UNCG (15-12, 4-8 SoCon) at Wake Forest (19-11, 5-7 ACC)
Gene Hooks Field • Winston-Salem, N.C.
April 3, 2012 • Game 28 • 6 p.m.
LiveStats: UNCGSpartans.com
Storylines:
• After dropping two-of-three against Furman in Southern Conference play over the weekend, UNCG will make a short trip down I-40 to tangle with Wake Forest at Gene Hooks Field in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
• Over the weekend, UNCG returned home after playing six of its last seven games away from UNCG Baseball Stadium to take on Southern Conference foe Furman. The Paladins took game one 11-3 as Paul Nitto enjoyed a career-high six-RBI performance as Furman pounded out 13 hits and scored 10 runs before UNCG could crack the score board on Friday evening. On Saturday, Furman looked as if it were going to enjoy an easy victory after leading 6-1 through four and a half innings. However, UNCG responded with six unanswered runs to take a 7-6 lead after eight innings. Dylan Hathcock took a hard luck loss after cruising through two-plus innings, as he allowed the Paladins to score two runs in the top of the ninth and the Paladins escaped a furious rally from the Spartans to claim the game, 9-8. On Sunday, UNCG saw Cambric Moye connect on his first home run on the season and used a stellar performance from Tyler Hollstegge, Lee Gilliam and Thomas Troelstrup to salvage game three, 9-4, while Nick Chapman chipped in with three RBI.
• Herndon, Va., native Zach Leach has been a sparkplug for the Spartan team as he leads the team with six stolen bases. Leach has committed only one error in the field in 27 games and is second on the team with a .325 batting average. The junior has collected five-multi hit games over the last eight and is batting .500 over the last four. Leach has filled the stat book with 27 hits on the year, including three doubles, a triple and two long balls; 10 walks; and 38 total bases. Leach has assisted in the "small ball" department as well by laying down four sacrifice bunts on the season.
• Freshman Lee Gilliam enjoyed the last calendar week as he collected a win against North Carolina A&T and picked up a save in Sunday's contest against Furman. On the year, he has appeared in 12 games and has struck out 20 batters while walking only nine. He has logged 21 innings on the year and allowed eight earned runs. The Chapel Hill, N.C., native is tied for second on the team with two wins on the year and is one of four Spartans to collect a save.
• Wake Forest leads the overall series, 35-9. The Demon Deacons took victories in both games last year, 11-1 and 10-6. The last time UNCG defeated Wake Forest was on April 21, 2010, by a score of 13-7.
• Over the weekend, Wake Forest lost two-of-three to North Carolina. The Demon Deacons won a 12 inning affair on Friday night, 7-6, before losing the next two, 7-3 and 4-3. Wake Forest rallied to tie the score at 3 in the top of the ninth before the Tar Heels hit a walk-off single to take the series finale in the bottom of the frame.
• UNCG has faced one ACC opponent this year when it hosted North Carolina on March 13 and dropped the 5-1 decision. Wake Forest has not faced a Southern Conference team this season but went a perfect 4-0 in the 2011 season against SoCon opposition.
• The Demon Deacons will be led by Carlos Lopez, who leads the team with 35 RBI, a .645 slugging percentage, a .440 on-base percentage, four sacrifice flies and 69 total bases while starting all 30 contests this year. Lopez sits second on the team in at-bats (107), batting average (.336), hits (36), home runs (eight) and walks (18) and is tied for second in runs scored (23) and doubles (nine).
• Like last year, the Spartans are thriving on "small ball" and currently lead the nation with 51 sacrifice bunts on the season. Moye leads the team with 10 while Christian Wolfe has eight and Kris Richards and Troelstrup have chimed in with seven a piece.
• Through the first 27 games of the season, the Spartans have already hit 30 home runs, which surpass last year's total of 23. Trevor Edwards leads the way with 11 home runs. UNCG has sent a ball over the fence in 16 of its 27 contests.
- UNCG -
