RADFORD, Va. – Radford will look to stop a three-game Big South slide and earn its fourth league series victory this season when the Highlanders host VMI for a three-game set beginning Friday at Radford University Baseball Field.

Live Stats (all games)

Friday, 3 p.m.  – RHP Aerik Taylor (3-3, 4.29 ERA) vs. LHP Travis Smink (5-2, 3.17)

Saturday, 2 p.m.  – RHP Shane Pysh (3-2, 6.75) vs. RHP Chris Henderson (2-4, 5.05)

Sunday, 1 p.m. – RHP Abram Williams (1-3, 5.79) vs. TBA

The Highlanders (15-14, 7-6 Big South) stopped their overall losing skid on Tuesday with a 12-5 come-from-behind win at home over Longwood.  In a game marked by consistent rainfall from the fifth inning on, Radford rallied from down 4-1 by adding a pair of runs in the sixth, three more in the seventh, and six (including four unearned) in the eighth.

Rain continued to fall in the Commonwealth, and Radford's other mid-week affair at No. 17 Virginia was cancelled after three innings of play on Wednesday night.

Radford enters the weekend's Big South action in fourth place, four games behind first-place Winthrop (12-3), a team that the Highlanders took two of three from back in March. Both VMI (13-22, 7-7) and Gardner-Webb are a half-game back of Radford, and the Keydets and Highlanders share the same number of league wins with seven.

VMI has taken each of the last five games in the series, including a series sweep of Radford last year. All-time, the Highlanders lead the series with the Keydets, 16-15.

Entering the league weekend, the Keydets have dropped seven of their last nine games and four of their last six Big South games. VMI was out-scored in mid-week games 31-10, falling at James Madison on Tuesday (20-2) and at home to Longwood Wednesday (11-8).

However, both wins during the last nine games have come from left-handed starter Travis Smink. The southpaw entered the week sixth in the league with a 3.17 ERA, and 4-0 with a 3.00 ERA in conference games.

VMI is led at the plate by first baseman Jordan Ballard, hitting .377 this season. Catcher Alex Haitsuka leads the way in power categories with his eight homers and 36 driven in.

-        Entering the weekend's action, senior first baseman Alex Gregory leads Radford with his .417 batting average. 

-        At the start of the week, Gregory was 34th in the country in batting average, and 16th in on-base percentage (.532 at the start of the week, currently at .527). 

-        In Big South games, Gregory is hitting .511, the only conference player to hit better than .500. Gregory is also the conference's overall leader in batting average and on-base percentage.

-        Radford's team batting average entering the week was .326, good for 39th in the country and first in the Big South. Currently, the Highlanders are at .324.

Friday – Junior RHP Aerik Taylor (Williamsport, Md./Williamsport)

Taylor turned in arguably the finest performance by a Radford starting pitcher this season, going seven strong innings last Friday at No. 17 Coastal Carolina. The junior righty posted his fourth quality start of the season, and left the game giving his team a chance to win.   Taylor put up six shutout innings, set down 13 hitters in a row and struck out four Chanticleers.

Saturday – Sophomore RHP Shane Pysh (Wheeling, W.Va./John Marshall)

Pysh looks to get back on track Saturday against the Keydets. He took the loss in game two of the series with Coastal Carolina last Saturday, departing after five innings. Pysh had won three starts in a row heading into the Coastal series, with all three of his wins this season coming in Big South games.

Sunday – Redshirt freshman RHP Abram Williams (Radford, Va./Radford)

After a rough outing against Coastal Carolina on Saturday, Williams will try and re-gain the form that he had to post 15 innings with just one earned run allowed. Williams owns the longest outing for a Radford pitcher this year, going eight shutout frames against UNC Asheville on April 5.