CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern will turn its focus back to the Big South side of things as it plays host to North Carolina A&T in a three-game conference weekender at Nielsen Field. The action starts April 1 with a 5:00 p.m. first pitch followed by a 2:00 p.m. start Saturday, April 2 and a 1:00 p.m. first pitch Sunday, April 3.
 
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday, April 1
Charleston Southern (10-17) vs. North Carolina A&T (10-14)
5:00 p.m. * Charleston, S.C. * Nielsen Field at CSU Ballpark * Live Stats
Projected Starters: CSU LHP Kaleb Hill (2-2, 4.50 ERA) vs. NC A&T LHP Daniel Carter (2-3, 5.96 ERA)
 
Saturday, April 2
Charleston Southern vs. North Carolina A&T
2:00 p.m. * Charleston, S.C. * Nielsen Field at CSU Ballpark * Live Stats
Projected Starters: CSU RHP Jerry Couch (2-2, 5.20 ERA) vs. NC A&T RHP Jaheim Brown (1-2, 4.02 ERA)
 
Sunday, April 3
Charleston Southern vs. North Carolina A&T
1:00 p.m. * Charleston, S.C. * Nielsen Field at CSU Ballpark * Live Stats * Watch
Projected Starters: CSU RHP Evan Truitt (1-3, 4.63 ERA) vs. NC A&T LHP Peyton Winebarger (2-2, 4.73 ERA)
 
LOOKIN' BACK
Charleston Southern's campaign in the early going has been highlight by a set of runs, dropping its first four before running off eight-straight to turn the tide. After the conclusion of the win-streak, the Bucs have dropped their last seven contests.
 
The slate started with an Opening Weekend affair at 5^th-ranked Ole Miss, where the Rebels took all three tilts in Oxford. CSU then played host to The Citadel in a mid-week contest, where the Bulldogs used two grand slams to best the Bucs.
 
The Buccaneers turned the tide after dropping the first four, completing a four-game sweep of Delaware State, evening the season series with The Citadel and besting Villanova in another mid-week affair before hosting Southern Conference member Samford at Nielsen Field. CSU took the first two contests of a three-game set to clinch the series before dropping the finale.
 
Kansas then came to the Lowcountry for a two-game set and used a strong offensive output to claim both wins before Canisius was next on the ledger for Charleston Southern. The Golden Griffins come to Nielsen Field and left with all three tilts in a series where CSU struggled on the mound throughout the weekend. Saint Mary's was the latest of Charleston Southern's opponents, coming Nielsen Field and leaving with a 9-5 victory.
 
Charleston Southern was able to open the Big South slate with some noise, taking two of three from Radford at home to open the Big South slate. Radford took the opener before the CSU offense exploded for 13 runs in game two to even the series. The rubber match went extras as the Buccaneers scored four runs in the eighth before a Dylan Stewart infield single scored Ajay Sczepkowski in the tenth to walk it off.
 
Mercer stood as the next task for the Bucs in a midweek affair, as the Bears used a strong effort in the closing innings to outlast CSU 10-2 before a Big South trip to UNC Asheville spelled three loses. Charleston Southern held the lead in the eighth inning or later in two of the three contests with the Bulldogs, but each time UNC Asheville was able to answer the call with clutch at-bats in the eighth frame.
 
The Buccaneers' last affair came with Atlantic Coast Conference member Georgia Tech, as the Yellow Jackets used four home runs to power past CSU in Atlanta.
 
SCZEPKOWSKI STANDARD
Ajay Sczepkowski shined on both sides of the ball in the loss to Georgia Tech, as the outfield made a career play on defense taking a home run away after timing his jump perfectly to bring the shot to center back. This play came a few frames after Sczepkowski mashed the furthest ball hit all year, a 414-foot solo shot to left that came off the bat at 109 miles per hour.
 
HARRIS STAYS HOT
Hayden Harris extended his hitting streak to 11 after a single in the back half of the Georgia Tech contest. Of those 11 games, eight came with multiple hits including a four-hit afternoon in the second game of the Big South opening series against Radford. Harris sports five longshots on the year while leading the team with a .375 average, 1.140 OPS and a .650 slugging percentage.
 
SCOUTING THE AGGIES
North Carolina A&T comes into the weekender with a 10-14 overall record, 0-3 in the Big South after being swept by Longwood at World War Memorial Stadium. The Aggies were able to turn the tide last time out, beating a strong Davidson club in a midweek contest Tuesday, March 29 after recording just three runs on two hits.
 
Series wins include UMass Lowell, a sweep of Holy Cross and two out of three from Canisius all coming at home, while a midweek wins over Appalachian State and Davidson highlight the 2022 slate thus far.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The two sides have met a total of four times, with Charleston Southern laying claim to three of the four. The last tilt went the way of the Aggies back in 1992 in Greensboro just a season after CSU earned the three-game sweep in the first ever meeting between the two clubs.
 
UP NEXT
Charleston Southern flips back to the non-conference portion of the schedule as it plays host to Mercer at Nielsen Field Tuesday, April 5. First pitch for the second meeting with the Bears on the year is set for 5:00 p.m. under the lights.