Bucs and Cougars Conclude Season Series

Fresh of a 6-5 win over Furman on Tuesday, the CSU baseball team will look to maintain its success when it takes on the College of Charleston at Patriots Point on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Buccaneers' victory over the Paladins snapped a five-game losing streak, while the Cougars are currently on a three-game losing skid after being swept by UNC Greensboro over the weekend.

Full Game Notes for May 7 (College of Charleston)

Live Stats

Series Notes
The College of Charleston is 33-14 all-time against Charleston Southern, having won five straight. The Cougars have claimed victory in the teams’ three meetings already this season. Last spring, the Buccaneers took one of three games from Charleston, a feat they will be trying to duplication on Wednesday.

Scouting the Cougars
The Cougars come into Wednesday’s game looking to get back on the winning track after getting swept by UNC Greensboro over the weekend in Southern Conference action. A devastating offense leads the way for Charleston, which set has set a program record with 94 home runs this season, besting the mark of 92 set in last year’s campaign.
Four players have reached double digits in homers, led by Michael Harrington, who has 18 dingers. Jeremie Tice and Gabe Marchant are tied with 15 home runs, while Brandon Sizemore has added 13 to the record-setting total. The Cougars have outscored their opponents 489-356 this season.

Last Time Out
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Production at the top of the CSU baseball team’s batting order keyed a 6-5 win over Furman on Tuesday. Juniors Mark Perry and Kory Morian helped the Buccaneers snap a five-game losing streak by combining to go 5-for-9 with three runs batted in as the first and second batters, respectively, in the CSU lineup. The teams split the season series with the Paladins defeating the Buccaneers 4-2 on Feb. 27.

One More Time
Senior Payton Tweddale, one of only five lefties listed among the 45 relief pitchers on the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List, is on the brink of another program record. With  eight regular season games remaining, he is one appearance away from tying Nino Fasulo’s record of 100 career appearances, having taken the mound 99 times in four years with the Bucs. He moved within one of the record when he notched his 19th career save, also a program record, in a 6-5 victory over Furman on Tuesday.

Power Surge
With a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning in the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader against Liberty, freshman Derek Smith became the first Buccaneer since 2004 to reach double digits in homers. Three players accomplished the feat in 2004, but no CSU player has had more than eight home runs since. He pushed his season RBI total to 40, putting him within striking distance of the program record for RBI in a season of 47. Fellow freshman Steve Antolik, who has nine homers this season, isn’t far from matching the feat.

On a Tear
Freshman Taylor Black went 3-for-5 on Tuesday against Furman to take over team batting lead, improving his season batting to .353 in 44 games. Since being installed as the team’s every day shortstop 31 games ago, Black has raised his average over 150 points and become one of the team’s most dangerous hitters. He leads the team with 16 doubles, is second with a .581 slugging percentage and ranks third with four home runs on the season.

On The Horizon
Continuing its stretch of road games (CSU plays eight of its last nine contests away from Buccaneer Field) to end the season, the Bucs travel to UNC Asheville for three games against their Big South foe. The series begins at 3 p.m. on Friday, continues at 2 p.m. on Saturday and concludes at 1 p.m. on Sunday.