Cougars and Seahawks Renew Rivalry in Critical Series

Friday, April 26

Patriots Point

6:00 PM

College of Charleston

UNCW

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Cougars and Seahawks Renew Rivalry in Critical Series

4/25/2019 4:33:00 PM | Baseball

Game Notes (PDF)

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (27-14, 9-3 CAA) vs. UNCW (21-22, 5-7 CAA)
Games No. 43-45 | Mt. Pleasant, S.C. | Patriots Point

How to Follow the Cougars
Twitter: @CofCBaseball
Live Stats: CofCStats.com
Video: Charleston Sports Network(Friday & Saturday)
Audio: Charleston Sports Radio

Probable Pitchers
Friday | 6:00 pm ET: RHP Griffin McLarty (6-3, 1.58 ERA, 74 K) vs. RHP Luke Gesell (4-3, 2.61 ERA, 39 K)
Saturday | 2:00 pm ET: RHP Brooks Lucas (4-1, 3.82 ERA, 30 K) vs. LHP Zarion Sharpe (0-2, 6.31 ERA, 27 K)
Sunday | 1:00 pm ET: TBA vs. TBA

CHARLESTON, S.C. --- The College of Charleston baseball team returns to Patriots Point following a five-game road swing to host UNCW in a crucial series in Colonial Athletic Association play for both clubs. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 6:00 p.m., with junior Griffin McLarty (Buckner, Ky.) taking the ball for the Cougars opposite UNCW junior Luke Gesell.

Weekend Preview
The Cougars and Seahawks meet for the 29th time on Friday evening in a crucial CAA series for both clubs. Charleston has won four of its last five - all on the road - while UNCW snapped a six-game skid with a win over Campbell on Wednesday.

Scouting UNCW
UNCW enters the weekend with a 21-22 overall record and a 5-7 mark in CAA play after defeating Campbell, 3-1, on Wednesday. The Seahawks are second in the conference and rank 10th in the nation with 17 triples this season.

Greg Jones leads the Seahawks with a .338 batting average and six triples to go along with a CAA-best 46 runs scored. Kep Brown is batting .278 with team-highs of seven home runs and 41 RBI's. Friday starter Luke Gesell is 4-3 on the season with a 2.61 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 10 starts.

Series History
The Cougars hold a 15-13 lead in the all-time series with UNCW. The teams split the first two games of the season series in 2018 after weather forced a cancellation of game three. Charleston has won four of the last five meetings with the Seahawks.

Last Five Games in Series
W, 6-5             5/18/18 in Wilmington, N.C.
L, 5-6              5/17/18 in Wilmington, N.C.
W, 7-6             4/2/17 in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
W, 2-0             4/1/17 in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
W, 8-7             3/31/17 in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

Game Promotions
President Osborne will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before Friday's game. It's Bark at the Park this Saturday at Patriots Point, so bring your furry friend with you! Saturday is Kids Day at the ballpark as well. The first 100 kids will receive a free baseball drawstring bag! All kids can run the bases after the game. Saturday and Sunday are also Youth Sports Day. Tickets are available for purchase by calling (843) 953-COFC or online at: www.CofCSports.com/tickets

Last Time Out
The Cougars collected their fourth win in the last five games - all on the road - with a 5-1 victory at Georgia Southern on Wednesday night. Zach Williams allowed one run in six and two-thirds innings, as Chaz Davey went 3-for-4 with two doubles.

Breaking the Streak
Charleston snapped a four-game losing streak against Georgia Southern with a 5-1 victory on Wednesday evening in Statesboro, Ga. The win inches cuts the Cougars' all-time series deficit to 34-36, and marks Charleston's first victory in Statesboro since Apr. 21, 2015.

Coming on Strong
Junior Chris Graham has been the Cougars' leading hitter over the last 10 games, batting .360 (9-for-25) with nine runs scored, seven RBI's, and three extra-base hits. He put together a pair of game-changing performances last week, including a four-hit effort with three RBI's and three runs scored at Coastal Carolina. The Leland, N.C. native then went 2-for-3 with two runs and his first homer as a Cougar - a two-run shot - in Sunday's win at Northeastern.

Surging Cougars
The Cougars have risen more than 50 spots in the NCAA's RPI rankings over the last month thanks to a 13-4 record in that span - including a 7-2 mark away from home. Following Wednesday's win at Georgia Southern, Charleston now comes in at No. 72 in RPI after sitting at No. 124 on March 25.

Milestone McRae
Senior Logan McRae will end his tenure at the College with his name littered all over the record book. The 2018 Preseason All-American currently ranks sixth all-time in home runs, eighth in walks, ninth in doubles, and 13th in both RBI's and total bases. His 17 homers in 2017 are also tied for eighth on the program's single-season list.