Bucs, Bulldogs Conclude Home-and-Home Series; Follow the Action Online

Having already played at Riley Park, the CSU baseball team and the The Citadel will conclude their home-and-home series at Buccaneer Field on Tuesday. After a leaping grab in the top of the ninth preserved a 5-3 win for the Bulldogs on March 19, the Buccaneers hope to split the season series with a win on their home field. The first pitch is schedule for 2 p.m.

Full Game Notes for April 8 vs. The Citadel

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

Live Stats (GameTracker)

Series Notes
The Citadel leads the all-time series with CSU 38-24. The Bulldogs won the teams’ meeting earlier this season, claiming a 5-3 victory on their home field. 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
Coming off a series victory over Southern Conference foe Wofford over the weekend, the Citadel brings a 18-13 overall record and a 7-5 SoCon mark into Tuesday’s contest. The Bulldogs had lost five of seven heading into the series with Wofford, but outscored the Terriers 29-10 over the three games.
A variety of players have contributed for a squad that has scored 953 runs on the season. Chris Swauger, the team’s leadoff hitter, leads The Citadel with a .371 batting average and is tied for the lead with four home runs. Chris McGuinness and Richard Jones share that mark with Swauger. Jones is also tied with Sonny Meade for the team lead in runs batted in, recording 22 RBI each.
Matt Talley is projected to make his sixth start of the season on the mound for the Bulldogs. He is 0-2 on the season with a 3.74 earned run average, with opponents batting .304 against him. He has 14 strikeouts to 11 walks on the year.

Last Time Out
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Winning its second straight Big South Conference series, High Point defeated the CSU baseball team 8-2 on Sunday to take two of three from the Buccaneers this weekend. Freshman Derek Smith led the CSU offense by going 3-for-4 on the day, including an infield single that forced a Panthers error that allowed both Buccaneer runs to score.

Building A Legacy
Pitching a scoreless ninth inning in the Bucs’ 6-5 victory over High Point on Saturday, senior lefthanded pitcher Payton Tweddale earned his fifth save of the season. It also pushed his program-record career saves total to 18. Tweddale has made 92 appearances in his CSU career, eight shy of the program record of 100 set by Nino Fasulo from 2002 to 2005.

Multi-Dimensional
In just his first year in a Buccaneer uniform, freshman Tyler Thornburg is showing his value in the field, at the plate, and on the mound. He is first among the teams outfielders with 12 put outs, compiling a .920 fielding percentage. His seven starts is tied for the team lead and he is second on the squad in both innings pitched (36) and strikeouts (34). At the plate, Thornburg is third on the team with three home runs this season.

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 .354 thanks to 15 drawn walks, which is third on the squad. He has thrown out 15 of 25 runners trying to steal bases on him this season, thwarting 60 percent of the attempts.

On The Horizon
Big South Conference play continues for CSU when Coastal Carolina comes into town for a three-game series this weekend. The series will begin at 2 p.m. on Friday on the friendly-confines of Buccaneer field, and a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday will conclude the competition.