CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College baseball team (13-4, 0-0 Big South) will open Big South Conference play this weekend when the Blue Hose host Gardner-Webb (10-7, 0-0 Big South) in a Saturday-Sunday-Monday series at the PC Baseball Complex.
The probability of inclement weather forced the series move back a day. Saturday's game will start at 2 p.m., Sunday's game will start at 1 p.m. and Monday's game will start at 3 p.m.
Video for Saturday and Sunday's games will be available for free on the Big South Network.
PC will likely start senior LHP Beau Dees (2-0, 2.88 ERA), junior RHP David Sauer (1-1, 4.35 ERA) and redshirt sophomore RHP Aaron Lesiak (2-0, 3.05 ERA). Gardner-Webb will counter with senior LHP Erik Heiligenstadt (1-1, 3.27 ERA), senior RHP Matt Fraudin (3-0, 1.33 ERA) and sophomore RHP Jeremy Walker (0-0, 2.63 ERA) or junior RHP Brad Haymes (1-1, 3.68 ERA).
PC enters the weekend winning seven of its last eight following a 5-1 home win over Western Carolina on Tuesday. The Blue Hose have an 8-1 record at the PC Baseball Complex and have outscored opponents 73-41 at home to go along with a .330 team batting average.
The Blue Hose have hit .301 through the first 17 games of the season with a 3.41 team ERA. Ryan Hedrick (High Point, N.C.) took the team lead in RBI (14) with his play on Tuesday and six players boast batting averages of over .300. Blue Hose pitching has kept opponents from scoring as PC has outpaced opponents 121-71 and foe have hit .274 against PC so far. Freshman Tanner Chock (Loris, S.C.) moved his ERA to 2.08 with his performance on Tuesday and Beau Dees boasts a 2.88 ERA with a team-high 25.0 innings and 28 strikeouts.
PC also enters the week with a 4-2 record in one-run games and, heading into the ninth inning, PC holds a 9-0 record when leading and a 2-3 record when trailing following a walk-off comeback rally against Richmond last Friday.
Gardner-Webb won 10 straight games before losing their last six, including two extra-inning contests against Wofford and NC Central. The Runnin' Bulldogs went 1-1 against common opponent Holy Cross and dropped both games of a home-and-home series against Wofford last week. Gardner-Webb enters the weekend hitting .246 with a 3.26 ERA. Senior 1B/DH Sam Fulginiti leads the team with a .333 average and 12 RBI and three Runnin' Bulldogs have hit three home runs on the year.
Following this weekend's series, PC will hit the road for a nine-game road trip that begins on Wednesday at Charlotte at 5 p.m.
