No. 4 UAH (25-4-1, 14-4-1 GSC) vs. Valdosta State (19-12, 11-8 GSC)
Friday, April 3 | 12 p.m. (DH) | STATS |
AUDIOSaturday, April 4 | 1 p.m. | STATS |
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FIRST PITCH MOVED: Â UAH and Valdosta State have agreed to bump the first pitch on Friday up to noon due to a rain in the evening's forecast. Saturday's game is still slated for the originally-scheduled start time of 1 p.m.
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RECENT ACTION: The Chargers are riding an eight-game win streak after extending the mark with three consecutive wins against Miles by scores of 22-2, 14-2 and 6-3 during the midweek slate. The win streak also includes a series sweep of North Alabama and a doubleheader win against Lincoln Memorial.
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NOTED ATTENTION: Senior ace
Daniel Koger is coming off one of his strongest starts in the 2015 season, hurling 7.0 scoreless innings with one hit allowed and 11 strikeouts in the series opener at UNA. Koger's accomplishment garnered him his second GSC Pitcher of the Week award this year and a NCBWA South Region Pitcher of the Week nod.
GSC'S TOP FRESHMAN: Redshirt freshman
AJ Walden – Koger's battery mate – was impressive in three games played over the last week, as he batted .500 (6-for-12) with one homer, three doubles, nine RBI and five runs scored. His performance netted him his first GSC Freshman of the Week award. This season the UAH backstop has accumulated a .329 batting average with 20 RBI, five homers and seven doubles in 18 starts.
REGIONAL UPDATE: UAH moved up to No. 2 in the NCBWA South Region poll after falling to No. 4 a week ago. Tampa (24-6) regained the top spot in the region with four first-place votes, while UAH had two votes for first. Nova Southeastern (25-6) and Florida Tech (26-5) follow in third and fourth, respectively, with one first-place vote apiece.
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GSC STANDINGS: The Blue and White are atop the league standings with a 14-4-1 mark in GSC play. Following UAH in the top five are No. 24 West Alabama (15-5 GSC), West Georgia (14-7 GSC), North Alabama (10-7 GSC) and Valdosta State (11-8 GSC).
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POLLING PLACE: The Chargers were ranked highest at No. 4 by Perfect Game, while compiling ratings of No. 8 by the NCBWA, No. 7 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and No. 9 by D2BaseballNews.com. UAH has been the highest ranked GSC program for the duration of the 2015 campaign.
WEEKEND ROTATION: Fifth-year skipper
Hunter Royer received outstanding outings from his three lefties in Koger,
Mitchell Wright and
Tyler Howell. The trio combined for 21.1 innings, nine hits, one run, and 26 strikeouts in the sweep of UNA, with Howell's time on the mound coming in long relief in the series finale. Wright (0.86 ERA) ranks first in the GSC in ERA, while Koger sits at third (2.01 ERA) in the league.
MASHING: Right-fielder
Colton Simbeck has been red hot at the dish as of late, going 11-for-12 with 11 RBI, four doubles, four homers, three walks and six runs scored in the past four games. This season, the senior has compiled a slash line of .350/.468/.950. His slugging percentage (.950) ranks first in the conference, while his 10 homers this year also first in the GSC and 29th in the nation. The UAH bats overall hit .333, 24th in the NCAA, and are sixth in the country with a .431 on-base percentage.
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MATCHUP HISTORY: UAH owns an all-time series record of 29-27 against Valdosta State, after sweeping the Blazers in Valdosta, Georgia by scores of 13-3, 12-7 and 14-3. The Chargers own a 7-1 record against VSU over the past three regular seasons.
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BLAZERS PROFILE: Valdosta State enters the weekend with a 19-12 overall record and 11-8 within the GSC, with the most recent league action ending in a series win at home against Union. Earlier this week, VSU lost to No. 18 Flagler by a score of 8-7. The Blazers bat a collective .339, with Hayden Jones, Kevin Cruz and Michael Gouge hitting above .400 with 25 or more RBI. The pitching staff boasts an ERA of 4.66, led by Kyle Andre with a 2.70 ERA over 53.1 innings.
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