University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
East Tennessee State
UNC Asheville Takes On ETSU In Tuesday Road Clash
03.26.2018 | Baseball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville baseball travels to ETSU on Tuesday, March 27, as the Bulldogs will play in their first mid-week contest since March 14.
The game between the Bulldogs and Bucs is slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. at Thomas Stadium in Johnson City, Tenn.
BULLDOG BITES
Projected Starting Pitchers
Fr. RHP Beau Nichols (0-1, 3.12 ERA) vs. R-Jr. RHP Daniel Sweeney (0-0, 9.00 ERA)
About the Bulldogs
UNC Asheville enters the mid-week contest with a 6-16 overall record and a 3-3 mark in Big South Conference contests. The Bulldogs are fresh off a 1-2 weekend at Liberty, where they won the second game of the doubleheader on Friday.
Carmine Pagano continued to lead the Bulldogs, as the shortstop hit at a .462 clip last weekend. Pagano posted a pair of doubles en route to tallying three runs scored and a RBI versus the Flames. Danny Wilson, Tyler Serricchio and Joe Zayatz started all three games in Lynchburg, Va., and the trio also hit .300 or better in the three-game set. Between Pagano, Wilson, Serricchio and Zayatz, the foursome combined for five of the team's six doubles at Liberty. Serricchio posted a team-high four RBIs this past weekend, as he connected with a trio of hits in 10 at-bats.
Jordan Fulbright and Nichols posted strong relief appearances at Liberty, as each tossed at least 2.1 innings and only allowed one run each. Nichols worked 2.1 innings, where he scattered three hits and didn't allow an earned run. Fulbright tossed 2.2 frames, where he scattered a trio of hits, one run and three strikeouts. Eric Whitecavage and Kole Harris also had strong relief appearances, as they combined for 2.1 innings, no hits, no runs and three strikeouts. Whitecavage earned the victory, while Harris earned his third save of the year.
Scouting ETSU
East Tennessee State University enters the mid-week game with a 13-7 overall mark and 2-1 record in Southern Conference contests. At home, the Bucs are 6-1 with their only loss being a 5-4 defeat to Northern Kentucky on February 18.
Freshman catcher Ben Jackson is currently leading the Buccaneer offense with a .361 batting average. He has appeared in 19 of the 20 games this season, including 17 starts. Senior first baseman Christian Bailey has started all 20 games for ETSU, as he sports a .325 batting average. Bailey is also tied for the team-lead in hits (26) and has a team-high nine doubles. 2016 MLB Draft selection Chris Cook has 26 hits, as he totes a .317 batting average. Caleb Longley currently leads the squad in home runs (4), total bases (39) and slugging percentage (.574).
UNC Asheville will face redshirt junior Sweeney on Tuesday. The Johnson City, Tenn. native has started two games this year and has a 9.00 ERA. James Giambalvo is one of the team's leading relievers, as he has appeared in nine contests. The California native has an impressive 1.62 ERA and limits opponents to a .164 batting average. Drew Korzybski is right behind him, as he has appeared in 10 games this year and has a 2.45 ERA. Korzysbki has twirled 22 total frames and has struck out 16 batters.
Looking Ahead
Thursday, March 29, is slated for UNC Asheville's conference home opener, as the Bulldogs will square off with Campbell for a three-game set. All three games have fantastic promotions on hand.
Thursday: March 29 will be Freshman Night, where we invite all UNC Asheville freshmen to join us for special activities at Greenwood Field. We'll also be highlighting all our freshmen on the team throughout the contest. The game will also be Glen Arden Elementary School Takeover Day, where students, faculty and staff will receive free admission to the series opener.
Friday: March 30 will serve as Little League Night. Kids that participate in local little league baseball will receive free admission to the game, and throughout UNC Asheville's game versus the Camels, there will be games and activities to participate in.
Saturday: March 31 will be Youth Sports Saturday. All kids that wear their youth sports jersey will receive free admission to the series finale versus Campbell. With Easter being on Sunday, April 1, UNC Asheville Athletics will be hosting its first-ever Easter Egg Hunt, and all kids are encouraged to look around the ballpark for Easter Eggs and keep the prizes inside.
How to Follow the Game Live
Tuesday's game at ETSU will be streamed on the SoCon Digital Network. The stream link can be found by clicking HERE. Live stats will also be available, and the link can be found by clicking HERE.
