PIVOTAL CONFERENCE HOME SERIES VS. HIGH POINT STARTS WITH FRIDAY TWIN BILL

Friday, April 24

RADFORD

2:00 PM

Radford University

High Point

Photo by: RUHighlanderPhotos.com

PIVOTAL CONFERENCE HOME SERIES VS. HIGH POINT STARTS WITH FRIDAY TWIN BILL

4/23/2015 9:04:00 PM | Baseball

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Radford (26-13, 12-3 BSC) vs. High Point (21-18, 9-6 BSC)
RU Baseball Stadium • Radford, Va.

GAME 1 (DH) • Friday, April 24 • 2:00 p.m.
RU Michael Boyle (6-2, 2.28) vs. HPU John McGillicuddy (5-3, 2.47)
RU SPORTS NETWORK AUDIO • LIVE STATS

GAME 2 (DH) • Friday, April 24 • 6:30 p.m.
RU Dylan Nelson (5-3, 3.88) vs. HPU Cas Silber (3-2, 4.31)
BIG SOUTH NETWORK VIDEO • LIVE STATS

GAME 3 • Sunday, April 26 • 2:00 p.m.
RU Mitchell MacKeith (5-3, 3.95) vs. HPU Conor Lourey (1-1, 1.83)
BIG SOUTH NETWORK VIDEO • LIVE STATS

Radford plays host to a crucial three-game Big South series against High Point beginning Friday with a doubleheader that starts at 2:00 p.m. The Highlanders have won 19 of 23 games, while the Panthers have won four straight, including a conference sweep of Presbyterian last weekend. The games are part of an eight-game home stand for RU. RU holds a one-game lead in the league standings with nine games to play.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS • Current Stats
High Point enters Friday's opener riding its second four-game winning streak of the season. The Panthers shut out North Carolina Central, 5-0, in a midweek home contest on Wednesday. HPU was picked second in the Big South preseason poll and is one of five teams in the current standings with a winning record. The Panthers are tied with Charleston Southern for fourth place, three game shy of Radford. High Point is 16-6 in 22 games at Radford since becoming an NCAA Div. I program, including a three-game sweep at RU Stadium two seasons ago. The Panthers also handed RU an opening round loss in the Big South Tournament a year ago, 3-2, after the Highlanders took 2 of 3 in the regular season at High Point.

HPU is led by Josh Greene's .341 batting average. He has also hit a team-high five home runs on the season. Carson Jackson, who bats .328 on the season, leads the Panthers with 26 RBI. As a team, High Point hits .276 and averages 6.3 runs per game. The pitching staff owns an impressive 3.33 earned run average.

THE HIGHLANDERS • Current Stats
Radford has won nine straight Big South series, including all five this season. RU is 10-4 at home this season after a midweek 7-4 victory over Virginia Tech on Tuesday. The Highlanders swept this week's Big South players of the week with Hunter Higgerson earning Player of the Week honors and Mitchell MacKeith being named Pitcher of the Week.

Josh Gardiner stands at third in the Big South with a .373 batting average. He leads the conference in on-base percentage (.459) and runs scored (43) and is fourth in the league with 18 stolen bases. Higgerson leads the league in doubles with 19, while Patrick Marshall ranks second with 37 RBI. Ryan Meisinger sits atop the save charts with 10 on the season. The Highlander pitching staff has posted a 2.39 ERA in 15 conference games. Michael Boyle is one of four pitchers to own a 4-0 record in league play, and Dylan Nelson (4-1) is one of seven pitchers to have four victories to his credit in Big South play.