University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Bulldogs Hold First Official Practice on Friday
01.26.2018 | Baseball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – With only three weeks away from its first game of the 2018 season, the UNC Asheville baseball team held its first official team practice on Friday at Greenwood Baseball Field.
The Bulldogs did some infield/outfield, and they concluded the opening practice with a scrimmage.
UNC Asheville kicks off its season on Feb. 16 with a three-game series at Lipscomb. Following 11 consecutive road games to open the season, the Bulldogs hold their first home game of the year as they host ACC member Boston College on March 6 at 4 p.m. at Greenwood Baseball Field.
On Jan. 3, head baseball coach Scott Friedholm announced the Vs. Cancer game which will be on April 4 versus Western Carolina at McCormick Field – home of the Asheville Tourists. To make a donation to the Vs. Cancer Foundation, click HERE, and to learn more about Vs. cancer, more information is below.
About VS. Cancer
Vs. Cancer operates on a 50/50 model of giving. Every gift to Vs. Cancer does two jobs: make life better for kids currently fighting cancer at local children's hospitals and fund research into life-saving treatments for pediatric brain tumors.
The foundation gives half of the proceeds to pediatric brain tumor research and the other half back to the local hospital in the community where that money was raised. For UNC Asheville, that is Mission Children's Hospital.
In the past four years, because of the efforts of UNC Asheville baseball, Vs. Cancer has been able to assist Mission with purchasing iPads and laptops for patients to use to keep up with homework during treatment as well as help with building a teen room to serve the older group of patients that are going through cancer treatment at an especially difficult age.
Vs. Cancer is a non-profit fundraising campaign of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. They are dedicated to saving kids' lives by empowering athletes and communities to fund lifesaving childhood cancer efforts. For more information on this worthwhile cause, visit www.vs-cancer.org.
Big South Conference Preseason Polls
The Big South released its 2018 Baseball Preseason Poll and Honors on Thursday, Jan. 25, and UNC Asheville was predicted to finish ninth with 26 points. Winthrop – who received six first place votes – earned 95 points while Liberty was projected to finish second in the league with 81 points. Radford – who won the Big South Tournament last season – earned a first-place vote and was slotted fourth in the preseason polls.
Liberty junior outfielder D.J. Artis was selected the Big South Preseason Player of the Year, and Winthrop junior Nate Pawelczyk earned the league's Preseason Pitcher of the Year honor.
For the full Preseason Poll and Honors, click HERE.
