RADFORD, Va. – Closing out a long stretch of games in the New River Valley, Radford welcomes James Madison to Radford University Baseball Field for a Wednesday non-conference matinee. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Live Stats

LHP Paul DeVito (1-0, 12.00 ERA) vs. RHP David Edwards (2-0, 6.27)

The Highlanders are looking to snap a three-game losing skid when they host the Dukes, a team Radford took three of four from last season. JMU was one of a pair of NCAA Regional teams that the Highlanders beat in 2008, joining Charlotte. Both the 49ers and Diamond Dukes played in the Raleigh Regional last season.

JMU and Radford share a common opponent from the past week in Bryant, the first-year Division I program which just finished a six-day road swing through the Commonwealth. The Bulldogs held on for a 5-4 win over Radford last Monday night in Blacksburg, and took two of three from the Dukes in New Market over the weekend. 

The Diamond Dukes, which own wins over Big South opponents Liberty (Feb. 24, home – 11-2) and No. 11 (NCBWA) Coastal Carolina (Feb. 22, away – 8-6), enter a Tuesday affair with the Flames 11-7 under 12th-year head coach Spanky McFarland.  Shortstop David Herbek leads JMU at the plate with his .444 average, four homers and 25 RBI through 18 games.

After playing a pair of games during the week, a rainy weekend put a dent in Radford's schedule, forcing the cancellation of two Big South games against High Point. Friday's game, which began after a rain delay of nearly three hours, ended officially on Sunday with a 16-11 High Point win. 

Trailing 11-9 after seven innings on Friday, the Panthers scored seven runs on seven hits, while sending 13 batters to the plate to make it 16-11.

Bill Manion stretched High Point's lead to 20-11 with a grand slam that scored Hank Patterson, Alfie Wheeler and Jeff Cowan. Patterson started the ninth with a double, while followed with a single and walk, respectively. Manion's grand slam was wiped away from the books after Friday's game was made official on Sunday.

Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the first, the Highlanders answered with five runs on seven hits in their half of the first to grab a 5-3 advantage. Radford's five-run inning started with four consecutive hits from the top of the lineup, including RBI singles from freshman shortstop Jeff Kemp and senior first baseman Alex Gregory. Senior third baseman Nick Minter plated the final run of the inning with his fourth double of the year, a shot down the left-field line.

After High Point took a 6-6 lead in the third, senior left fielder Mario Duarte tied the game at 6-6 when he drove an 0-1 pitch over the left-center wall for his second home run of the season.

Freshman LHP Paul DeVito (Annapolis, Md./Archbishop Spalding)

DeVito goes to the hill for his second mid-week start of the season, with his first coming in a no-decision at Tennessee on March 3. The freshman lefty is making his first start in 10 days, since going 3 2/3 innings against Canisius on March 8 in a no-decision. DeVito allowed seven runs on as many hits in that start.