GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG baseball leaves the friendly confines of the Gate City for the first time in over a month as the Spartans head to Johnson City for a Southern Conference series against the ETSU Buccaneers.  UNCG hosted the last 21 games, posting a 15-6 record.  The Spartans will take on the Bucs at Thomas Stadium Friday at 6:30 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 p.m., and Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

The Spartans enter having won nine of their last 10 contests.  UNCG is 16-9 overall, and are tied for first in the SoCon after going 2-1 against Western Carolina last weekend.  ETSU comes in with a 12-10 record and dropped two of three games to league-leading Mercer in Macon, Ga. last weekend.  Live stats and a video stream will be available for each contest.  Links for these services will be on the UNCG baseball schedule page. 

Probable Pitching Matchups

Game 1 - UNCG |  Jack Maynard, Jr. - RHP (2-1, 5.52 ERA, 31.0 IP, 33 Ks) vs. ETSU | Ryan Simpler, Jr. - RHP (3-3, 3.79 ERA, 35.2 IP, 42 Ks)

Game 2 - UNCG | Bryce Hensley, Jr. - LHP (3-3, 4.32 ERA, 33.1 IP, 37 Ks) vs. ETSU | Drew Kozybski, Jr. - RHP (2-3, 5.79 ERA, 18.2 IP, 6 Ks)

Game 3 - UNCG | Matt Frisbee, So. - RHP (4-1, 3.67 ERA, 34.1 IP, 25 Ks) vs. ETSU | Blake Smith, Sr. - RHP (2-2, 2.52 ERA, 39.1 IP, 34 Ks)

A Little History -- ETSU

The Spartans and Buccaneers have met 36 times on the baseball diamond, with UNCG holding a 24-12 advantage.  Last season, UNCG swept the Bucs in three games in Greensboro.  The Spartans took the series opener, 6-5; the second game resulted in a 13-6 Spartan win, with the sweep being completed Sunday with a 9-7 victory. The last trip to Johnson City featured UNCG taking the series, 2-1. 

Scouting the Spartans

UNCG takes a 16-9 overall record into this weekend's series with the Bucs.  The Spartans have gone 14-3 in the month of March and are 2-1 in the Southern Conference.  UNCG got off to a slow start, dropping series to South Carolina and Michigan State, and a midweek game against Wake Forest.  Last weekend, the Blue and Gold took two of three games from Western Carolina in Greensboro.  This weekend's games will be the first away from the Gate City since Feb. 21st.  UNCG has played 21-straight home games after opening the season at South Carolina and Wake Forest. 

The Spartan offense is back on top of the NCAA as the team hits for a .338 average.  The lineup features a trio of hitters hitting over the .390-plateau.  Freshman Caleb Webster (Randleman, N.C./Randleman) leads the team with a .455 average in 19 games.  Webster has nine extra-base hits and has driven in 21 runs this season.  Austin Embler (Southern Pines, N.C./Pinecrest) has hit for a .411 average as the lead-off hitter.  Embler is tied with Cesar Trejo (Greensboro, N.C./Ragsdale) for the team-lead with three home runs.  Embler has driven in 23 runs and swiped three bases.  Andrew Moritz (Charlotte, N.C./Providence) has started in a team-high 24 games.  He has scored a team-best 30 runs, ranking 14th in the country.  His six stolen bases is best on the team. The sophomore outfielder leads the country with six triples on the season, tied with Michael Haun of Central Arkansas.  Trejo has hit three home runs and leads the team with 26 RBI. 

The pitching rotation will be the same has it has the last six weekends.  Jack Maynard (Crozet, Va./Patrick Henry CC) will start Friday night.  Maynard had his best outing of the season last week against Western Carolina, throwing 7.0 innings, allowing four hits, one run and striking out seven in the victory.  Maynard has logged 31.0 innings this season, racking up 33 strikeouts in that span.  Bryce Hensley (Asheville, N.C./Catawba Valley CC) will throw in the second game of the series.  The junior had three-straight quality starts before the Western Carolina series.  Hensley wasn't as sharp in his last outing, striking out two hitters and giving up six runs in 3.2 innings.  Combined in the three outings before WCU, Hensley gave up nine hits, four runs, and struck out 30 hitters. Matt Frisbee (Candler, N.C./Enka) will get the ball in the finale.  Frisbee has earned a 3.67 ERA, starting six games this season.  Against Western Carolina, Frisbee earned the win, throwing 5.0 innings, allowing two hits and one earned run while striking out four. 

UNCG's bullpen is anchored by a trio of juniors. Andrew Wantz (Holly Springs, N.C./Holly Springs) has been the workhorse out of the 'pen, appearing in 12 games.  Wantz has earned a 5-2 record and recorded a pair of saves.  He appeared in two games against Western Carolina, throwing in 5.0 innings.  In the first game of the series, he threw in the eighth inning, giving up a pair of hits and two runs. UNCG was able to win the contest 5-4.  Wantz earned the save in the finale taking over in the top of the sixth.  Over the last 4.0 innings, he gave up just two hits and a run, striking out two hitters.  Wantz leads the team with 41 strikeouts this season.  Chad Sykes (Creedmoor, N.C./Voyager Academy) serves as UNCG's closer.  Sykes has appeared in 12 games, earning six saves.  The junior earned two saves last week, both 5-4 victories.  Sykes has recorded at least one strikeout in his last 33 appearances.  this season he has earned a 1.98 ERA in 13.2 innings of work. Alex Sova (Midland, Mich./Kellogg CC) has earned a 2.25 ERA and a 1-0 record out of the bullpen.  He has thrown in 12.0 innings, striking out  14 hitters.

Scouting the Buccaneers

ETSU enters with a .323 average, second best in the league.  Five players hit at or over the .340 mark.  Hunter Parker leads the team with a .413 average, scoring 15 runs and driving in nine.  Christian Bailey hits at a .394 clip with 10 extra-base hits.  Bailey has driven in 20 runs and scored 20 of his own.  Aaron Maher has a .374 average with one home run and seven stolen bases.  Cullen Smith hits at a .349 average with a team-best 22 RBI.  Chris Cook and Hagen Owenby both have hit four home runs, driving in 19 and 17 runs, respectively.  Caleb Longley leads the Bucs with five home runs on the year.

Starting rotation will be the same as last weekend for the Bucs.  Junior right-hander Ryan Simpler will get the ball on Friday night.  He has started six games, earning a 3-3 record and a 3.79 ERA.  In his 35.2 innings pitched, he has struck out a team-best 41 hitters, walking just eight.  Drew Korzybski will be making his third start of the season.  Kozybski has earned a 5.79 ERA in 18.2 innings.  In his last outing, he only threw 1.2 innings, allowing five hits and six earned runs in a loss to SoCon-leading Mercer.  Blake Smith will start the finale on Sunday.  The senior right-hander is having one of his best seasons at ETSU.  Smith has started six games, earning a 2-2 record and a 2.52 ERA.  Smith has struck out 34 hitters in 39.1 innings of work, allowing 11 earned runs. Last season, Smith started the series finale with UNCG.  Smith went 3.1 innings, allowing five earned runs as UNCG earned a 9-7 victory. 

The ETSU bullpen has three players who have made at least eight appearances out of the bullpen.  Peyton Taylor has made a team-high 13 appearances out of the bullpen.  Taylor has earned three saves in 17.2 innings.  He has struck out 16 hitters while earning a 2-1 record.  Griffin Krieg has made eight bullpen appearances to go with two starts.  Krieg has earned a 6.11 ERA with an 0-1 record.  Krieg has also threw in 17.2 innings, striking out 10 hitters and allowing 12 earned runs.  Dillon Cate has earned a 2.00 ERA in nine appearances.  He features a high-strikeout rate as he has fanned 13 hitters in 9.0 innings. 

UNCG and ETSU will play Friday night at 6:30, Saturday at 2:00 p.m., and will wrap up the series Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

-UNCG-