University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Bulldog Baseball Hosts Liberty This Weekend
04.19.2012 | Baseball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - The UNC Asheville baseball team returns to Greenwood Field on Friday afternoon when the Bulldogs begin a three-game series against Big South Conference power Liberty at 3 p.m. The teams are scheduled to play Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Live stats can be accessed at http://libertyflames.cstv.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mbasebl.html?event=1086084&school=libe&sport=mbasebl&camefrom=&startschool=&.
Asheville (17-21, 6-9 BSC) takes on very good Liberty squad this weekend. The Flames have posted a 31-10 overall record and 9-3 mark in league play. Liberty is coming off a 5-3 win over sixth-ranked UNC Chapel Hill on Wednesday night.
"Liberty has a very good team this year and their win over North Carolina isn't the only big non-conference victory they've earned," commented Bulldog coach Tom Smith. "They've beaten a lot of good teams this season. They're a team that if they get into the NCAA Tournament they'll cause some damage.
"We'll need to play mistake-free baseball this weekend," added Smith. "We haven't played in a week so hopefully we're rested, and our pitching is ready to go."
The Bulldogs are scheduled to start senior right-hander Ryan Dull (2-4, 4.02 ERA), sophomore right-hander Dean Roland (4-4, 3.76 ERA) and junior left-hander Drew Spear (2-3, 4.61 ERA) this weekend. Dull has had some luck against the Flames in the past as he's 2-1 with one save against Liberty. His only loss came last year when he led Liberty 2-0 in the ninth inning before the Flames rallied for a 3-2 win.
Freshmen Hunter Bryant and Aaron Wright continue to lead the Bulldogs in hitting respectively. Bryant tops the club with a .333 average, while Wright has a .325 mark. Koontz is Asheville's leading home run hitter with five, while Billy Creighton is next with four and tops the club in RBI at 24.
On the mound, Ethan Steible has become the Bulldogs closer and posted four saves with a 1.02 ERA.
BULLDOG NOTES
Asheville is 10-6 at home this season with a 4-2 mark in BSC play.
The Bulldogs next win will be the most since the 2008 season when Asheville won 24 games. The Dogs won only 15 games last year, 17 in 2010 and just nine in 2009.
Asheville is 4-5 in one-run games and 2-2 in two-run contests.
The Bulldogs are 8-1 in games they homer in.
Asheville is 2-2 in extra innings this season.
The Bulldogs had 16 home runs as a team last season and have 14 so far this year with 17 games left to go.
