GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG baseball heads to Nashville, Tennessee for a three-game set against the Lipscomb Bison of the Atlantic Sun Conference this weekend. The Spartans carry a five-game winning streak into Friday's game, and have won nine of their last 10 games for a 12-4 record. Lipscomb enters at 8-9, falling to Belmont in the Midweek, but taking a three-game series from Michigan last weekend.
Live stats will be available for all three games, without a video stream. Links for live stats are located on the UNCG baseball schedule page.
This is the first meeting between the two schools. UNCG owns a 2-5 record all-time against current members of the ASUN.
The Spartans enter after defeating Winthrop Wednesday night in Rock Hill. Junior Cesar Trejo (Greensboro, N.C./Ragsdale) drove in all three runs in the 3-2 victory as Easton Welch (Randleman, N.C./Gardner-Webb), Jake Lewis (Wendell, N.C./Corinth Holders) and Jack Maynard (Crozet, Va./Patrick Henry CC) closed out the final five innings without allowing a run.
UNCG hits at a .344 average, second best in the nation. Individually, Trejo leads the nation with a .525 batting average (31-for-59) with a team-best 24 RBI and six stolen bases. Andrew Moritz (Charlotte, N.C./Providence) adds a .431 average (28-for-65) with 16 RBI with Dillon Stewart (Coats, N.C./Brunswick CC) adding a .397 (23-for-58) clip with 12 RBI and ten extra base hits.
The UNCG pitching staff owns a 4.56 ERA, ranking second in the Southern Conference. Matt Frisbee (Candler, N.C./Enka) has made the previous four Friday starts, earning a 2-0 record and a 2.38 ERA. He's logged a team-best 22.2 innings, allowing six earned runs and striking out 28 hitters. Bryce Hensley (Asheville, N.C./Catawba Valley CC) has started four Saturday games, earning a 2-1 record in 19.1 innings. Sunday's starter has changed between Trey Kissack (Grand Island, Neb./Southeast CC) and Jake Mayhew (Winston-Salem, N.C./West Forsyth).
Maynard, Welch and Andrew Wantz (Holly Springs, N.C./Holly Springs) anchor the bullpen. The three have combined for 28 appearances, 53 innings, a 7-1 record and all seven of UNCG's saves. Welch owns a 3.77 ERA, holding opponents to a .229 average with eight strikeouts. Maynard has a 1.25 ERA with a team-high 32 strikeouts. Twice this season he's matched his career high with eight strikeouts in an appearance. Wantz serves as the closer, earning five of the seven team saves. He's earned a 1.06 ERA, having allowed just two earned runs and striking out 24 hitters, compared to just five walks.
Lipscomb enters the weekend hitting at a .266 team average. Jeffry Crisan has appeared in 11 games, with nine starts, leading the team with a .457 (16-for-35) average with 15 RBI, two home runs and three doubles. Zeke Dodson is one of only two position players to start all 17 games. Dodson hits at a .400 (24-for-60) average with a team-high three doubles, two triples and two home runs while driving in 14 runs. Josh Martinez has started all 17 games, hitting at a .226 (14-for-62) average with two home runs and seven RBI. On the bases, Blake Thomas leads the team with a perfect 9-for-9 on stolen bases this year, ranking 50th in the country and has scored a team-high 18 runs.
Noah Thompson and Chris Kachmar have each started four games this season, earning a 1.89 and a 2.62 ERA, respectively. Thompson has earned a 2-1 record in 19.0 innings allowing five extra-base hits. Kachmar has a 1-0 record in a team-high 24.0 innings of work and has allowed just one extra-base hit on the year. The bullpen uses Robbie Knox, Kyle Kemp and Nicko Ortega. Knox has nine appearances, a 1-1 record and a save as he's struck out 18 hitters in 19.0 innings of work. Kemp has made five appearances, earning four saves in 9.0 innings to go with 15 strikeouts. Ortega has a 2-1 record and a 3.09 ERA in 11.2 innings. Lipscomb's team-pitching staff owns a 6.57 ERA, with 13 pitches throwing four or more innings.
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