Buccaneers Ready for Cross-town Rival; Follow the Action Online

Playing away from the friendly confines of Buccaneer Field or Collins Park for just the second time this season, the CSU baseball team will take on The Citadel at 5 p.m. tonight. In a game that was originally scheduled for Wednesday, the Buccaneers will make the trip to Riley Park, the Bulldogs' stomping grounds in downtown Charleston, which is also the home of the Charleston Riverdogs. Live coverage will be provided through Bulldog Insider, a subscription video and audio service.

Full Game Notes for March 18 (The Citadel)

Media Coverage
Gamewatcher (Live Stats, Free)

Live Video/Audio Broadcast on Bulldog Insider (Live Video, $4.95 Day Pass Available)

Series Notes
The Citadel leads the all-time series with CSU 38-24. Last season, the teams split their two games with the home squad winning each time. The Buccaneers used a six-run fourth inning to build a lead and held on for a 9-6 victory in the first meeting. Strong pitching for the Bulldogs was the difference in the second meeting, as four pitchers held CSU to no earned runs in an 8-2 win.

Scouting the Bulldogs
Having just lost two-of-three to Elon over the week, The Citadel brings a 11-6 record into Tuesday’s match up with the Buccaneers. The Bulldogs have lost three out of their four since Indiana State snapped their six-game winning streak.
Sonny Meade is the top offensive player for The Citadel, leading the team with a .406 batting average while starting all 17 games. He also has a team-best 16 runs batted in and is tied for second with three home runs.
The projected starter for the Bulldogs on Tuesday, right-handed pitcher Brett Bull has a 2.25 ERA in five appearances this season, all in relief. He has struck out 10 batters while walking six and opponents are hitting .190 against him.

Last Time Out
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Trailing Richmond by eight runs going into the bottom of the fifth inning, the CSU baseball team cut the deficit to four after seven innings of action. But the visiting Spiders scored six runs in the final two stanzas and quenched the Buccaneer rally en route to a 19-9 victory at Collins Park on Sunday. Freshman Steve Antolik hit his fifth home run of the season and tied for the team lead with two runs batted in on the day.

At the Top
Junior Mark Perry isn’t going to steal many bases or hit many home runs. But he has provided consistency to the top of the Buccaneer batting order. He leads the team with nine multi-hit games, including a pair of four-hit contests. With a .403 batting average, he has climbed to third on the team and is also tied for third on the squad with 11 RBI. Having drawn nine walk, he has a team-best .481 on-base percentage.

Lucky Number 13
Since being penciled in as the Buccaneers’ starting designated hitter, freshman Derek Smith has strung together a 13-game hit streak. During the span, he has 18 hits in 48 plate appearance, giving him a .375 batting average. He has hit one home run and is second on the team with 13 runs batted in over the stretch. On the season, Smith is fourth on the team in both batting average (.353) and on-base percentage (.443).

On The List
Junior catch Jake Cox has been named to the 2008 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award Watch List, given annually to the top division one collegiate catcher. On the season, Cox has an on-base percentage of .395 thanks to eleven drawn walks, which is tied for the team lead. He has thrown out all six of eight runners on stolen base attempts.

On The Horizon
Soon-to-be Big South Conference opponent Presbyterian will be in town this weekend for a three-game series with CSU. Play will begin at 2 p.m. on Friday with a single contest at Buccaneer Field. The teams will play a doubleheader at Buccaneer Field on Saturday, with the first pitch schedule for 11 a.m. CSU will also be hosting the “Building Buccaneer Baseball” cookout on Saturday, where $5 dollars will get fans a BBQ sandwich, chips and a drink.