UNC Asheville Baseball Hosts Radford This Weekend in Key BSC Series

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - The UNC Asheville baseball team is home this weekend as the Bulldogs host Radford in a key Big South Conference series for both teams. Action begins Friday afternoon at McCormick Field with the first pitch coming at 3 p.m. The series concludes on Saturday at Greenwood Field with a double-header starting at Noon. Friday's game will be video-streamed and can be seen at www.uncabulldogs.com. Saturday's games will be not be video-streamed but can be followed via live stats at www.uncabulldogs.com.

The Bulldogs (15-22, 7-8 BSC) are tied for sixth place in the current Big South Conference standings with Charleston Southern. Radford (21-15, 7-5 BSC) has won five straight league games and is now in third place in the league standings.

"This is a big weekend for both teams," commented Asheville coach Tom Smith. "We certainly want to move up in the league standings and I'm sure Radford wants to keep winning and wants to make a run at Coastal Carolina in first place.

"We're going to face a well-coached Radford team this weekend that does everything well," added Smith. "Our guys need to be ready to play from the start and get the job done."

Asheville is coming off a disappointing mid-week loss Wednesday night to Wofford as the Bulldogs fell to the Terriers, 9-6 at McCormick Field. Smith's club pounded out 15 hits but left 12 men on base.

"We had chances to score a lot of runs on Wednesday but fell short," stated Smith.

Asheville plans to start junior Ryan Dull on Friday. The right-hander has posted a 2-4 record this year with a 4.79 ERA. In four league starts, he has a 2-2 mark with a 3.44 ERA and two complete games.

On Saturday, the Bulldogs are scheduled to start Grier Harrington (3-6., 6.34 ERA) in the first game and Tommy Houmard (2-1, 4.79 ERA) in the second game.

BULLDOG NOTES

Asheville has won five of its last seven games. In the two games the Bulldogs have lost during this stretch, the opponent has rallied past Asheville in the ninth inning of each contest.

The Bulldogs have lost six consecutive games to Radford as the Highlanders have swept the last two series between the teams. Prior to the Highlanders sweep in 2009, Asheville had won 11 consecutive series vs. Radford dating back to the 1998 campaign.

The Bulldogs have stolen 52 bases on the year. Asheville stole just 23 last season. Jordan Lurie and Danny Baatz are tied for the team lead with 13 stolen bases. Asheville set a school-record with 12 stolen bases in a game at North Carolina A&T last month.

Asheville is 8-4 at home this year, 4-2 in league play. After this weekend's series with the Highlanders, the Bulldogs play their next nine games away from home. Asheville will be off due to exams until May 3 when it travels to ETSU. Saturday's double-header with the Highlanders will be the final games of the year at Greenwood Field. The Bulldogs have just one home series remaining and that's vs. Presbyterian College at McCormick Field (May 19-21).

Asheville is now two wins (15) away from matching its win total from all of last year (17).