RADFORD LOOKS TO GAIN GROUND IN BIG SOUTH AT CHARLESTON SO.

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RADFORD, Va. – Radford will take its 4-2 Big South road record to Charleston Southern for its second straight conference road series. The Highlanders and Buccaneers last met during the 2015 season in which Radford collected the sweep. The weekend sweep at Campbell allowed the Highlanders to move from ninth place to fifth in the Big South standings and this weekend matchup will allow more movement in the conference landscape.

SETTING THE STAGE

Series: Radford leads (38-32)
Location: CSU Ballpark (Charleston, S.C.)
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ON THE HILL
Friday, April 21st – 6:00 p.m.
LHP Zach Ridgely (4-5, 2.65 ERA) vs. RHP Nik Constantakos (3-2, 4.24 ERA)
Saturday, April 22^nd – 4:00 p.m.
RHP Danny Hrbek (2-3, 5.68 ERA) vs. RHP Tyler Weekley (3-2, 3.77 ERA)
Sunday, April 23^rd – 2:00 p.m.
TBA vs. TBA

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Current record: (16-20) | Home: (8-7) | Away: (7-12) | Neutral (1-1)
Big South (6-6)
Streak: L1
In Tuesday's 7-5 loss to Appalachian State, Radford matched a season high in walks with seven, while managing five runs off six hits.
Collecting two hits in the loss, freshman Richard De la Cruz is 5 for 19 in his last five games with three doubles, which tie him for second most on the team.
The other three Highlanders tied with seven doubles are Matt Roth, Jonathan Gonzalez and Spencer Horwitz. Kyle Butler leads the team with nine two-baggers.
In addition, Butler remains fourth in the Big South with a .350 batting average. In the last 20 games, Butler has only been held hitless twice, while reaching base safely in all 20 games.
Roth is riding a modest six-game hit streak. Roth has been able to pick up three RBIs and two free passes during the streak.
As a team, Radford is hitting .300 (110-367) with runners in scoring position, Gonzalez leads the team with 16 hits in 44 at bats.
In the last six games, the senior has six hits and six RBIs. He has two home runs during that span, giving him seven on the season, which rank tied for fifth in the league.
Gonzalez has collected 10 of his 26 RBIs in 12 Big South games, serving as the only Highlander with double-digit RBIs in league play.
Through the first 36 games, Radford's leadoff batter each inning has reached base safely 108 of 318 opportunities for a .340 percentage.
Danny Hrbek has reached base safely 14 times in 28 leadoff opportunities.
Hrbek is closing in on several career milestone marks. The senior is 16 hits away from 200 in his career and 17 RBIs away from 100. With 18 regular season games left, Hrbek could move as high as eighth in career games played in program history and seventh with a conference tournament appearance.
Entering the weekend series with 12 career triples, Hrbek needs only two to match the program record set by Kellen Wohlford in 2005.
Last time out, Zack Ridgely tossed an eight-inning, two-hit shutout start against Campbell. Ridgely has three starts of at least seven innings pitched in which he has allowed zero runs and three hits or less.
He lowered his ERA from 3.08 to 2.65, while improving to 4-5 on the season and 2-2 in the Big South. In the four league games, Ridgely possesses a 1.61 ERA, allowing only five earned runs in 28 innings.
In the Big South ranks: Ridgely ranks fourth in ERA, fourth in walks allowed (9), fifth in innings pitched (57.2), seventh in opposing batting average (.223), seventh in strikeouts (48) and ninth in earned runs allowed (17).
Evan Threehouse has been lights out of late, allowing no runs and surrendering only three hits in his last five innings of work out of the bullpen. In the five innings, he has six strikeouts.
Last weekend, closer Kyle Zurak collected two saves, striking out five in three innings of work.

SCOUTING CHARLESTON SOUTHERN

Current record: (17-20) | Home: (12-8) | Away: (5-11) | Neural (0-1)
Big South (6-9)
Streak: L3
Charleston Southern is coming off two midweek losses and a Big South weekend series loss to Gardner-Webb. Since taking the series at UNC Asheville April 7-9, Charleston Southern has only one win in its last eight games. The win was a 18-2 thrashing of Gardner-Webb last Friday.
Redshirt sophomore Jason Miller leads the Bucs with a .338 batting average, ranking sixth in the Big South. Miller has been counted on to do a lot of different things for the Bucs; registering, 50 hits, 25 RBIs, seven doubles, two triples and a home run.
Miller is also a threat once he reaches base, credited with 11 steals on the year in 13 opportunities. He is second on the team behind Chris Singleton's 13.
Nate Blanchard is the power supplier for the Bucs, leading the team with five home runs and 27 RBIs. The senior has also earned a team best 21 free passes, ranking eighth in the league.
Charleston Southern makes opposing outfielders work with 67 doubles and nine triples. They second in the league in doubles and third in triples.
Of the whooping 67 doubles, Brandon Gragilla has recorded 13 of them ranking second in the Big South. Gragilla sports a .310 average and 25 RBIs.
Four Buccaneers have 20-plus RBIs on the season and seven have 16-plus.
Despite sitting at three games under .500, Charleston Southern leads the conference with a .279 batting average and 358 hits. They rank third with 181 RBIs, while only striking out 265 times, a Big South low.
Friday night starter Nik Constantakos leads the team in innings (46.2) and strikeouts (51). The freshman has only walked 10 batters in nine starts, possessing a 3-2 record. Opposing batters are hitting .306 off the righty.
As a staff, Charleston Southern ranks fifth in the league with a 4.93 ERA due strong performances out of its bullpen.
Closer Cody Smith has been strong for the Bucs, commanding a 0.95 ERA and six saves. He has struck out 32 batters in 19 innings of work. Of his eight runs allowed, only two have been earned.
Eddie Hiott also provides another valuable option as the lefty holds a 2.81 ERA in 16 innings, striking out 21 and holding opponents to a .153 clip.

ON DECK

After the Big South weekend series, Radford will continue its road swing on Tuesday night, traveling to Charlottesville for a battle against Virginia.
The Cavaliers lead the overall series 19-4.
First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

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