RADFORD HOSTS RIDER FOR THREE-GAME WEEKEND SERIES

Friday, March 17

RADFORD

2:00 PM

Radford University

Rider

Photo by: Radford Athletics Communications

RADFORD HOSTS RIDER FOR THREE-GAME WEEKEND SERIES

3/16/2017 5:00:00 PM | Baseball

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RADFORD, Va. – After collecting their first weekend series win of the season a week ago, Radford will look to collect its second, hosting Rider for the third time in program history for a three-game series starting at 2 p.m. all three days. Radford swept the first series in 2010 and Rider swept the 2013 series that was moved to Virginia Tech's English Field due to inclement weather.

SETTING THE STAGE
- Series: Tied, 3-3
- Location: Radford Baseball Stadium (Radford, Va.)
- Live Stats
- Watch Live (Friday) (Sunday)
- Game Notes

ON THE BUMP
Friday, March 17 – 2 p.m.
LHP Zack Ridgely (1-3, 4.76 ERA) vs. LHP Pete Soporowski (1-1, 10.45 ERA)
Saturday, March 18 – 2 p.m.
RHP Danny Hrbek (1-1, 6.98 ERA) vs. LHP Nick Margevisius (0-0, 6.00 ERA)
Sunday, March 19 – 2 p.m.
TBA vs. RHP Paul Sparano (0-2, 12.19)

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Record: 5-11
In the three-game series versus Northern Kentucky, Radford's offense scored 22 runs on 30 hits.
In the last seven games, Radford has tallied 16 of its 22 doubles.
After starting the season with double-digit strikeouts in six of the first seven games, Radford has only one game of double-figure strikeouts in the last nine games.
As a team, Radford increased improved its batting average 28 points, from entering March 7 with a .204 average to entering the weekend with a .232 clip.
Since being inserted into the lineup after a season ending injury to Colby Higgerson, Kyle Butler is 15 for 40 with nine runs scored and eight RBIs. Butler leads the team with a .375 batting average.
He has five multi-hit games and two multi-RBI performances.
Matt Roth follows as the only other Highlander hitting over .300, maintaining a .339 average through the first 16 games. He holds a .339/.407/.400 slash line.
Roth leads the team with 20 hits, 11 RBIs and four doubles. He currently holds a 12-game on-base streak.
Leading the team with four multi-RBI performances, Richard De la Cruz leads the Highlanders with nine RBIs.
Against Northern Kentucky, Danny Hrbek went 6 for 12 with four runs scored, two doubles, two RBIs and two stolen bases.
Spencer Horwitz continues to be strong with two outs, going 8 for 24 in the situation with five two-out RBIs.
Adam Whitacre and De la Cruz are a perfect 4 for 4 on the base paths as Radford has swiped 19 bags in 27 attempts.
Zack Ridgely final broke into the win column in the second game of Friday's doubleheader against Northern Kentucky in which the Highlanders took a 10-5 victory.
Ridgely tossed 5.0 innings of two-run ball, only one run was earned. He allowed only one extra base hit, while striking out six batters.
On the season, Ridgely has punched out 20 batters in 22.2 innings pitched.
In 8.0 innings of relief out of the Highlander bullpen, Austin Gerber allowed only seven hits and one run in two appearances last week. He struck out five batters, walking none.
Gerber holds a 3.00 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 18.0 innings out of the bullpen. He has only walked one batter in the 18-innings pitched.

SCOUTING RIDER

Record: 6-7
The Broncos have played 12 of their first 13 games on the road. Rider is coming off a two-game swing against Campbell, splitting the series.
Earlier in the season, Rider took two out of three games against Georgia.
As a team, Rider holds a .248 batting average with 52 RBIs in 13 games.
Only 10 of their runs scored on the season have not come as a RBI.
Appearing in 10 games, Lee Lipinski leads the team with a .367 batting average and ranks second with nine RBIs.
Kyle Johnson leads the way with 16 hits, while s coring nine runs.
Harrison McClure has tallied a team-high 14 runs scored and has collected 14 hits.
Seven Broncos have four RBIs or more on the season as Tyler Kaiser leads the way with 10 RBIs.
Nick Margevicius holds a 2-0 record with a 2.45 ERA in three starts, allowing only six earned runs in 19.0 innings.
As a team, Rider sports a 6.55 ERA with six players holding an ERA of 8.00 or higher.
Opponents have swiped 18 bases in 25 attempts against the Broncos.

UP NEXT

Following the three-game series with Rider, Radford returns to action on Tuesday for a 5 p.m. contest at Appalachian State, marking the first meeting between the two since 2011.