Game 54 - Tuesday, May 18, 2010 • 6:00 p.m.
College of Charleston (39-14, 22-8 Southern)
RHP #36 Josh Salay (2-3, 6.64 ERA)
at
#4 Coastal Carolina (45-6, 23-0 Big South)
LHP #34 Jim Birmingham (6-2, 4.35 ERA)
RADIO: ESPN Radio 910-AM; Ted Bryne: Play-by-play.
Sophomore LF Jose Rodriguez went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs, four RBI and four runs scored as College of Charleston scored 12 runs over the final six innings for a 13-1 victory over Appalachian State in game one of a Southern Conference doubleheader at Smith Stadium. The Cougars scored nine runs in the first two innings of game two to complete the sweep of the Mountaineers with a 9-1 victory in seven innings. Charleston improved to 39-14 overall and completes the SoCon regular season with a 22-8 mark, the most wins in conference play since 2005. Junior CF Cole Rakar leads the team with a .384 average, 86 hits, 25 doubles, 66 runs and 18 stolen bases. Sophomore 3B Matt Leeds tops the team in home runs with 19, the RBI chart with 76 and leads the team with a .738 slugging percentage.
- ALL-TIME VS. COASTAL CAROLINA
Each team has won 12 games in the all-time series, but the Cougars have won the last four games, including a 5-4 win at Patriots Point on March 16. The last time Charleston lost to Coastal Carolina was April 22, 2008, an 8-6 defeat on the road.
TUESDAY - Junior RHP Josh Salay makes his seventh start this season. In his last start, a non-conference tilt with USC Upstate on May 11, Salay earned his second victory of the season as the Cougars defeated the Spartans 20-3 at Patriots Point. The junior right-hander scattered four hits and allowed three runs in five innings with five strikeouts.
Here is a look at some of the Cougars' key players in last weekend's series with Appalachian State and the midweek games with USC Upstate and #21 North Carolina:
SS Joey Bergman - APP STATE: batted a team-high .583 (7-12) on the weekend... scored a team-high eight runs and knocked a double, a home run for two RBI... UNC: went 0-for-4... UPSTATE: went 1-for-3 with a walk and a sac fly... added two RBI and scored twice... returned to action at the plate against Charleston Southern on March 24 after hamate bone surgery put him on the shelf earlier this season.
1B Greg Blake - APP STATE: had three hits for a .231 average... added three RBI... UNC: had two of the Cougars' five hits, including a double... UPSTATE: 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in the first inning.
RF Thomas Brittle - APP STATE: batted .273 with a double and two RBI... added two stolen bases... UNC: went 0-for-3... UPSTATE: 3-for-5 with three singles and four runs scored.
DH Kolby Epley - APP STATE: went 0-for-2... UNC: went 0-for-2 with a walk... UPSTATE: 1-for-5 with a three-run homer in the seventh inning.
SS Jamie Holler - APP STATE: batted .250 with three hits and three RBI... UNC: batted 1-for-3... UPSTATE: 0-for-3.
C Rob Kral - APP STATE: batted .400 with three doubles and two RBI... walked team-high four times. UNC: went 0-for-3 with a walk... UPSTATE: Did not play.
3B Matt Leeds - APP STATE: went 4-for-12 with six RBI... had three walks and was the only Cougar starter not to strike out all weekend... UNC: batted 1-for-4... UPSTATE: 5-for-5 performance with three doubles and two two-run homers... six RBI... set single-game total bases mark with 14... equaled single-game record with three doubles... first Cougar to hit home runs from both sides of the plate since 1994.
CF Cole Rakar - APP STATE: batted .533 with a team-high 15 total bases... on Saturday, became the first Cougar to hit for the cycle since Ben Lasater completed the feat in a 21-9 win at Wofford on April 1, 2007... team-high eight hits on the weekend... UNC: went 0-for-3... UPSTATE: 3-for-5 with two doubles and four RBI.
LF Jose Rodriguez - APP STATE: had seven hits for a .538 average... team-high two home runs and seven RBI... UNC: batted 1-for-4... UPSTATE: 3-for-4 with three RBI... two-run homer in the first inning.
DH Dre Watts - APP STATE: batted .455 with five hits, including a home run... added five RBI and two walks.
- 2010 COUGARS BASEBALL RADIO SCHEDULE
The College of Charleston announced its updated radio broadcast schedule which includes five road games and eight home games, as well as the Southern Conference Tournament. Games are scheduled to air on ESPN Radio 910-AM in Charleston and can also be heard live on the internet at www.CofCSports.com. Ted Byrne will be handling the broadcasting duties for the baseball season.
Remaining 2010 Cougar Baseball Radio Broadcast Schedule
May 18 at Coastal Carolina 6 p.m.
May 26-30 at the SoCon Tournament
- RAKAR HITS FOR THE ALL-ELUSIVE CYCLE
Junior CF Cole Rakar hit for the cycle, going 4-for-5 with four RBI as College of Charleston rolled to a 15-5 victory over host Appalachian State May 15 at Smith Stadium. Rakar became the first Cougar to hit for the cycle since Ben Lasater completed the feat in a 21-9 win at Wofford on April 1, 2007. The junior accomplished the task in order, a bunt single in the first, a double to left center in the second, a RBI triple to right center in the third and a three-run homer in the seventh. He also walked in the fifth inning.
- LEEDS HAS RECORD-SETTING PERFORMANCE AGAINST UPSTATE
Sophomore Matt Leeds went 5-for-5 with three doubles and two home runs to propel College of Charleston to a 20-3 victory over USC Upstate May 11 at Patriots Point. The 14 total bases for Leeds sets a program single-game mark, while his three doubles equals the Cougars' single-game record.
Leeds also became the first Cougar to hit home runs from both sides of the plate in a single game since Shawn Lopez achieved the feat on March 27, 1994. His second-inning blast came right-handed off Upstate starter Austin Moyer, while his two-run shot in the fourth was left-handed off reliever Chris Knauff. Leeds broke the single-game total bases mark of 13 set by Lee Curtis against Virginia Military Institute on May 12, 2002 and tied the doubles record held by eight Cougars, most recently Austin Morgan on May 2, 2009.
- LEEDS NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Sophomore Matt Leeds was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III First Team. The honor is voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) whose schools are in the region. By being named to the first team, Leeds advances to the national Academic All-America ballot. In order to be nominated for this honor, a student-athlete must be a starter or significant reserve with legitimate athletic credentials and at least a 3.30 grade point average in both undergraduate and graduate work. The student-athlete must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at their institution and completed at least one full academic year at the same school. Leeds, an economics major with a 3.89 GPA, leads the Cougars with 19 home runs and 70 RBI.
- DENNY'S GRAND SLAM HAS NOTHING ON US
Sophomore Matt Leeds and redshirt-sophomore Rob Kral both hammered grand slams in a 12-run second inning and freshman Dre Watts added a third grand slam in the eighth as College of Charleston cruised to a 28-6 victory over host Charleston Southern March 24 at CSU Ballpark. The 12 runs in the inning set a program record for most runs in the second inning and the three grand slams in a game tied a Cougar baseball mark set by the team in 2008, as Jeremie Tice, Gabe Marchant and current junior Cole Rakar all hit grand slams in a 31-3 win over Davidson on March 21. The second-inning output was one off the all-time record of 13, set in the fifth inning of a 27-9 win over Furman on March 29, 2009.
- KRAL EARNS SECOND SOCON PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR
Redshirt-sophomore C Rob Kral was named the Southern Conference Baseball Player of the Week for the period from Apr. 26 - May 2. It marks the second time this season he has received the honor. Kral hit three home runs and six RBI to lead the Cougars to a three-game sweep over Davidson this past weekend. He went 7-for-12 (.583) and posted a .643 on-base percentage while adding five runs for CofC. After recording a double and scoring twice in the series opener, Kral hit a home run and RBI on Saturday. He belted a pair of home runs in the series finale, giving him 13 on the season.
- LEEDS GARNERS SOCON PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD
Sophomore 3B Matt Leeds was named the Southern Conference Player of the Week for all games from April 12-18 after leading College of Charleston to a 3-1 week, including a weekend sweep of visiting Wofford at Patriots Point. Leeds batted .556 (10-18) on the week with three home runs, three doubles, a triple and 13 RBI.
Leeds had at least two hits in all four games last week and reached the five-RBI plateau in two games. In the midweek clash at USC Upstate, his three-run blast to straightaway center cleared the backdrop at approximately 440 feet, as he went 3-for-4 adding a single and a triple. During the week, Leeds drove in 13 of the Cougars 38 runs (34.2%) for the week and only struck out twice in 18 at-bats.
- COUGARS SWEEP SOCON WEEKLY AWARDS
College of Charleston redshirt-sophomore DH Rob Kral was named the Southern Conference Baseball Player of the Week, while teammate senior RHP Kevin Decker was selected as the league's Pitcher of the Week on March 22.
Kral had a career day at the plate on March 19, hitting three home runs with five RBIs in the Cougars' series-opening win at UNC Greensboro. Kral's three home run output ties the program's record for home runs in a game with four others, including current head coach Monte Lee (1999). The redshirt-sophomore had at least one RBI in all five games for the Cougars that week as CofC went 5-0. He had four multi-hit games, 10 RBIs and slugged 1.000.
Decker went 2-0 in two appearances that week, coming out of the bullpen to pick up the victory versus No. 8 Coastal Carolina and then making his first start at UNC Greensboro. The senior right-hander allowed only three hits in nine total innings, highlighted by two frames of hitless, shutout ball against the nationally-ranked Chants on March 16. He followed that by allowing two runs on three hits in seven innings of work against the Spartans March 20. Decker held opponents to a .103 batting average, giving up two singles and a double over 34 batters.
College of Charleston senior Joey Bergman was selected as the Southern Conference Player of the Year by the league's baseball coaches, the SoCon announced Thursday. Senior Ryan Daniels joins Bergman on the Preseason All-Conference First Team at the designated hitter spot. Junior Cole Rakar earned a second-team preseason all-conference spot in the outfield. College of Charleston baseball has been picked to finish third in the Southern Conference Preseason Poll by the media. The Cougars were tabbed to finish fourth in the coaches poll.
- BERGMAN EARNS SECOND PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA NOD
Senior shortstop Joey Bergman was selected to the 2010 Louisville Preseason All-America Baseball Team by Collegiate Baseball. Bergman, who was named to the second team, received All-America status for the second time this preseason. He was also named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association of America Pro-Line Athletic Preseason All-America third team.
Elected the 2009 Southern Conference Player of the Year, Bergman had a .452 average while drilling 15 home runs last season. He became the 10th player in Southern Conference history to record 100 hits in a single season. He garnered third-team All-America status by Collegiate Baseball and the ABCA.
The Cougars travel to Wilmington, N.C. to face UNC Wilmington, starting a home-and-home series Thursday, May 18. The two teams then meet at Patriots Point for a Senior Night contest on Saturday, May 20. Both game are set for a 6:00 p.m. first pitch.
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