ROCK HILL, S.C. - The Winthrop baseball team travels to Gainesville, Florida this weekend for a three game series against the Florida Gators at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium. Winthrop (3-3) is coming off a doubleheader sweep of George Mason this past Sunday at the Winthrop Ballpark, while Florida (6-4) is coming off a 12-9 home loss to Central Florida on Wednesday night.
In six meetings since 2000, Florida leads the series 4-2, including winning the last four contests. Winthrop is looking for its first win over Florida since 2001, when the Eagles swept a doubleheader in Gainesville by scores of 11-7 and 14-5.
This weekend's series marks the final games against SEC teams in 2019 for the Eagles. The Eagles are 0-1 against the SEC this season, losing 8-6 to South Carolina on February 19 in Columbia, S.C.
All three games of the series will be broadcasted on SEC Network +
Probable pitching matchups:
LHP
Thad Harris (0-0, 3.00 ERA) vs. RHP Tyler Dyson (0-0, 3.68 ERA)
RHP
Zach Peek (1-0, 1.50 ERA) vs. RHP Tommy Mace (2-0, 3.21 ERA)
RHP
Nate Pawelczyk (2-0, 1.50 ERA) vs. RHP Jack Leftwich (2-0, 1.64 ERA)
* Offensive Outburst: Winthrop is off to a sizzling offensive start in 2019. The Eagles are hitting .301 as a team, the best team batting average in the Big South Conference. Six different Eagles with at least 17 at bats carry a batting average above .300, including three players above .400 in
Tyler Baker (.421),
Spencer Yankle (.421) and
Grant English (.417). The Eagles rank second in the Big South in hits (62), slugging percentage (.456), total bases (94), runs per game (7.33), and third in on base percentage (.381), runs scored (44), and runs batted in (38).
* Always battling: The Eagles hitters have been the hardest to strike out in the Big South, with only 36 strikeouts through 6 games.
* Nasty Nate: Senior RHP
Nate Pawelczyk was named Big South starting pitcher of the week this past week for his performance Sunday against George Mason. Pawelczyk tossed seven shutout innings allowing only four hits, striking out eight and walking two, earning his second win of the season (2-0).
* Sizzling Staff: After allowing only one run in two games against George Mason, the Eagle pitching staff lowered their season ERA to 3.23, good for second among Big South teams. Winthrop pitchers have posted a .243 batting average against, third-best in the Big South.
* Hottest bats: Seniors
Grant English and
Matthew Mulkey were sizzling in the doubleheader against George Mason on Sunday. English went 4-8 in the two games, and Mulkey went 3-6 while hitting his first home run of 2019 and drawing two walks.
* Peek Performance: Despite his teammate
Nate Pawelczyk winning Big South starting pitcher of the week, junior RHP
Zach Peek also had a performance worthy of the nod. In game one of the doubleheader, Peek tossed seven innings of one run ball, allowing only two hits in his outing. He struck out 10 and walked three, his 10 punchouts being the most by a Winthrop starter this season.
* Eagles vs. the Gators: In six meetings since 2000, Florida has won four of six meetings between the two schools, including the last four straight contests. Winthrop is looking for its first win over Florida since the 2001 season, when the Eagles swept a two game set in Gainesville by scores of 11-7 and 14-5 (Feb. 20-21)
* Close Calls: Despite the Eagles' 3-3 record, Winthrop has a +19 run differential on the year (44-29). Four of the Eagles' six games have been decided by two runs or less, with a 1-3 record in such contests.
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