GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG baseball will take on the VMI Keydets in a three-game series this weekend. Originally scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the three-game set is scheduled to have two games played Friday night, with the third game being played either Saturday or Sunday dependent on weather. The Spartans have won seven of their last eight games and are 14-5 on the season. The Keydets enter the weekend at 9-9, dropping the series at George Washington. Check UNCGSpartans.com, or @UNCGBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates.
There will be a video stream available for Friday's games with live stats available all weekend. The first game on Friday will be streamed on the SoCon Digital Network and the second game will be on ESPN3 with Paul Roper and Phil Cox on the call. Links for these services are located on the UNCG baseball schedule page.
The Spartans hold a 23-12 advantage over the Keydets in the all-time series. Last season, VMI took two of three games from the Spartans in Lexington. VMI also took the series in 2015. 2016 saw the Spartans sweep the three-game series in Greensboro.
UNCG enters having won seven of its last eight games, but dropped the series finale against Lipscomb last time out. The seven-game winning streak is the second-longest in the Link Jarrett era. UNCG has outscored their opponents 66-34 in the winning streak. The Spartans are currently receiving votes in the National College Baseball Writers Association for their efforts and currently sport an RPI ranking of 101 out of 297 teams.
The Spartan offense is currently second in the nation with a .343 team batting average. Cesar Trejo (Greensboro, N.C./Ragsdale) leads the team and is third in the nation with a .507 (37-for-73) batting average. Trejo leads the Spartans in RBI, doubles, triples, slugging percentage and stolen bases. Andrew Moritz (Charlotte, N.C./Providence) continues to be one of the best hitters to don the blue and gold. Moritz is hitting at a .413 (31-for-75) clip, raising his career average to .398. He's second on the team with 17 RBI, going for extra bases seven times of his 31 hits. Dillon Stewart (Coats, N.C./Brunswick CC) adds 16 RBI on the season. Stewart leads the Spartans with five home runs and is hitting at a .392 (29-for-74) average with eight doubles. He's swiped six bases on the season and scored a team-high 25 runs.
The Spartans will send the same rotation to the mound this weekend as they did against Lipscomb. Matt Frisbee (Candler, N.C./Enka) looks to follow up one of the best starts in his career. Frisbee struck out a career-best 13 hitters in a complete game victory a week ago. The 13 strikeouts are the most since teammate Bryce Hensley (Asheville, N.C./Catawba Valley CC) did the same thing against Princeton in 2017. Frisbee has a 3-0 record with a 2.27 ERA. He leads the team with 31.2 innings pitched and has struck out 41 hitters on the season. Hensley will start the second game of the series. The senior will be making his 34th career start and has surrendered two earned runs in each his last three starts. The Spartans are a combined 8-2 when either Frisbee or Hensley takes the hill.
Dan Loats (Eden Prairie, Minn./NIACC) is slated to get the ball in the series finale. Loats will be making his fourth start of the season, working his way back into the weekend rotation. Last time out, Loats worked a season-high 5.0 innings without allowing a run and scattering three hits. UNCG is 4-2 in games when Loats makes an appearance on the hill.
Andrew Wantz (Holly Springs, N.C./Holly Springs), Jack Maynard (Crozet, Va./Patrick Henry CC) and Easton Welch (Randleman, N.C./Gardner-Webb) anchor the Spartan bullpen. Each has made 10 or more appearances out of the bullpen. Welch has stranded 77% of inherited runners on the season and has induced three double plays in 16.2 innings. Maynard leads the team with four wins, earning a 1.03 ERA and has struck out 37 hitters, trailing only Frisbee. He's thrown multiple innings in all but one outing. Wantz leads the team with five saves and his 14 career saves is tied for second all-time at UNCG. In nine of his 10 appearances, Wantz has allowed zero or one run and is 5-for-5 in save opportunities.
Probable Pitching Matchups (According to UNCG SID Dan Wacker * Subject to change)
Game 1 - UNCG | Matt Frisbee, Jr. - RHP (3-0, 2.27 ERA, 31.2 IP, 41 Ks) vs. VMI | Josh Winder Jr. - RHP (1-2, 5.74 ERA, 26.2 IP, 30 Ks)
Game 2 - UNCG | Bryce Hensley, Sr. - LHP (2-1, 5.55 ERA, 24.1 IP, 28 Ks) vs. VMI | Zak Kent, So. - RHP (2-3, 5.54 ERA, 26.0 IP, 28 Ks)
Game 3 - UNCG | Dan Loats, Sr. - RHP (0-1, 3.60 ERA, 15.0 IP, 10 Ks) vs. VMI | Kyle Staats, Sr. - LHP (2-1, 3.52 ERA, 23.0 IP, 21 Ks)
VMI enters the weekend dropping three of its last four games. VMI, like the Spartans, had the week to rest up as its two midweek games we postponed due to inclement weather. VMI has earned notable wins over No. 19 South Carolina to open the year, and No. 15 Virginia in the first midweek.
The VMI bats have been tough to contest with this season, led by Matt Pita. Pita is a junior utility player who has a .405 (32-for-79) average with 12 doubles, four homers and 20 RBI while going a perfect 10-for-10 on stolen bases this season. Matt Dunleavy is off to a fast start, hitting .382 (21-for-55) with five doubles and two home runs on the season. Peyton Maddox has earned a .348 (23-for-66) average with one home run and driven in 19. Nathan Eaton has been tough on the bases, leading the Keydets with 14 stolen bases, ranking first in the SoCon and sixth in the nation. The Keydets hit at a .272 team average and add 38 stolen bases and 123 runs scored.
Preseason All-SoCon honoree Josh Winder will get the start Friday night. Winder has made five starts on the season, earning a 5.74 ERA in a team-best 26.2 innings of work. He's earned a 1-2 record and struck out 30 hitters compared to just seven walks. Zak Kent will start game two. Kent has also started five games, earning a 2-3 record with 26.0 innings worked. He's struck out 28 hitters and walked nine. Kyle Staats will start the finale. Staats is a senior who has made four starts with two bullpen appearances. He's earned a 2-1 record and a 3.52 ERA in 23.0 innings. Matthew Eagle works as the VMI closer. Eagle has a 1.88 ERA in 14.1 innings and 17 strikeouts, recording all three of VMI's saves. Corey Johnston and Derek Tremblay have each worked exclusively out of the bullpen, making seven and eight appearances, respectively.
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