GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG baseball is set to host the hottest team in the Southern Conference in a three-game series this weekend. The Spartans will matchup with the Samford Bulldogs Friday night at 6, Saturday afternoon at 3 and Sunday afternoon at 1 at the UNCG Baseball Stadium. Samford enters having won 13-straight games, including sweeping three-time defending SoCon Regular Season Champion Mercer in Birmingham last weekend. UNCG took two of three games from the ETSU Bucs over the weekend and dropped a midweek contest with Wake Forest.
Live stats are available all weekend on UNCGStats.com. Friday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Jason Patterson and Phil Cox on the call. ESPN+ is a new video streaming service from the worldwide leader in sports. ESPN+ requires at $4.99 monthly fee. Fans can purchase a year-long subscription for $49.99. American Express is offering a free 30-day trial for new customers.
Samford leads the all-time series with UNCG, 19-10. Last season, Samford took the series by winning two of the three games in Birmingham. The teams met up in the first round of the Southern Conference Tournament in Greenville with the Spartans earning a 6-3 win. UNCG matched up with Friday's projected starter Cody Shelton twice. Shelton tossed just two innings in the first meeting before suffering the loss in the SoCon Tournament.
Last time out, UNCG dropped an 11-9 extra inning contest to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Over the weekend UNCG took the series from the ETSU Bucs, winning two of three games at the UNCG Baseball Stadium. Last weekend, Friday night starter Matt Frisbee tied a career high by striking out 13 hitters in the win. After falling in the second game of the series, the Spartan offense drove in 12 runs to win game three decisively, 12-3.
The weekend rotation will see Frisbee get the ball Friday night, with Bryce Hensley getting the ball Saturday. Frisbee will be making his 41st start of his career and he's earned a 7-0 record this season. Hensley will be making his 38th career start. This season he's walked just 13 hitters while striking out 53 hitters in eight nine starts.
UNCG has three relievers that have earned a 3.40 ERA or better. Jack Maynard leads the bullpen with a 4-2 record and seven saves in 20 appearances. He's logged 47.0 innings, third most on the team and holds opponents to a .233 average. Andrew Wantz has earned seven saves and is second all-time with 16 career saves. He's led UNCG in appearances out of the bullpen in each of the last two seasons. Easton Welch has worked in 30 games and holds opponents to a .202 average against while earning a 3-1 record.
At the plate, UNCG is led by one of the top hitters in program history. Andrew Moritz leads the team with a .450 average this season and owns a career average of .409. The Career average is currently the highest in program history, besting Ryan Gordon's average of .381 by .028. His season average ranks third in the nation and he's second in the country with eight triples on the year. That triples total ties a UNCG school record for triples in a season and his 21 career triples is a new program record and Southern Conference record.
Cesar Trejo hits at a .387 average with a 21 extra-base hits. He's driven in a team-high 38 runs and is a perfect 17-for-17 in stolen base attempts this season. Dillon Stewart adds a .333 average and leads the team with seven home runs. He's doubled eight times to go with a pair of triples and nine stolen bases. The Spartan offense hits at a .320 average which is the top in the SoCon and fourth nationally.
The Samford pitching staff has been one of the top staffs not only in the Southern Conference, but also in the country. The Bulldogs rank 19th with a 3.21 ERA national and lead the SoCon. Last weekend the Bulldogs held Mercer to just one run in three games.
Shelton will get the ball Friday night. The senior right-hander was a preseason All-SoCon selection and has earned a 2.98 ERA with a 2-2 record. He's struck out 38 hitters in 48.1 innings of work and has walked 17. Freshman standout Samuel Strickland is scheduled to throw Saturday. Strickland has earned a 6-0 record and a 1.35 ERA in nine appearances with eight starts. In 46.2 innings of work, he's struck out 45 hitters and allowed just seven earned runs. Anchoring the bullpen is senior right-hander Wyatt Burns. Burns has earned a 0.95 ERA and a 3-1 record in 28.1 innings. He's allowed just three earned runs, struck out 44 hitters while walking just six.
At the plate, Samford hits at a .270 average. Brooks Carlson leads the team with a .333 average, 10 doubles and has hit four home runs. Anthony Mulrine leads the team with 31 RBI this season. He's connected on five home runs and has started 37 games this season. Austin Edens is second on the team with 25 RBI and leads the team with six home runs. Edens hits at a .298 average and has scored 23 runs.
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