GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG baseball looks to bounce back from its first midweek loss of the season after taking a 5-2 loss at Duke in Durham this past Tuesday. In an attempt to get back into their previous winning form, the Spartans will continue their SoCon season at VMI this Friday and Saturday, playing in their first road conference series of the spring. Game one of the series will be played at 4 p.m. on Friday, while the ensuing two contests will take place during a Saturday doubleheader.
Game 1
Who: VMI
Where: Gray-Minor Stadium | Lexington, Va.
When: Friday, March 26 | 4 p.m.
Probables: UNCG; RHP Austin Koehn (1-2, 4.21) v VMI; LHP Nathan Light (0-5, 8.03)
Watch | Live Stats
Games 2 & 3
Who: VMI
Where: Gray-Minor Stadium | Lexington, Va.
When: Saturday, March 27 | 1:30 p.m. (DH)
Probables G1: UNCG; TBD (--, -.--) v VMI; TBD (--, -.--)
Gm 1: Live Stats
Probables G2: UNCG; RHP Brendan Collins (2-1, 6.28) v VMI; RHP Adam Jewell (1-2, 12.00)
Gm 2: Live Stats
HOW'S THEIR FORM?
-- UNCG is coming off a midweek loss to Duke this past Tuesday, handing the Spartans their first loss outside of the weekend this year. UNCG is now 2-1 against ACC schools in 2021, earning wins against NC State and Virginia Tech earlier in the year. The Wolfpack and Hokies were ranked No. 12 and No. 13 respectively when the Spartans faced the two clubs
-- The Keydets had a loss of their own this Tuesday, falling to visiting Richmond by a final of 8-4. Prior to that matchup VMI took one of their three games against ETSU to open SoCon play, beating the Bucs 6-3 in game one of a Saturday doubleheader in Johnson City, Tenn.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
-- Outfielder Corey Rosier was recently named to college baseball podcast 11Point7's Mid-Major Player of the Year Watchlist this past Wednesday, commemorating the Chipola transfer's hot start to the 2021 season. Rosier ranks second in the nation with three triples in 2021, while his 31 hits rank 13th. He is currently on an eight-game hitting streak and has reached first safely in each of his past 13 appearances
-- The Spartans' 104 walks rank just second in the SoCon, but their mark is still good for 15th in all of Division I baseball. Pres Cavenaugh currently leads the conference with 18 bases on balls this year, six of which he as accrued in the Spartans' last three games alone
-- UNCG ranks second in Division I with 10 triples. Rosier's three triples are a team-high, but six Spartans have picked up three baggers over the course of the season, with Zack Budzik and Hogan Windish each tallying a pair
-- Budzik became the fourth player on the UNCG roster to have multiple homers this year after delivering a two-run shot against Duke this past Tuesday. The Spartans are led by Windish, who has six and ranks second in the SoCon this year. Rosier and Cavenaugh have five and three respectively
SCOUTING VMI
-- Two-way player Trey Morgan has earned his way into VMI's starting lineup, getting at bats in each of his team's last 10 matchups. While he only has 10 starts on the season, the LHP/outfielder is slashing .452/.564/.806 with two triples, two home runs and eight RBI. He also has a 4.91 ERA over 11.0 IP
-- Lefty redshirt sophomore Will Lopez has been shutdown for the Keydets out of the pen in 2021, holding a team best ERA of 1.69 over six appearances and 10.2 innings of work. Although he has surrendered 11 walks, the southpaw has given up just four hits and is keeping his opponents' batting average to a paltry .114
SERIES HISTORY
-- The Spartans are 29-14 against VMI all-time and is currently on a three-game winnings streak against the Keydets. UNCG beat VMI 4-2 in the pair's most recent meeting in the 2019 SoCon Championship tournament
-- UNCG is 6-2 against VMI going back to 2018. The last time the Keydets won a series against the Spartans was in 2017, when UNCG reached the NCAA Championship tournament regional at Clemson
#letsgoG
