Bulldog Baseball Plays at Presbyterian College This Weekend

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - The UNC Asheville baseball team will try to get back on the winning track this weekend when the Bulldogs get back into Big South Conference play as they travel to Presbyterian College for a three-game series starting on Friday at 3 p.m. Saturday's first pitch will be at 2 p.m., followed by Sunday at 1 p.m.

UNC Asheville (12-14, 3-3 BSC) will be trying to break a four-game losing streak on Friday. Asheville's last two losses have been tough ones to take as the Bulldogs fell at Radford last Sunday in 14 innings, 2-1 and then lost at Wofford Wednesday evening, 4-3, despite out-hitting the Terriers 11-3. The men of Tom Smith have suddenly had a hard time scoring runs. In the last six games, Asheville has scored just nine runs.

"Our pitching has been pretty good lately but we've got to get the bats going," admitted Smith. "We've got to score some runs and put some pressure on the other teams we're playing. We're battling pretty well but a few more timely hits will make everyone feel a lot better."

The Bulldogs look to avenge a frustrating three-game sweep to Presbyterian College last season at McCormick Field to end the 2011 campaign. The Blue Hose (10-17, 0-6 BSC) downed Asheville, 4-3, 2-1 and 23-17.

Asheville is expected to start Ryan Dull (2-3, 3.82 ERA) in Friday's game with Drew Spear (2-2, 3.86 ERA) and Dean Roland (4-2, 3.65 ERA) also expected to go during the weekend.

Senior Jordan Lurie is back playing after missing a few games due to an injury. He and freshman first baseman Hunter Bryant lead the Bulldogs in hitting with a .333 average.

BULLDOG NOTES

UNC Asheville is 12-14 on the season and is just four wins away from moving past last year's win total (15).

Three of the Bulldogs last nine games have gone extra innings. Asheville is 2-1 in those games.

Asheville is 11-0 when leading after six innings and 8-0 after eight innings.

Bulldog pitching has record 165 strikeouts compared to 70 walks.

Asheville is 7-0 this season when it hits a home run in a game.

Three of the last six games between PC and Asheville have been one-run contests.

Starting with Wofford on Wednesday, the Bulldogs are in a stretch of playing eight straight games against teams from the state of South Carolina.

Dean Roland has been quite effective in his last three starts for Asheville. In those three games, Roland has allowed just one earned run in 25 innings of work with 20 strikeouts and two walks.