Winthrop University Athletics

Winthrop And UNC Asheville To Face Off In Big South Weekend Series

4/7/2011 9:10:34 PM

Eagles Currently Tied For First Place In Conference Standings

ROCK HILL, SC – The Winthrop baseball team will entertain the UNC Asheville Bulldogs in Big South Conference play this weekend at The Winthrop Ballpark.

Game times are set for 6 p.m. on Friday, 3 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

The Eagles are coming into the weekend series riding a three-game winning streak in conference play after sweeping the High Point Panthers last weekend. Winthrop is 15-14 overall after blanking The Citadel Bulldogs 9-0 on Wednesday night, and 6-3 in the Big South. The Bulldogs are currently 10-18 on the season and 4-5 in the conference.

This is the second longest series in program history as both teams have faced each other 84 times entering the three-game series. The Eagles lead the all-time series 64-20 overall, and a 30-5 mark in Rock Hill. Winthrop has swept UNC Asheville the last two seasons and have a six-game win streak in the series. The Eagles have also won nine-in-a-row during the series twice (1985-87, 2004-06). Winthrop won the first-ever meeting between the two teams 13-3 on Mar. 12, 1985 in Rock Hill. The Bulldogs were also the first opponent the Eagles faced as a member of the Big South Conference.

Both Winthrop and UNC Asheville were also part of a wild contest during this series back during the 2000 season. In the longest game in school history and the opening game of a doubleheader, the Bulldogs defeated the Eagles 5-4 in 18 innings in Asheville.

Winthrop is led at the plate with a .375 average, two home runs, 22 RBI and 55 total bases. He hit his second long ball of the season on Apr. 6 against The Citadel Bulldogs and puts him all alone in fourth place in the Big South with 44 career home runs. Adam Gliebe is also tied for the lead team-lead with two home runs, both of which came in one game against the Panthers last weekend.

Matteo D'Angelo has won his last two outings and leads the Eagles with a 4-4 record and 3.43 ERA. Tyler Mizenko's opposing average of .241 is a team-low, while Robert Lake has tossed 43.2 innings on the season. Tommy Lawrence and Eric Ruth have recorded all seven team saves this season as Lawrence has four and Ruth with three.

For the Bulldogs, they have three different hitters who lead the team in several offensive categories. Robert McIntosh has a team-high .360 at the plate, while Patrick Koontz and Cody Buch are tied with two homers apiece. Koontz, Jordan Lurie and Mike Vaughn have driven in 14 runs each this season.

On the mound, Ryan Dull has one of the team's two saves and is 2-3 overall with a 5.31 ERA in 40.2 innings pitched. David Ricker has the other team save. Rene Martinez has a team-low 1.23 ERA and .207 opposing average.

UNC Asheville is coached by Tom Smith, who is in his second year as head coach. Smith currently has a 27-53 career record.

Winthrop will have a busy week for the second straight week as it will play a total of five contests. The Eagles will face the Furman Paladins on Apr. 12 in Greenville and Wake Forest on Apr. 13 in Rock Hill before traveling to Radford Apr. 15-17 for a three-game series with the Highlanders.

Print Friendly Version