Bulldogs Host Radford to Close Out 2015

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville baseball team closes out the 2015 season when they host the Radford Highlanders in a three-game Big South Conference series beginning Thursday night.

The Bulldogs (21-31, 5-15 Big South) enter the final weekend coming off an extra inning loss at Tennessee Tuesday, while Radford (36-14, 17-4 BSC) took three games from Charleston Southern last weekend.

Thursday night's opening game is slated for a 6 p.m. start, and can be followed via live stats available through this link. Friday's game is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start and Saturday's finale is tentatively set for a 1 p.m. first pitch.

For Asheville, the Dogs traveled to Tennessee Tuesday night, taking the Volunteers to extra innings before the hosts walked off with a 10^th inning 4-3 victory.

Asheville is led offensively by Tommy Houmard, who leads the conference with a .369 batting average, including a conference-best .468 average in Big South action. Hunter Bryant is hitting .345 overall with a team-high 12 home runs and 43 RBI. His 12 homers lead the Big South, while his RBI total places him in the league's top-five.

Offensively, Radford is led by Josh Gardiner's .368 batting average, while Patrick Marshall leads the Highlanders with 52 RBI on the year.

The Bulldogs will start right-hander Joe Zayatz on Friday and left-hander Jordan Fulbright on Saturday. Zayatz has started 13 games this year and is 3-6 on the season with a 4.50 ERA. He has allowed 106 hits and nine walks while striking out 51 in 80 innings of work. Fulbright has appeared in 14 games with 10 starts in his first collegiate season, with a 5-2 record with a 5.07 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched. The Bulldog coaching staff is undecided on their Saturday starter at this point.

For the Highlanders, Michael Boyle will take the ball to start the series, entering the weekend 8-2 with a 2.43 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 85 innings pitched this season. Dylan Nelson will take the mound for Radford on Friday, having started 13 games in 2015, with a 6-3 record and a 3.70 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 73 innings of work. Mitchell MacKeith is slated for Saturday's start, coming in 6-4 on the year with a 4.40 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 73 innings of work.

Bulldog Notes

--The Bulldogs rank No. 13 in the country and No. 1 in the Big South with 246 total Base on Balls drawn this season.

--Asheville is tied for No. 6 in the country (No. 1 BSC) in total double plays with 52, and is No. 11 in the country (No. 1 BSC) in Double Plays per Game with 1.06 per game.

--The Bulldogs are No. 16 in the country (No. 1 in BSC) in Sacrifice Flies with 29 total on the season.

--Thursday starting pitcher Joe Zayatz leads the BSC in Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio (5.67; No. 26 nationally) and in Walks Allowed per Nine Innings (1.01; No. 12 nationally) heading into his final start.

--Zayatz and fellow starter Lucas Clarke lead the BSC in total starts with 15.

--Senior Hunter Bryant leads the BSC with 119 total bases (No. 46 nationally) and is No. 1 in the conference with 12 home runs and fourth in the BSC with 43 RBI.

--Senior Tommy Houmard is No. 1 in the BSC in overall batting average (.369; No. 46 nationally) and leads the conference in batting average in conference-only games (.468). He also leads the BSC in total hits with 75 (No. 22 nationally).

--Joe Tietjen leads the BSC with 49 Runs Scored and is fourth in the conference in Runs per Game (0.96 per).