Baseball Faces Off Against Local Rival The Citadel in Key SoCon Clash
5/6/2010 9:00:00 PM | Baseball
Games 46-48
College of Charleston (33-12, 17-7 SoCon) vs. The Citadel (29-17, 17-4 SoCon)
Friday, May 7 - 6:00 p.m.
RHP #32 Christian Powell (5-3, 7.18 ERA) vs. RHP #9 Asher Wojciechowski (8-2, 2.81 ERA)
Saturday, May 8 - 7:00 p.m.
RHP #9 Kevin Decker (5-0, 4.19 ERA) vs. LHP #16 Matt Talley (5-2, 4.16 ERA)
Sunday, May 9 - 1:00 p.m.
RHP #23 David Peterson (7-2, 4.79 ERA) vs. RHP #1 Michael Clevinger (3-2, 6.44 ERA)
- BATTING PRACTICE
Redshirt-sophomore C Rob Kral went 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs and three RBI and sophomore RHP David Peterson struck out eight Davidson batters in seven innings to lead College of Charleston to a 8-4 victory over the Wildcats Sunday afternoon, completing a three-game sweep in the Southern Conference series. Peterson won his fifth straight start, improving to 7-2 on the season. The right-hander scattered six hits and allowed three runs with no walks.
Junior CF Cole Rakar leads the team with a .376 average, 71 hits, 20 doubles and 18 stolen bases. Sophomore 3B Matt Leeds tops the team in home runs with 17, the RBI chart with 63 and leads the team with a .751 slugging percentage. Sophomore LF Jose Rodriguez had a single in the fourth inning of Sunday's win to increase his hitting streak to 12 games.
- ALL-TIME VS. THE CITADEL
In the College of Charleston's modern baseball era since 1991, the Cougars trail the all-time series 29-34 against The Citadel. Earlier this season, Charleston knocked off the Bulldogs by a score of 16-7 April 20 at Riley Park in a non-conference mid-week clash. Last season, the Cougars rolled over the Bulldogs in the midweek game at Patriots Point by a score of 21-8. The Citadel exacted revenge in the weekend series at Riley Park in May as they swept the College of Charleston by scores of 14-3, 10-4, and 7-0.
- START IT UP
FRIDAY - Freshman RHP Christian Powell makes his 12th start this season. In his last outing against Davidson, Powell was tagged for seven runs on six hits in 2-1/3 innings, striking out two and walking three in a no-decision.
SATURDAY - Senior RHP Kevin Decker takes the mound for his eighth straight start after five appearances out of the bullpen. In his last appearance, tossed six strong innings, improving to 5-0 on the season. The right-hander scattered six hits over the four innings, allowing one run and striking out seven.
SUNDAY - Sophomore RHP David Peterson returns to the mound after earning his seventh victory of the season, and fifth straight. Peterson struck out eight Davidson batters in seven innings, scattered six hits and allowed three runs with no walks.
- CHARLESTON PLAYER NOTES
Here is a look at some of the Cougars' key players in last weekend's series with Davidson:
SS Joey Bergman - batted .267 on the weekend... had one double and one stolen base... 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 - had four hits, including two home runs, for a .364 average... scored a team-high six runs... added five RBI and two stolen bases with a 1.000 slugging percentage.
2B/RF Baker Knox - batted .385 with a double and three RBI... had two stolen bases.
C Rob Kral - SoCon Player of the Week - led the team with a .583 average, seven hits, three home runs, six RBI and a 1.417 slugging percentage... scored five times and added a pair of walks with one stolen base.
3B Matt Leeds - batted .300 with three hits, including a double and a home run... team-high four walks.
CF Cole Rakar - had three hits for a .300 average... knocked in three runs and had two doubles... scored four runs.
LF Jose Rodriguez - had three hits, one in each game to increase his hitting streak to 12 games... batted .231 with a home run and three RBI... scored three runs.
- 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 8 vs. The Citadel 7 p.m.
May 9 vs. The Citadel 1 p.m.
May 15 at Appalachian State 3 p.m.
May 16 at Appalachian State 1 p.m.
May 22 vs. UNC-Wilmington 6 p.m.
May 26-30 at the SoCon Tournament
- 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.
- ALL-SOCON COUGARS
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.
- ON DECK
The Cougars host USC Upstate in a non-conference clash at Patriots Point on May 11. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.
- AT BAT FOR MACK
The College of Charleston baseball team is holding the "At Bat for Mack" fundraising event throughout this weekend's series with The Citadel. Mack Shieder of Columbia, who turns 2 on Sunday, has mixed lineage leukemia. T-shirts and bracelets will be sold and a silent auction for a kayak will take place. Mack and his parents will throw out the first pitch on Sunday.
- SEASON LONG PROMOTIONS
Faculty/Staff Fridays - free entry to College of Charleston faculty and staff with their staff ID card
Family Fun Saturdays - free entry for two children with an adult ticket purchase
Military Appreciation Sundays - up to four free tickets with a military ID at all Sunday home games.
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