GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG Baseball team is set to host the Marist Red Foxes for a three-game series between the two schools for the third time in program history. UNCG enters the games with a 12-5 record, while Marist comes in with a 5-7 record. The Spartans and Red Foxes are scheduled to play on Mar. 18th at 6:00 p.m., Mar. 19th at 2:00 p.m. and Mar. 20th at 1:00 p.m. The games will all be broadcasted on the SoCon Digital Network.
The Spartans and Red Foxes have met six times, all in Greensboro. The Spartans have earned a 5-1 record in the two three-game series'. In the first meetings in 2007, UNCG picked up a three-game sweep over Marist, with a combined score of 24-12. The next meetings between the programs occurred in 2013. UNCG took the opener and the rubber match of the series, with the Red Foxes taking the Saturday matchup. UNCG has scored at least five runs in every victory over Marist.
UNCG defeated the UMES Hawks on Wednesday afternoon at the UNCG Baseball Stadium by an 8-2 mark. The Spartans took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first before UMES plated a pair in the top of the fourth inning. UNCG answered back, using a grand slam from Dillon Stewart to give the Spartans the lead for good. UNCG tacked on five runs total in the fourth, and added a pair later in the game to help put it away. Keaton Haack (Greensboro, N.C./Pitt CC), Jake Lewis (Wendell, N.C./Corinth Holders), Andrew Wantz (Holly Springs, N.C./Holly Springs), and Chad Sykes (Creedmoor, N.C./Voyager Academy), held the Hawks to seven hits in the game Wednesday evening.
UNCG comes in with one of the top offenses in all of NCAA Division I. The Spartans currently have the best team batting average in all of DI, hitting for a combined .351, while being in the top ten of several other categories, including scoring, runs, hits, doubles, doubles per game, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. UNCG has connected for 10 or more hits in 12 of 16 games on the season, going 11-2 when reaching the 10-hit plateau, and 1-3 when not making the 10-hit mark.
Ben Spitznagel (Cincinnati, Ohio/Wabash Valley CC) leads the Spartans with a .400 average in 17 games played. He has taken over the lead-off spot of the order after the week of the season. The junior has mixed in six extra-base hits to go with five bunt hits. Spitznagel is also tied with L.J. Kalawaia (Wailuku, Hawai'i/Ohlone College) for the team lead with six steals on the season. Kalawaia has shown a knack for getting on-base, posting a .500 on-base percentage in 15 starts to go with his .381 average.
Collin Woody (Tampa, Fla./College of Central Florida) and Ryne Sigmon (Danville, N.C./Danville CC) lead the Spartans with 19 RBI each. Woody has hit for a .360 average, while starting all 17 games and hitting in the cleanup spot of the order. Sigmon, the everyday left fielder, has earned a .343 average in 17 starts and made the most of his one home run on the season, belting a grand slam against Illinois (3/11). Dillon Stewart (Dunn, N.C./Brunswick CC) leads the Spartans with four home runs on the season. Stewart has also connected for a grand slam, as well as five doubles and has driven in 17 runs. Tripp Shelton (Winston-Salem, N.C./West Forsyth) has ten extra-base hits on the season, and is currently tied for 21st in the NCAA with eight doubles on the year.
UNCG's rotation will be the same as the previous four weekends. Hunter Smith (Whiteville, N.C./Whiteville) will get the ball on Friday night. Smith is coming off of one of his more dominant starts of the season. Smith went 7.0+ innings against Coastal Carolina, surrendering only two runs and striking out six as UNCG earned a 4-2 victory over the Chanticleers. Bryce Hensley (Ashville, N.C./Catawba Valley CC) will get the ball Saturday, looking for his fifth-straight quality start. Hensley has gone at least 6.0 innings and hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in all four starts this season. Matt Frisbee (Candler, N.C./Enka) will get the ball on Sunday. The freshman has started four games with his longest start being five innings against Army. Frisbee has struck out eight hitters on the year.
The Spartan bullpen is led be a pair of workhorses in Wantz and Sykes. Wantz has made 10 appearances in 16 games, logging 23.1 innings and striking out a team-high 32 batters. Sykes has worked in nine games, for 12.0 innings. He has held opponents to a .175 average against him and has struck out 14 hitters during his time on the hill. His two saves is also most on the team. Woody has proven to be a two-way threat, earning three appearances out of the bullpen. The right-hander has worked in three games, going a total of 5.1 innings, allowing two hits, walking one and striking out seven hitters.
Marist enters the weekend with a 5-7 overall record, including going 4-6 on the road. Marist opened the season with a tournament at Davidson, taking one game against Buffalo. The Red Foxes followed that trip with a meeting within the Triad, taking on the High Point Panthers. The Panthers took two of the three games, but Marist was able to take the first game of the series by a 8-6 tally. The Red Foxes followed their trip to High Point with a series at VCU where they fell in all three matchups. Against Delaware State last weekend, Marist earned their first series sweep of the season, taking all three games in Dover.
The Red Fox offense is led by Greg Kocinski. Kocinski, a junior infielder, has started five games and made one appearance off the bench. In that time, he has hit for a team-high .474 average with a pair of doubles. He also leads Marist with seven RBI, and has scored four runs in his limited time. Joey Aiola has been a constant fixture in the Marist lineup, starting in 11 games this season. Aiola has scored eight times and has five extra-base hits, including one of the three Marist home runs. Aiola is tied with two other players with six RBI so far this season. Jack Shirk, and Graham McIntire have also driven in six runs each this season. Shirk has started in five games and has hit for a .294 average in that time. McIntire has started all 12 games, and has picked up one home run to go with his six RBI. Marist currently has a .231 team batting average through the 12 games played.
Marist's starting rotation will feature right-hander Sean Keenan Friday night, Charlie Jerla Saturday and have not announced Sunday's starter yet. On the season, Keenan has a 2-1 record to go with an impressive 2.88 ERA. In 25.0 innings of work, he has struck out 17 hitters and has allowed eight earned runs. Jerla had one of his most dominant starts a week ago. Jerla threw 8.0 innings of one-hit baseball to Delaware State in Dover, in a 15-0 victory. This season, Jerla has earned a 3.38 ERA and is 1-3. In 24.0 innings, he has fanned a team-high 18 hitters. Sunday's starter has yet to be determined. Spencer Bunting, Tony Ramanelli, and Kevin Stewart have all started at least one game, combining for a 2-0 record in four starts. Ryan Thomas has picked up three saves in the five Marist victories. The junior right-hander has allowed only one earned run in 11.0 innings, good for a 0.82 ERA.
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