Baseball Faces The Citadel in SoCon Action Before Heading to Coastal Carolina
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) baseball team continues The Southern Conference (SoCon) action this weekend with a three-game series at The Citadel before traveling to Coastal Carolina for a midweek on Tuesday.
Game One at The Citadel
When: Friday, May 3 | 6:00 p.m.
Where: Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park | Charleston, S.C.
Live Stats | ESPN+
Game Two at The Citadel
When: Saturday, May 4 | 3:00 p.m.
Where: Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park | Charleston, S.C.
Live Stats | ESPN+
Game Three at The Citadel
When: Sunday, May 5 | 1:00 p.m.
Where: Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park | Charleston, S.C.
Live Stats | ESPN+
Midweek Game at Coastal Carolina
When: Tuesday, May 7 | 6:00 p.m.
Where: Springs Brooks Stadium | Conway, S.C.
Live Stats | ESPN+
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE SPARTANS
UNCG is coming off its first SoCon series sweep of the season, taking three games from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) last Friday (7-2), Saturday (8-7) and Sunday (10-4).
The Spartans began the week with a convincing 13-0 victory in seven innings while hosting High Point on Wednesday, April 24.
UNCG is now riding a season-high winning streak with six wins in a row.
Caleb Cozart had a big week for the Spartans and earned SoCon Player of the Week as a result. He finished the week with a .667 batting average (6-for-9), which included three home runs, a double, six RBI, 16 total bases, eight runs scored, seven walks and two hit by pitches.
Jacob Dilley also had a big week, batting .385 (5-for-13) with two doubles and a triple for five RBI, which included a bases-clearing double in Saturday’s 8-7 win over VMI.
Sammy Tortorella pitched a complete-game shutout with a career-high eight strikeouts against High Point.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
UNCG enters the weekend with a 26-16 overall record and 10-5 SoCon record for second in the conference standings.
In the month of April, UNCG totaled 154 runs while only allowing 86.
Additionally, the Spartans scored 10 or more runs in eight of their last 16 games throughout April.
As a team, UNCG is ranked top-30 nationally in three categories, including 30th in triples (14), 26th in sacrifice bunts (31) and 22nd in stolen bases per game (2.02).
Cozart paces the SoCon and ranks among the best in the country in several offensive categories, including home runs (20, 12th in NCAA), HR per game (0.49, 12th in NCAA), RBI (66, 6th in NCAA), RBI per game (1.61, 5th in NCAA) and slugging percentage (.840, 10th in NCAA).
Mitchell Smith is second in the SoCon with 15 doubles.
Cozart was named the SoCon Player of the Week for the second time this season on Monday, April 29 after batting 6-for-9 (.667) in four games last week with three home runs, which included breaking UNCG’s single-season record for homers on Wednesday vs. High Point. He was previously named the SoCon and Perfect Game Player of the Week after hitting four home runs in the season-opening series against Fairfield (Feb. 16-18).
Aidan Brewer was named to the 2024 Brooks Wallace Award Watch List on Wednesday, April 29, a list of the country’s top 100 all-around shortstops.
Rob Ready was named the SoCon Pitcher of the Week after the team’s SoCon opening series win against Mercer (March 22-24) when he threw for a complete game with a career-high nine strikeouts in game two against the Bears. He ranks 24th in the nation and is tied for the top spot in the SoCon with 11 starts so far this season.
Julien Peissel was selected as the SoCon Pitcher of the Week after starting on the mound in UNCG’s win over No. 1 Wake Forest (Feb. 20). Peissel is leading the team with 47 strikeouts.
UNCG was tabbed to finish sixth in the 2024 SoCon Preseason Coaches’ Poll after finishing the 2023 season with a 25-34 overall record and 9-12 mark in SoCon play.
Ready was named to the Preseason All-SoCon Second Team.
UNCG concluded last season in the semifinal round of the SoCon Tournament, falling to No. 1 Samford, 9-5.
The Spartans have 22 newcomers for the 2024 season: 10 transfers and 12 freshmen.
Eighteen Spartans have returned from last season for UNCG.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
The Citadel is 17-25 overall and 1-14 in conference action for last in the SoCon this season.
The Bulldogs suffered a three-game sweep in a SoCon series at East Tennessee State last weekend and have now dropped six straight.
The Citadel ranks second in the SoCon in several stat categories, including double plays (33) and double plays per game (0.79), fielding percentage (.978), triples (14) and triples per game (0.33).
Leading the way with the bat for the Bulldogs is Wells Sykes, who ranks second in the SoCon and fourth in the country with six triples this season. Additionally, he paces the Bulldogs with a .342 batting average, .892 OPS, .503 slugging percentage and .389 on-base percentage.
On the mound, Ben Hutchins leads The Citadel with a 5.10 ERA and .266 opponent batting average.
Sam Swygert paces the Bulldogs in wins with a 4-4 record on the hill and 52.2 innings pitched this season.
The Citadel was voted to finish last in the 2024 SoCon Baseball Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
Swygert (SP), Will Holmes (RP) and Sawyer Reeves, Jr. (SS) were named to the 2024 Preseason All-SoCon Baseball Team First Team.
SCOUTING THE CHANTICLEERS
Coastal Carolina is 27-17 overall and 11-10 in the Sun Belt Conference for a three-way tie of sixth place.
The Chanticleers are coming off suffering a three-game sweep against Troy last weekend at home, which added to a now five-game skid.
Coastal Carolina travels to Hattiesburg, Miss., for a three-game Sun Belt series before hosting UNCG on Tuesday.
The Chanticleers are one of the best teams in the nation at turning double plays, leading the Sun Belt while ranking third in the country in double plays (46) and fifth in the nation in double plays per game (1.05).
Coastal Carolina also ranks 16th in the country in terms of scoring (9.0) and 15th in shutouts (4).
Sam Antonacci leads the way with the bat for the Chanticleers. He paces the team with a .381 batting average and .550 on-base percentage (4th in NCAA) that includes a team-best 41 walks and 20 hit by pitches (8th in NCAA). Additionally, he leads the team with 66 runs scored (5th in NCAA) and 13 stolen bases.
Riley Eikhoff has pitched the most innings (52.2) and made the most starts for Coastal Carolina this season. He owns a 4.96 ERA and .298 opponent batting average with 36 strikeouts and nine walks allowed.
Coastal Carolina received 12-of-14 first-place votes for first in the 2024 Sun Belt Baseball Preseason Coaches’ Poll after finishing the 2023 season in the NCAA Regional Finals.
Caden Bodine (C), Derek Bender (OF) and Zack Beach (1B) were named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team.
SERIES HISTORY VS THE BULLDOGS
UNCG is 45-38 in the all-time series against The Citadel. In the last series during the 2023 campaign, the Bulldogs took two out of three from the Spartans in Greensboro. However, UNCG has wins in 16 of the last 18 meetings dating back to the 2017 season.
SERIES HISTORY VS THE CHANTICLEERS
The Spartans are 12-5 all-time against Coastal Carolina. UNCG won the last meeting 14-2 in seven innings at UNCG Baseball Stadium on May 11, 2022.
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UP NEXT
After traveling to The Citadel and Coastal Carolina, the Spartans return home to close out their SoCon schedule hosting Samford for a three-game weekend series at the UNCG Baseball Stadium on May 10-12.
Courtesy of Connor Wachtel
Strategic Communications Coordinator
UNC Greensboro