University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Wednesday, May 25
High Point, N.C.
3 p.m.
UNC Asheville
vs
Gardner-Webb
Baseball readies for a matchup vs. Gardner-Webb to open the Big South Tournament
05.24.2022 | Baseball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Coming off one of its best regular seasons in program history, the No. 3 seed UNC Asheville baseball team will open play in the 2022 Ingles Big South Baseball Championship on Wednesday when it takes on No. 6 seed Gardner-Webb at 3 p.m. at Truist Point in High Point, N.C.
Championship Information - All tournament games will be streamed on ESPN+, while the championship game at noon on Saturday, May 28, will air on ESPNU. Tickets for the Big South Baseball Championship can be purchased through the High Point Rockers and are on sale now. The full tournament schedule is listed below. For more information on the Tournament, visit the Championship Central page HERE.
Last Time Out – Asheville rebounded after a 16-10 setback in the opening game of a series vs. Winthrop last week to win the next two games against the Eagles by scores of 6-0 and 8-5. With those results, the Bulldogs closed the regular season out with a 20-27-1 overall record and a 14-9-1 mark in Big South play.
Half a Hundred in Turning Two – Over the weekend vs. Winthrop, the Bulldogs turned their 50th double play of the season. As it turns its attention to the postseason, Asheville ranks third nationally in double plays per game (1.04) and ninth in total double plays (50).
Douglas earns a Big South honor – Thanks to five shutout innings in Friday's 6-0 win, junior Ryan Douglas was named the Big South's Starting Pitcher of the Week on Monday. Douglas, who picked up his second win of the season on Friday, allowed just three hits and struck out four in his outing vs. the Eagles.
Ty on a tear – Sophomore Ty Kaufman will bring a 23-game on-base streak and a 13-game hitting streak with him into this week's Big South Tournament. Since the start of his hitting streak in late April, Kaufman is hitting a team-best .368 with 14 runs scored, four doubles, two triples, and eight RBI.
Best Big South Season – Asheville put together one of its best seasons in Big South play in program history in 2022. The 14 conference wins match the program record for league victories in a single season (2021), while the .604 winning percentage in Big South action established a new school record. Additionally, the third-place finish matches Asheville's best, joining the 1989, 1990, and 1998 Bulldog teams.
Bulldogs in the Big South Tournament – Wednesday will mark the 18th time the Bulldogs have qualified for the Big South Baseball Tournament and the first since 2019. Asheville has a record of 21-31 in the Tournament and has won the event once (2006), which culminated in the program's lone trip to the NCAA Tournament.
About Gardner-Webb – The Runnin' Bulldogs enter the postseason with a record of 22-34 overall and 11-13 in Big South play. To close out its regular season, Gardner-Webb dropped two of three games vs. North Carolina A&T. A couple of players to watch for GWU are Alec Burns and Joe Simeone. Burns leads the Runnin' Bulldog offense hitting .320 with 14 home runs and 43 RBI. Simeone, meanwhile, is 8-6 this season with a 3.92 ERA in 96.1 innings pitched and 108 strikeouts.
Series Rewind vs. Gardner-Webb – The all-time series between Asheville and Gardner-Webb dates back to 1985 and consists of over 60 matchups. Gardner-Webb, who holds a 36-25 advantage over Asheville all-time, took two of three from Asheville earlier this season in a series at Greenwood Field. Additionally, Wednesday's game will mark the second game between Asheville and Gardner-Webb in the postseason. Asheville picked up a 6-3 victory over the Runnin' Bulldogs in that contest back in 2017.
Championship Information - All tournament games will be streamed on ESPN+, while the championship game at noon on Saturday, May 28, will air on ESPNU. Tickets for the Big South Baseball Championship can be purchased through the High Point Rockers and are on sale now. The full tournament schedule is listed below. For more information on the Tournament, visit the Championship Central page HERE.
Last Time Out – Asheville rebounded after a 16-10 setback in the opening game of a series vs. Winthrop last week to win the next two games against the Eagles by scores of 6-0 and 8-5. With those results, the Bulldogs closed the regular season out with a 20-27-1 overall record and a 14-9-1 mark in Big South play.
Half a Hundred in Turning Two – Over the weekend vs. Winthrop, the Bulldogs turned their 50th double play of the season. As it turns its attention to the postseason, Asheville ranks third nationally in double plays per game (1.04) and ninth in total double plays (50).
Douglas earns a Big South honor – Thanks to five shutout innings in Friday's 6-0 win, junior Ryan Douglas was named the Big South's Starting Pitcher of the Week on Monday. Douglas, who picked up his second win of the season on Friday, allowed just three hits and struck out four in his outing vs. the Eagles.
Ty on a tear – Sophomore Ty Kaufman will bring a 23-game on-base streak and a 13-game hitting streak with him into this week's Big South Tournament. Since the start of his hitting streak in late April, Kaufman is hitting a team-best .368 with 14 runs scored, four doubles, two triples, and eight RBI.
Best Big South Season – Asheville put together one of its best seasons in Big South play in program history in 2022. The 14 conference wins match the program record for league victories in a single season (2021), while the .604 winning percentage in Big South action established a new school record. Additionally, the third-place finish matches Asheville's best, joining the 1989, 1990, and 1998 Bulldog teams.
Bulldogs in the Big South Tournament – Wednesday will mark the 18th time the Bulldogs have qualified for the Big South Baseball Tournament and the first since 2019. Asheville has a record of 21-31 in the Tournament and has won the event once (2006), which culminated in the program's lone trip to the NCAA Tournament.
About Gardner-Webb – The Runnin' Bulldogs enter the postseason with a record of 22-34 overall and 11-13 in Big South play. To close out its regular season, Gardner-Webb dropped two of three games vs. North Carolina A&T. A couple of players to watch for GWU are Alec Burns and Joe Simeone. Burns leads the Runnin' Bulldog offense hitting .320 with 14 home runs and 43 RBI. Simeone, meanwhile, is 8-6 this season with a 3.92 ERA in 96.1 innings pitched and 108 strikeouts.
Series Rewind vs. Gardner-Webb – The all-time series between Asheville and Gardner-Webb dates back to 1985 and consists of over 60 matchups. Gardner-Webb, who holds a 36-25 advantage over Asheville all-time, took two of three from Asheville earlier this season in a series at Greenwood Field. Additionally, Wednesday's game will mark the second game between Asheville and Gardner-Webb in the postseason. Asheville picked up a 6-3 victory over the Runnin' Bulldogs in that contest back in 2017.
Players Mentioned
RHP
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