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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Meeting for the first time since 2003, the University of Alabama in Huntsville baseball team (5-10, 0-0 GSC) will face the Carson-Newman Eagles (6-9, 3-3 SAC) in a midweek doubleheader on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Charger Park. First pitch of game one is slated for noon CST.
The Chargers enter the contest on a three-game winning streak after sweeping Stillman over the weekend. UAH erupted offensively in the three-game series to outscore the Tigers, 23-11. The 23 runs scored over the last weekend were nearly half of all the UAH runs scored (59) this season.
UAH was led by senior Ty Chancelor over the weekend against Stillman, batting a team-best .400 and team-high .867 slugging percentage. Chancelor blasted a pair of home runs in the series, and tied a career-high five RBI in game one against the Tigers. He now leads the Gulf South Conference in home runs (3) and ranks fifth in total bases (22) despite missing five early season games due to injury.
Senior pitcher David Kendrick has been shining on the mound for the Chargers this season, and again put together an impressive day in his last game against Stillman. Kendrick worked 7.2 innings to pick up his second win of the year, giving up three runs on six hits. Through the opening seven frames, Kendrick had held Stillman scoreless and allowed the Tigers to just three hits.
Carson-Newman, currently amidst a four-game slide, has been paced by senior first baseman Kyle Koeneman at the plate who is hitting .300 (12-of-40) while posting a team-high .675 slugging percentage. Koeneman has slugged four home runs on the year, in addition to legging out three doubles, scoring eight runs and driving in nine RBI. The Eagles have been aggressive on the base paths, but not very successful, swiping just 10 bases in 20 attempts.
On the hill, the Eagles are led by senior right-hander Robby Thigpen who is 2-1 on the year through 26.1 innings of work and carries an ERA of 5.13. Thigpen has fanned 12 batters on the year while walking just four in 112 at-bats.
In Carson-Newman's last outing, the squad was swept by Tusculum on the road, and was outscored 20-5 in the three-game series.
UAH and Carson-Newman have met on the diamond just eight times, with the Chargers holding a 6-2 advantage in the series. This will be the first contest between the two programs since the 2003 season when UAH hosted and blanked Carson-Newman by a score of 8-0.
UAH has never lost to the Eagles when they visit Huntsville, as the Chargers carry a 5-0 record over Carson-Newman into this week's doubleheader.
After this weekend, UAH will open Gulf South Conference play as the squad welcomes Delta State to Huntsville on March 3-4. First pitch in Saturday's doubleheader is set for noon CST while Sunday's game will begin at 1 p.m. CST.
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