RADFORD OPENS BIG SOUTH PLAY FRIDAY VS. LONGWOOD

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RADFORD, Va. – Radford opens Big South play on Friday against Longwood for the second straight year. The Highlanders will look to bounce back after having their five-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday with their third straight home weekend series.

SETTING THE STAGE
- Series: Longwood leads, 15-12
- Location: Radford Baseball Stadium (Radford, Va.)
- Live Stats
- Listen Live
- Watch Live Game 1
- Watch Live Game 2
- Watch Live Game 3
- Game Notes

ON THE BUMP
Friday, March 24 – 6:30 p.m.
LHP Zack Ridgely (2-3, 3.64 ERA) vs. RHP Devin Gould (1-2, 4.94 ERA)
Saturday, March 25 – 4 p.m.
RHP Danny Hrbek (1-1, 5.92 ERA) vs. RHP Cody Wager (3-2, 4.61 ERA)
Sunday, March 26 – 2p.m.
TBA vs. TBA

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Current record: (8-12) | Home: (5-1) | Away: (2-10) | Netural: (1-1)
Streak: L1
Last time out, Radford had four players collect multi-hit games. (Adam Whitacre, Kyle Butler, Jonathan Gonzalez, Matt Roth)
Butler continues his recent tear at the plate, recording 15 hits in the last nine games. He ranks third in the Big South with a .386 batting average. Butler leads the team with six doubles and is tied for the team lead with 13 RBIs.
Gonzalez and Roth are both riding an 11-game hit streak. Roth possesses a 16-game on-base streak, while holds a 13-gamer.
In addition, Whitacre is working on a seven-game hit streak, providing the Highlanders a strong option at the top of the order. In 42 leadoff opportunities, Whiteacre has reached base safely 14 times, boosting a .372 on base percentage.
Zack Ridgely continues to shine on Friday nights for the Highlanders, ranking seventh in the Big South with 29.2 innings pitched and eighth with 25 strikeouts. The junior is slowly closing in on joining the program's Top 10 in career strikeouts, needing 29 more for a 10th place tie.
Spencer Horwitz has been swinging a hot bat of late, racking up seven RBIs in the last five games. On Monday, Horwitz was named the Big South's Freshman of the Week. Owning a 14-game on-base steak, Horwitz ranks second on the team with seven multi-hit games.
Radford ranks fifth in the Big South with 12 home runs, while also ranking fifth in RBIs with 94 on the year.
Austin Gerber has been consistently a strong option out of the Highlanders bullpen this season. He is the conference leader in walk-to-strikeout ratio (14.00) and walks allowed per nine innings (0.43)
Radford doesn't mind playing a little small ball, ranking 21st nationally and second in the Big South in sacrifice bunts this season. (18)
Committing 37 errors on the season, Radford has limited its miscues to seven over the last seven games.
Maintaining a .204 team batting average on March 5, Radford now holds a .266 clip, which is third best in the league.

SCOUTING LONGWOOD

Current record: (8-13) | Home: (3-5) | Away: (5-8)
Streak: L2
Right-hander Cody Wager is fresh off of tossing a gem against Charleston Southern on March 18.In 8.1 innings of work; Wager yielded only three hits, allowing no runs in the win. He punched out 10 Buccaneers, walking only one batter.
Wager also leads the Big South in strikeouts with 35 on the season, earning Big South Pitcher of the Week for his efforts against Charleston Southern.
The Lancers' pitching staff is deeper than just Wager, sporting Big South ERA leader Michael Catlin. Catlin holds a 1.21 ERA in 22.1 innings pitched.
Michael Osinski has made steady contributions all season, leading the team with a .330 batting average. The junior shortstop also leads the Big South with 25 RBIs.
Outfielder Sammy Miller is second on the team in batting average (.322), while leading the Lancers with 17 runs scored.
Miller and senior Alex Lewis are tied for the team lead with seven doubles on the season.
As a team, Longwood ranks 10th nationally with 10 triples in 21 games. The Lancers also rank second in the Big South with 102 RBIs.
Longwood is second in the Big South for stolen bases with 31. Of the 31 steals, Miller has contributed 11 of the thefts, good enough for second in the league.