CSU Baseball vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore Game Notes; Follow the Action Online

As the rain clouds pass over Charleston, the CSU baseball team is set for a three-game series with Maryland-Eastern Shore. Friday's series opener was rescheduled as part of a doubleheader on Saturday, which will begin at 11:30 a.m., because wet conditions made Buccaneer unsuitable for competion. After two games on Saturday, the Buccaneers and Hawks will wrap up their series at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Collins Park.

Full Game Notes for Maryland-Eastern Shore series

Media Coverage
Live Video (Big South Edge, subscription service)

Series Notes
CSU holds a 1-0 advantage over UMES in the all-time series with the Hawks, with the only meeting coming last season. The Buccaneers defeated the Hawks, 5-1, in a game played at Buccaneer Field. Senior Cody Higgins and Payton Tweddale teamed up to hold the Hawks to one run, striking out six batters combined. Junior Mark Perry went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice in the game.

Scouting the Hawks
UMES, which will be playing away from its home field for the first time this weekend, comes into its series with CSU having lost its first nine games. The Hawks begin the season, the second with head coach William Gardner at helm, with a nine-game home stand.
UMES is looking to get on track this season after finishing 10-45 (5-13 MEAC) in Gardner’s first year. The Hawks will have to do it with only eight returnees from last year’s squad.
Ryan Coppi and Pat Hercinger are leading the UMES offense this season, ranking first and second, respectively, in batting average. Coppi leads the squad with a .310 mark at the plate, while Hercinger is the team’s top RBI man with four on the season.
On the mound, Mike Roberts (0-2) is the Hawks’ top starter, posting a 2.63 ERA in three appearances, including two starts. Elliott Arrington is the team’s top relief pitcher, holding opponents to a .231 batting average over 11 innings.

Last Time Out
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Junior third baseman Mark Perry led things off with a home run and freshman center fielder Tom Burkett added a three-run shot, but it wasn’t enough for the CSU baseball team. The College of Charleston offense played small ball early and added home runs late in a 12-4 victory over the Buccaneers on Wednesday. Junior starting pitcher Brandon Roberts (0-3) picked up the loss for the Bucs, giving up nine runs, eight of which were earned. In 4.1 innings of work, he allowed five hits, walked four batters and struck out three Cougars.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Since being inserted into the Buccaneer lineup six games ago, freshman outfield Steve Antolik has been on a tear. In 24 at-bats, Antolik has 11 hits, giving him a team-best .458 batting average, more than 100 points better than any of his teammates. A patient (team-high .500 on-base percentage) and powerful (leads Bucs with a .708 slugging percentage), Antolik has become a force in the middle of the CSU lineup. He is currently tied for third on the squad with three runs batted in and has one of the team’s five home runs on the season.

Leading Things Off
For the last five games, junior third baseman Mark Perry has occupied the leadoff spot in the Buccaneer batting order. It’s worked well for CSU, with Perry hitting .391 since being pushed up in the lineup. During the stretch, he is second on the team in batting average, second in slugging percentage (.652) and fifth in on-base percentage (.440). He is adding a little bit of power to the leadoff position, as well, belting his the first home run of his career and recording a team-high seven runs batted during the stretch.

On The Horizon
CSU has a full slate of game’s next week, beginning with a pair of games against head coach Jason Murray’s alma mater, Ball State. The Bucs will host Ball State on March 11 and 12, with both games beginning at 2 p.m. Over the weekend, CSU will take on Richmond in a three-game series. Friday and Saturday, the Bucs will host Richmond at 2 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively, before concluding the series with a 1 p.m. game at Collins Park.