HIGHLANDERS AND DOLPHINS OPENING DAY FOES ON FRIDAY

RADFORD, Va. - There are few words more aniticipated in the sport of baseball than "Opening Day," and for the Highlanders, Friday is it. Radford travels to Jacksonville to open the season with a three-game series against the Dolphins at John Sessions Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30, 2:00, and 1:00 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, respectively.

Radford head coach Joe Raccuia said he is looking forward to the season.

"We will be a work in progress as we will be very young," Raccuia said. "We will be a young, but talented group. With that, we will need to temper the enthusiasm and continue to play better and be a better team. I expect we will be a much different team from game one to game 56."

The Highlanders will be dependent of their record-setting defense from a year ago. Offensively, RU will have to utilize its speed to manufacture runs more than relying on its power. Raccuia said the Highlanders will need someone to step up in the middle of the lineup to drive in runs, but pitching and defense should be the team's strengths.

"We have as much quality pitching depth this season as I have had since becoming the head coach at Radford."

THE SERIES
♦ Radford and Jacksonville have never met prior to this series in baseball.
♦ Radford is 14-22 all-time vs. current members of the Atlantic Sun Conference (14-21 vs. East Tennessee State and 0-1 vs. Stetson).
♦ Radford is 2-5 all-time against teams from the state of Florida (0-2 vs. Florida; 1-1 vs. Rollins; 1-1 vs. South Florida; 0-1 vs. Stetson).

OPENING DAY / SERIES
♦ Radford is 7-21 all-time in its opening game of the season.
♦ Radford is 24-41 all-time vs. opponents in a series to open the season.
♦ Radford is 1-4 all-time in its opening game of the season under Coach Raccuia.
♦ Radford is 4-8 all-time vs. opponents in a series to open the season under Raccuia.
♦ In 2012, the Highlanders went 1-2 in their opening series at Samford. They won the middle game of the three-game set.
♦ Radford has only opened its season at home twice, in the 1992 and 1993 campaigns, when the Highlanders went 6-0 combined in those home series.

HIGHLANDER TRENDS
♦ Radford was 21-10 last year when it scored first.
♦ The Highlanders were 24-2 when leading and 3-1 when tied after six innings in 2012.
♦ RU was 10-17 in true road games last season.
♦ RU set a Big South record last year with a .978 team fielding percentage.

PRESEASON NOD
♦ Radford senior shortstop Jeff Kemp was named co-Big South Conference Preseason Player of the Year.
♦ The Highlanders were picked to finish fourth in the Big South North Division.

PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
♦ FRIDAY (Tyler Costello [RU] vs. Chris Anderson [JU])
♦ SATURDAY (Michael Boyle [RU] vs. Alex McRae [JU])
♦ SUNDAY (Keith Fritz [RU] vs. Jeff Tanner [JU])

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