University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Bulldogs and Catamounts Play Two This Weekend
05.01.2015 | Baseball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville baseball team will renew its mountain rivalry with Western Carolina this weekend with a home-and-home series beginning tonight at 6 p.m. at Greenwood Field.
After tonight's game in Asheville, the teams will travel and play in Cullowhee on Saturday night. Prior to tonight's home game, the UNC Asheville Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will host a Project Life Movement event from 2-6 p.m. The event is part of a conference wide community service initiative and those who choose to participate will become part of the bone marrow registry.
Tonight's game can be followed via Live Stats at this link.
The Bulldogs enter the weekend with an 18-26 overall record and a .253 team batting average with 215 RBI and 102 extra-base hits.
Sophomore Joe Zayatz will make his 12th start of the season tonight, coming in with a 2-6 record and a 4.48 ERA in 68 innings of work. The right-hander has recorded 47 strikeouts while allowing just seven walks so far this year.
Saturday's Bulldog starter will be freshman Jordan Fulbright, who enters the weekend with a 4-1 record and 4.86 ERA in eight starts and 12 total appearances. The lefty has struck out 20 batters in his 46 innings of work this season.
The Blue & White are currently ranked in the top 30 nationally in eight different individual and team statistical categories. Coach Friedholm's team ranks 34th in Base on Balls (199), 7th in Sacrifice Flies (27), 20th in Double Plays per Game (1.02) and 17th in Double Plays (45).
Individually, Justin Woods ranks 17th in the nation in Sacrifice Flies (16), while Zayatz ranks 14th in Walks Allowed per Nine Innings (0.92) and 20th in Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio (6.71). Zayatz and Lucas Clarke are both tied for 22nd with 11 Games Started. Hunter Bryant ranks just outside the top 30 in Home Runs, coming in 35th with 10 for the year.
Western Carolina comes into the weekend 18-22 overall and just 3-13 on the road. Bradley Strong leads the Catamounts with a .363 batting average, a team-high 42 RBI and a .571 slugging percentage.
Sophomore right-hander B.J. Nobles will get the start for Western tonight, entering with a 4-2 record and a 3.58 ERA. In his 50 innings of work, opponents are hitting .234 against him with 10 extra-base hits and 23 runs scored.
Saturday's starter will be left-handed sophomore Bryan Sammons, who comes into the weekend with a 3-3 record and a 4.58 ERA in 57 innings of work. Opponents are hitting .286 against him with 20 extra-base hits and 42 runs scored.
