GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG baseball and North Carolina A&T are set for the annual matchup at First National Bank Field, home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers Wednesday night. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m. The Spartans enter the midweek contest having won five-straight and currently hold a record of 12-8. The North Carolina A&T Aggies are 10-8 on the season, having dropped four of its last five games.
Live stats will be available for Wednesday's contest via link on the UNCG baseball schedule page. There will not be a broadcast of Wednesday's matchup. Admission to the event is free, with tickets being given out at the front gate.
UNCG leads the all-time series with North Carolina A&T, 42-7. Last season the teams split the two matchups, with A&T earning the victory at the neutral site game. UNCG is 7-2 against A&T when the game is played at recently renamed First National Bank Field. Head coach Link Jarrett is 2-1 in the neutral site game.
Probable Pitching Matchup
UNCG – Travis Tuttle – Jr. RHP (0-0, 7.71 ERA, 4.2 IP, 4 Ks) vs. NC A&T – Michael Johnson – Fr. RHP (2-1, 4.87 ERA, 20.1 IP, 12 Ks)
Scouting the Spartans
UNCG enters this weekend having won five-straight games, including a four-game sweep of the Lafayette Leopards. The Spartan offense has woken up during the winning streak, scoring double-digit runs in four of the last five games, including a 25-run outburst in the series opener with Lafayette. UNCG hit nine triples last week, and now pace the nation with 16 three-baggers. UNCG led the nation with a .345 average a season ago, and after hitting at a .411 average last week, has raised its team average to .325. That team average ranks 11th in the country. Arizona currently leads the country with a .355 average.
Caleb Webster (Randleman, N.C./Randleman) and Austin Embler (Southern Pines, N.C./Pinecrest) lead the team with a .444 and a .414 average, respectively. Webster leads the team with a .689 slugging percentage, having hit seven doubles and two triples. He also leads the team with five sacrifice flies and has driven in 16 runs. Embler hits at the top of the lineup, having driven in 18 runs this season. Embler accomplished a rare feat over the weekend, earning a bunt base hit and hitting a grand slam in the same inning in the 25-7 victory over Lafayette. Andrew Moritz (Charlotte, N.C./Providence) is currently on a 16-game hitting streak and has reached base in 59 of 61 career games played. Moritz has scored a team-best 26 runs and is one of nine players who have driven in at least 11 runs.
Travis Tuttle (Winston-Salem, N.C./Surrey CC) will make his first start as a Spartan Wednesday evening. Tuttle has appeared in four games, throwing in 4.2 innings. The junior has struck out four batters. Other key contributors out of the Spartan bullpen are Andrew Wantz (Holly Springs, N.C./Holly Springs), Chad Sykes (Creedmoor, N.C./Voyager Academy) and Alex Sova (Midland, Mich./Kellogg CC). Wantz has appeared in nine games, logging 24.2 innings. He is tied for the team-lead with 35 strikeouts, while holding opponents to a .212 average against. He has also earned one save and a 4-2 record. Sykes has also made nine appearances, earning four saves in 11.2 innings of work. Sykes has accrued a 1.54 ERA and has struck out 14 hitters. He has struck out at least one batter in his last 31 outings, dating back to March 9th, 2016. Sova has appeared in six games, earning a 2.16 ERA. Sova has thrown 8.1 innings, striking out 10 hitters, holding opponents to a .179 average against.
Scouting the Aggies
North Carolina A&T enters having dropped four of its last five contests. The Aggies started the season 0-3 before winning eight of the next nine contests. In midweek games, A&T is 2-1, with victories over Charlotte and Norfolk State, while dropping an eight-inning contest to Presbyterian.
As a team, the Aggies are hitting at a .301 average, led by Myles Sowell. Sowell is hitting at a .492 average in 17 games. Sowell has gone for extra bases seven times, including a pair of home runs. He has driven in 14 runs and scored 18 more. Adan Ordonez is the power threat in the Aggie lineup. Ordonez hits at a .377 average with five long balls. Ordonez had driven in a team-high 24 runs and scored 10 more. Greg White is the Aggies' biggest threat on the bases. White hits at a .339 average in 14 games and has stolen six bases in seven attempts on the season. White is tied with four others who have hit a triple this season.
Michael Johnson will get the start for the Aggies. Johnson has appeared in five games total, making three starts. Johnson has earned a 4.87 ERA in 20.1 innings this season. He has earned a 2-1 record and has struck out 12 hitters. Opponents hit at a .278 average against him and he has allowed 11 earned runs. Bob Peck has earned a three of A&T's five saves this season. Peck has logged 10.2 innings in nine appearances, striking out seven hitters, earning a 3.38 ERA. Noah Dyals has earned two saves in four appearances and has earned a 1-0 record. Dyals has logged 8.0 innings striking out nine hitters without allowing a hit.
First pitch between the Spartans and Aggies will be at 6 p.m. at First National Bank Field, home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers.
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