Bucs to Host GSU, USC Upstate at CSU Ballpark

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Midweek contests against Georgia Southern and USC Upstate will kick off a five-game home stand for the Buccaneer baseball team this week at CSU Ballpark.  First up for the Bucs is Georgia Southern, who comes to town on Tuesday for  a 2 p.m. contest.  USC Upstate arrives in Charleston on Wednesday. 

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Series History
Georgia Southern travels to Charleston on Tuesday for the first of two mid-week games with CSU this season. The Bucs currently trail the overall series with the Eagles 43-4. The last time the two faced off Georgia Southern won 14-9 on May 17, 2011.

Facing the SoCon
Charleston Southern is currently 101-191 all-time against the SoCon.  The Buccaneers ended the 2011 season with a 3-5 record versus the conference, earning a season sweep of Furman and a 4-3 win over cross-town SoCon rival the College of Charleston.

Streaking
Freshman center fielder Bobby Ison has had a strong start to his young career at Charleston Southern. The Stratford High School product is just 11 games in to his rookie season but has recorded a base hit in each of the 11. Ison’s 11 game hitting streak is currently the longest active hitting streak in the Big South and is the longest in the Big South this season.

Going Somewhere?
The Charleston Southern backstop tandem of Blake Hunt and Drew Woodall have combined to throw out seven runners stealing this season. That currently ranks the Bucs second in the Big South in that category.

Answering the Bell
Freshman Bobby Ison and sophomore Brian Welch have been called upon to be a big part of the CSU offense thus far in the season. The two underclassmen have stepped up to the challenge. Ison is currently hitting .413, which ranks fourth in the Big South. Welch is batting .389 and is tied for ninth in the Big South rankings. They are also the only two underclassmen in the league in the top 10 for batting average.

Deighan Dealing
Senior Corey Deighan has done his part this season to contribute to the CSU pitching staff. Coming out of the bullpen, Deighan has thrown 11 2/3 innings and ranks third in the Big South sporting a miniscule 0.77 ERA. He is also third in the Big South in opposing batting average, allowing hitters to hit just .163 against him thus far.

Defending the Home Turf
Charleston Southern will need to defend the home turn over the next three weeks as Tuesday starts a five game home stand for the Bucs. 13 of the next 16 CSU games will be played at CSU Ballpark in Charleston including the opening Big South series against league foe High Point and a midweek contest with cross-town rival the College of Charleston.