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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – After playing its last six games on the road, the University of Alabama in Huntsville baseball returns home for a three-game Gulf South Conference series against the defending National Champion No. 25 West Florida Argonauts. The teams will play a doubleheader on Friday, April 6, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. CDT at Charger Park. The series concludes on Saturday with a single game at 1 p.m.
In its last outing, UAH swept its second GSC series of the year by taking three games at West Georgia. The Chargers were led on the weekend by a pair of grand slams in back-to-back games. Justin Riddle recorded the team's first grand slam of the year in game two while Justin Pearson connected on the second grand slam for UAH in game three, marking the first back-to-back game grand slams for the Blue and White since April 6, 2007 at Montevallo.
With the victories last weekend, the Chargers became the first GSC team to reach double-digit wins this season as the squad now enters this weekend's games with an overall record of 21-16 and 10-5 mark in league play.
After going 6-for-11 in the West Georgia series, senior shortstop Grant DeBruin is now hitting .377 to lead the team. DeBruin also leads the GSC in several categories, with 52 hits, seven home runs, 36 RBI, 87 total bases and ranks second in the league with 12 doubles. Also hitting over .300 on the year is Eric Deese, Justin Pearson, Justin Riddle and Ty Chancelor.
On the mound, David Kendrick and Drew Eiland lead the Chargers with records of 5-2 and 4-2, respectively. Kendrick has worked 58.2 innings to an ERA of 3.53, while striking out 26 batters and walking just seven. Eiland carries an ERA of 2.81 into the weekend, working a league-high 67.1 innings and striking out 36. Also notable, the Chargers' pitching staff leads the nation with just 1.84 walks per 9.0 innings.
West Florida enters the weekend 22-11 overall and 4-7 in the GSC after being swept at home by then-unranked Delta State by scores of 8-1, 8-2 and 9-3, marking the first time in two years UWF has been swept at home. The Argos have a team batting average of .269, while averaging 5.9 runs and 8.3 hits per game. The UWF pitching staff carries a league-leading 3.38 ERA while allowing opponents to hit just .254 and striking out a GSC-best 98 batters on the year. UWF is allowing 4.1 runs and 8 hits per game.
Dustin Saulmon leads UWF with a .323 batting average, while starting 27 of 31 games this season. Saulmon is the team leader with 11 doubles and 26 runs scored while posting the second-most RBI (17) on the team. Josh Huggins leads the team with four home runs and 21 RBI.
West Florida is carried on the hill by Jake Stephens and Brian Ellington. Stephens has a 5-2 record with a 3.30 ERA while fanning 40 in 46.1 innings worked this year. Ellington has allowed just 16 runs on 31 hits in 38.2 innings, with 15 walks and 53 strikeouts.
UAH and UWF have met 54 times all-time on the diamond, and the Chargers carry a slim advantage in the series by a margin of 30-24. When the teams last met during the 2011 season, UWF was ranked No. 1 in the nation while taking two-of-three games against UAH at Charger Park. The teams have played 24 contests in Huntsville with UAH protecting its home-field by claiming 14 victories over the Argos.
After this weekend, UAH will travel to Valdosta, Ga., for a three games against GSC foe Valdosta State on April 14-15. First pitch of the April 15 doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m. CDT while the game on April 16 is set for noon.
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