Grasshoppers tonight…..

Tonight’s Game:
Greensboro Grasshoppers (3-2)
vs. Hickory Crawdads (4-1)

Starters:
RHP Brett Durand (0-0, —)
vs. RHP Matt Foust (0-0, 54.00)

Quick Stats:
GBO Team Batting Average: .266
GBO Team ERA: 2.81

HIC Team Batting Average: .237
HIC Team ERA: 1.38

Game Information:
Start Time: 7:00 p.m.
Ballpark: NewBridge Bank Park (7,599)
Location: Greensboro, N.C.

Umpires:
HP: Bryan Dormaier
Field: Michael Brundage

Series Insight: Greensboro welcomes Hickory back to NewBridge Bank Park for Game 2 of a current four-game series and eight-game homestand… All-time, the Grasshoppers are 30-23 all-time against Hickory, including a 19-10 record at NewBridge Bank Park… The Grasshoppers posted a 7-7 record against the Crawdads last season and last welcomed Hickory to town for a three-game series (Aug 21-23, 2008)… Greensboro swept the series and out-scored the Crawdads 29-11… All-time, the Grasshoppers have out-scored the Crawdads 312-275.

Fault: The Grasshoppers have committed 10 errors over the course of their first five games, including at least one in each game… Greensboro last committed at least one error in five consecutive games on Aug. 19-24, 2007… During the five-game stretch, the Grasshoppers committed nine errors, including five in the Aug. 24 game against Lexington… Greensboro was 4-1 during that stretch… Just prior, Greensboro also had errors in five consecutive games on Aug. 13-17… The Grasshoppers went 3-2 and committed eight errors during that stretch.

Player Notes: Infielder Ryan Anetsberger has had three multiple hit games through the first five games of the season… Anetsberger had two hits against Augusta on Friday and collected another two hits in the second game of Sunday’s double-header; he also picked up two hits in Monday’s home opener… Anetsberger is one of two position players to have seen action in every game this season; Mike Stanton is the other… Tom Hickman has hit safely in each of his last four games… Hickman’s current hit streak is the second longest in the South Atlantic League this season…

Quick Stats: The last time the Grasshoppers dropped their home-opener, 2007, they went on to win the final three games of a four-game series against Lake County and finished a similar eight-game home stand with a 6-2 record… During their current two-game skid, the Grasshoppers are batting .231 and have a combined 3.78 ERA… Greensboro opened the season 3-0 with a .271 batting average and and 2.16 ERA… Greensboro’s franchise record is now 209-211.

This Day in Hoppers History: Today marks just the second time in Grasshoppers history that Greensboro has played on April 8… the lone April 8 game resulted in a Grasshoppers victory, 8-7, over Hagerstown at NewBridge Bank Park… Greensboro’s eight runs came off of 14 hits, but the Grasshoppers committed four errors in the contest… Gaby Sanchez went 5-for-5 at the plate, including a double and a home run, while driving in three runs… Jeffrey Van Houten also hit a home run and Andy Jenkins tripled.

Welcome Home: The Grasshoppers are 119-92 (.564) all-time at NewBridge Bank Park, including a single-season best 47 wins during the 2007 season.

Recent Transactions: (4/8) Retroactive to April 5, Hector Correa (RHP) has been placed on the disabled list (tooth infection); retroactive to April 7, Brett Durand (RHP) has been transferred to the Greensboro roster from extended spring training (Jamestown).
*****from Justin Stottlemyre Greensboro Grasshoppers media assistant*****