ERA.
SCOUTING THE LIONS
Emmanuel was tabbed to finish sixth in the Conference Carolinas' Preseason Coaches' Poll, after posting a 25-27 overall record last season, including an 11-15 mark in conference play and finishing sixth in the league standings.
Senior catcher Kyle Gaura (Las Vegas, Nev.), senior outfielder Quinn Tomasino (Greeley, Colo.) and senior pitcher Colton Bridges (Carnesville, Ga.) were named "Players to Watch" in Conference Carolinas this season.
The Lions (6-7) have won five of their last seven outings and swept a three-game Conference Carolinas series from Southern Wesleyan over the weekend.
THE SERIES vs. EMMANUEL
Emmanuel leads the overall series, 12-10, after defeating Anderson, 9-5, earlier this month at Memorial Stadium. The Lions have won two straight and five of the last six against the Trojans. The last AU victory was a 10-6 win on Feb. 20, 2018, at Memorial Stadium.
The overall series was dormant from 2004-2015 after the two programs began playing in 1998.
SCOUTING THE CRUSADERS
Belmont Abbey was predicted to finish third in the Conference Carolinas' Preseason Coaches' Poll, after posting a 27-24 overall record last season, including a 14-10 mark in conference play and finishing fifth in the league standings.
The Crusaders (5-10) have won two of their last three and are coming off an 11-inning, 9-7, win over Erskine last Saturday.
THE SERIES vs. BELMONT ABBEY
Belmont Abbey leads the overall series, 30-13, while the Trojans claimed two wins over the Crusaders last season. The series began in 1999, with Wednesday's matchup marking just the meeting since the 2013 season.
UP NEXT
Lenoir-Rhyne invades the Electric City for a three-game South Atlantic Conference series, beginning on Friday. First-pitch versus the Bears is slated for 6 p.m.
