CSU Baseball vs. College of Charleston Game Notes

For the first time this season, the CSU baseball team will bat in the top half of innings as the road team. Although traveling to downtown Charleston will hardly make the Buccaneers homesick, they will face a tough test in the College of Charleston, which is 7-2 this season with its losses by a combined two runs.

Full Game Notes for March 5

Media Coverage
Live Video (Inside the Pride, subscription service)

Series Notes
The College of Charleston leads the all time series with the Buccaneers 31-11. Last season, the Cougars won a four-game series with CSU, 3-1, with the Bucs’ lone victory a 17-9 win on their home field.

Scouting the Cougars
The College of Charlestons a high-powered offense that has outscored its opponents 115-65 already this season to compile a 7-2 record. Those two loses have both been one-run contests, and the Cougars held leads in both contests. On the season, Charleston is averaging 12.8 runs scored every time it takes the field.
There’s no power shortage for the Cougars, who have blasted 25 home runs already this season. Gabe Marchant and Michael Kohn lead the way with five dingers each, while Michael Harrington is only one moonshot behind his teammates. The trio has combined for 37 runs batted in with all three reaching double digits in RBIs.
On the mound, Charleston has already used 14 pitchers this season, with five hurlers getting starts and three getting saves. Austin Garrett (2-0) has the best record among the starters, while Danny Meszaros and Casey Lucchese are tied for the team lead with 16 strikeouts each.

Last Time Out
CHARLESTON, S.C. – With winds gusting over 40 miles per hour, there was no shortage of offense as the CSU baseball team fell to Toledo, 15-7, on Tuesday. A six-run outburst by the Rockets in the fourth inning provided them with some breathing room as swirling winds made anything possible. Junior Mark Perry led the Buccaneer offense, going 2-for-4 on the day with three RBI.

Offensive Explosion
In the finale of the Buccaneers’ three-game series with Stony Brook on Sunday, the CSU offense reached its highest gear for the 2008 season. The Bucs recorded a season-high 12 hits against the Seawolves, reaching double digits in runs scored for the first time since May 13, 2007.
Freshmen Tyler Thornburg and Derek Smith jump-started the offense, reaching base a combined seven times while batting fourth and fifth in the lineup. The lower third of the CSU batting order took advantage of having runners in scoring position, driving in four runs (two each by Mike Beattie and Cory Trudell).
 
Putting the Clamps On
Senior right-handed pitcher Cody Higgins shut down the Stony Brook offense on Sunday, recording his second career complete-game shutout in a 10-0 CSU victory at Collins Park.
The senior co-captain went the distance for the Bucs, allowing just five hits over nine scoreless innings. He struck out three batters and allowed three walks in the outing. His last complete game shutout, also the last one for CSU, was on May 11, 2007. Higgins allowed only four hits while striking out four in that outing.

Going Yard
In 69 at-bats last season, sophomore Will Rodriguez had just three extra-base hits, all of which were doubles. He boosted his slugging percentage right of the bat in 2008, hitting a solo home run in just his fourth trip to the plate.

On The Horizon
The Buccaneers will return to their home field for a three-game series against Maryland-Eastern Shore this weekend. Games are schedule for Friday (1 p.m.), Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (2 p.m. at Collins Park).