WISE - - Due to forecasted storms, the weekend baseball series with the University of Charleston will now begin on Thursday with a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. The schools will conclude the series on the next available playable day based on weather, with the exception of Easter Sunday.
After playing 33 of its first 37 games away from home, Hank Banner's Cavaliers return home in the thick of the Mountain East Conference South Division race. UVa-Wise is 13-7 in league play and is tied with Concord University for second place. The schools stand a game up of West Virginia State for the final MEC Tournament berth. Charleston enters the weekend 18-2 in the conference making the four game series a battle of the division's top two teams.
Live stats and live video will be available for all four games of the series, please visit www.uvawisecavs.com for up-to-date schedule information and live coverage links. Additionally, fans can follow @UVaWiseCavs and @UVaWiseScores on Twitter for up-to-date information and in-game updates.
Schedule / Game Day Links
Thursday, April 18 – 5 & 7:30 p.m. vs. University of Charleston – Stallard Field
Live Stats Live Video
Games three and four of the series will be announced at a later date.
About UVa-Wise
- After playing 33 of its first 37 games away from Stallard Field, UVa-Wise wraps up 2019 with 11 of its final 13 games at home.
- Right-hander Greg Duncan leads the Mountain East Conference with 63 strike outs and is second in the league with a 2.65 ERA. The junior brings a 6-1 record into Thursday's start.
- Fifth year senior Brett Yates is finishing his career with a bang. The Lynchburg native is hitting .329 in league games with 18 RBI against MEC foes. Recently, the outfielder moved into 10th all-time in school history when he collected his 167th career hit.
- A big reason for the Cavaliers' success in league games has been the team's ability to field the baseball. Hank Banner's club is fielding .959 in MEC games, 13 points higher than its opponents.
- Junior catcher Tyler Blaum enters the series against Charleston with a team-high 1.023 OPS. His 49 hits are tied for third most in the league.
Notes on University of Charleston
- Charleston enters the series on a 13-game winning streak against MEC foes. The 18-2 league mark by the Golden Eagles is the best in the league, regardless of division. The team last lost to a league opponent on March 24 when Fairmont State posted a 5-3 win over Charleston.
- Charleston has three hitters with an OPS greater than 1.000 in its lineup. Junior outfielder Colby Johnson leads the way with a .374/.444/.683 slash line. Johnson is coming off a weekend that saw him go 9-for-13 with two homers and nine RBI against Glenville State.
- The forecasted weather could be a benefit to Charleston. The team has just five pitchers that have appeared in more than three MEC games. Jack Brunetti is 5-0 against league schools while posting a 2.45 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 33 innings of work.
