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RADFORD at AUBURN
Feb. 25-27 | Plainsman Park | Auburn, Ala.
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WEEKEND NOTES
Radford baseball continues its season-opening 12-game road trip this weekend with a three-game series at Auburn beginning on Friday.
This weekend is the first time since 1999 that the Highlanders and Tigers will meet. Auburn swept a three-game series in Feburary of 1999 as well as a doubleheader in May of 1994 – all games were played at Plainsman Park.
Radford last played a Southeastern Conference opponent in the 2009 season, dropping an early-March midweek contest at Tennessee.
The Highlanders opened their 2011 season with a successful first weekend – a 2-1 start including a pair of wins against Patriot League favorite Army.
Jeff Kemp's two homers and six RBIs led the Highlanders in the two wins against Army, while
Matt Hillsinger finished the three-game weekend 8-for-13 at the plate.
Auburn, which began the season ranked as high as No. 23 in the Collegiate Baseball Writers' Poll, also went 2-1 in its opening weekend with wins over Arkansas State and UAB. The Tigers' only blemish came in a 13-2 loss to Virginia, which is ranked No. 10 in the recent Writers' Poll. Auburn is coming off a 9-4 win on Tuesday over in-state foe Jacksonville State.
WEEKEND NOTEBOOK
• Plainsman Park is a familiar stop for Radford head coach
Joe Raccuia, a former recruiting coordinator and assistant coach at Alabama (2006-07) under recently-retired Crimson Tide coach Jim Wells
• Radford's first trip to Plainsman Park came in 1994, Raccuia's junior year at RU
• Radford is one of six Big South teams entering the weekend at .500 or better
• Radford's win over Army on Friday was the Highlanders' first opening day win since 2000, and just the seventh in program history
• 2009 Big South Freshman of the Year
Jeff Kemp smacked a home run in his first at-bat since early 2010, a two-out first inning solo blast against Army on Friday
• Kemp went 4-for-8 in his first two games back with two homers and six RBIs
• Kemp is the only Big South hitter with more than one homer this season
• Kemp hit the second grand slam of his career on Saturday night against Army
• Kemp received a medical redshirt after playing in just six games last season
• 2010 First Team All-Big South selection
Matt Hillsinger had the most consistent weekend, going 8-for-13 (.615), including 4-for-5 against Davidson on Sunday
• Hillsinger's average is third in the Big South entering the weekend
• Hillsinger carries a 5-game hitting streak (11-for-21) into the weekend
• The 18 Radford runs against Army on Saturday night were the most since RU's 18-17 series finale win over High Point on April 18, 2010
• Right-hander
Eddie Butler allowed a first inning run against Army on Friday, but carried a no-hit bid into the sixth inning (5 1/3 hitless innings)
• Butler set down 11 straight at one point, and struck out five in a row over the fourth and fifth innings
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Bobby Bolling struck out a career-high nine hitters in his no-decision against Davidson
• Bolling is tied for the league lead with his 9 K's
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Mark Peterson made his Radford debut, allowing a run on three hits while fanning five over five innings in his no-decision Saturday night against Army
• Entering the weekend, the Highlanders are third in the Big South with a .330 team batting average
• Radford leads the Big South with 12 stolen bases on 16 tries – the Highlanders were fifth in the nation with 143 swipes last season
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Zach Costello and Hillsinger each have three steals through three games
• Radford continues its road trip on Tuesday afternoon at James Madison
