Bucs open three-game non-conference series Friday night in Wilmington

WILMINGTON, N.C. (April 14, 2016) – Coming off a heartbreaking 14-inning setback at UNC Asheville on Wednesday night, the ETSU baseball team remains in the Tar Heel state as the Buccaneers open a three-game, non-conference series at UNC Wilmington beginning Friday night at Brooks Field. 

GAME TIMES/PITCHING ROTATION

Friday – 6 p.m. – Game No. 33

RHP Griffin Krieg (0-2, 5.88) vs. RHP Ryan Foster (6-1, 2.00) 

Saturday – 2 p.m. – Game No. 34

RHP Lee Haeberle (3-0, 4.63) vs. RHP Alex Royalty (5-2, 3.83) 

Sunday – 2 p.m. – Game No. 35

RHP Victor Gonzalez (2-0, 5.14) vs. RHP Cory Gantz (2-0, 2.87) 

ABOUT THE BUCS

ETSU (15-17) is in the midst of a season-long, nine-game road swing, which started Wednesday night in the 7-5 14-inning loss at UNC Asheville. 

As a team, the Bucs are hitting .309 (353-1143), while five Buccaneers are hitting over .300 … Senior shortstop Robby McCabe (New Port Richey, Fla.) leads the club with a .385 clip (30-78), while senior Trey York (Knoxville, Tenn.) and sophomore Hagen Owenby (Knoxville, Tenn.) have combined for 98 hits, 24 doubles, 17 home runs, 55 runs scored and 63 RBI … York is hitting .377 (49-130) with 12 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 35 runs and 26 RBI, while Owenby is hitting .358 (49-137) with 12 doubles, nine home runs, 20 runs scored and 37 RBI. 

The Bucs have registered double-digit hits in each of their last six games and have totaled 82 hits during this stretch. 

Junior Blake Rowlett (Clarksville, Tenn.) carries a 12-game hit streak into this weekend’s series … The Buccaneer third baseman is 17-for-45 (.378) with four doubles, one home run, 10 runs and nine RBI in his last 12 games … Junior outfielder Lance Mays (Ridgely, Tenn.) has reached safely in his last 17 contests, and McCabe has recorded a hit in each of his last eight games played. 

Senior Jeremy Taylor (Fayetteville, Ga.) will play in his 200th career game this weekend, and he is three stolen bases shy of moving into third all-time in program history … Taylor has played and started in 199 games for the Blue and Gold since the 2013 season and has 63 stolen bases, along with 222 career hits. 

ETSU’s pitching staff broke the single-game strikeout record in Wednesday’s loss at UNC Asheville … Nine Buccaneer hurlers combined for 19 strikeouts (previous record was 16), while junior Blake Smith (Ninety Six, S.C.) struck out a career-high seven hitters in 2.2 innings out of the bullpen. 

Senior right-hander Lee Haeberle (Hendersonville, Tenn.) tied a career high with nine strikeouts in his last start last weekend versus Mercer … Haeberle ranks fourth in the SoCon in strikeouts (53) and is tenth in innings (46.2) and opposing batting average (.253) … Sophomore right-hander Ryan Simpler (Lewes, Del.) is eighth in the conference in opposing batting average (.242). 

Wednesday’s 14-inning game was the longest game (per innings) for the Bucs since May 18, 2000 when ETSU and Appalachian State played a 15-inning affair in the Southern Conference Tournament. 

ABOUT UNCW

UNCW has won its last five games (all on the road) and enters the weekend with a 20-9 record following a 5-1 win at High Point on Wednesday night. 

UNCW is outscoring its opponents, 31-11, during this five-game win streak, while limiting the foes to one run in three of those five contests. 

As a team, the Seahawks lead the CAA in home runs (35) and slugging percentage (.470), while ranking second in runs scored (237), RBI (208) and batting average (.302) … On the mound, UNCW leads the conference in opposing batting average (.242) and fewest hits allowed (233). 

Individually, Nick Feight leads all NCAA Division I players in RBIs per game (1.66) … Feight also ranks third nationally in RBI (48), sixth in slugging percentage (.782) and ninth in home runs (11). 

Friday night starter Ryan Foster ranks ninth nationally in wins (6) and Saturday starter Alex Royalty ranks 45th with five wins … Foster leads the CAA in ERA (2.00), opposing batting average (.216) and wins, while Jared Gesell leads the CAA in games finished (17) and has four of UNCW’s five saves. 

Fifteen of UNCW’s 20 wins have come at home … The Seahawks are 15-2 at Brooks Field in 2016. 

SERIES HISTORY

ETSU and UNCW have played three times with the Seahawks winning two of the three games in 1999 in Wilmington. 

The last time the Bucs played a current CAA team was in 2010 when ETSU defeated Delaware, 10-9. 

COVERAGE

UNCW will provide live video, live audio and live stats for all three games this weekend. 

The video and audio will be available via Stretch Internet and live stats will be offered through StatBroadcast.

Live updates will also be posted on Twitter by following @ETSU_Baseball.   

A LOOK AHEAD

Following the three-game set in Wilmington, ETSU returns to action on Wednesday, April 20 when the Bucs head to Richmond, Ky., to face Eastern Kentucky. 

TEXTCASTER

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For more information on Buccaneer baseball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the baseball page.