RADFORD AND VMI MEET IN A BATTLE OF COMMONWEALTH FOES

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RADFORD, Va. – After having their midweek game at Virginia canceled due to inclement weather, Radford received a week of rest, before having to take on Commonwealth foe VMI in a non-conference weekend series. The Highlanders and Keydets will meet for two games in Radford and one in Lexington, before playing the final three weekends in their respected conferences.

SETTING THE STAGE

Series: Radford leads (28-22-1)
Friday-Saturday Location: Radford Baseball Stadium (Radford, Va.)
Sunday Location: Gray-Minor Stadium (Lexington, Va.)
Live Stats (Friday-Saturday)
Live Stats (Sunday)
Listen Live (Friday-Saturday)
Watch Live (Saturday)

ON THE HILL
Friday, April 28th – 6:30 p.m.
TBA vs. LHP Zack Ridgely (4-5, 2.66 ERA)
Saturday, April 29th – 4:00 p.m.
TBA vs. RHP Danny Hrbek (2-4, 5.62 ERA)
Sunday, April 30th – 2:00 p.m.
TBA vs. TBA

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Current record: (16-23) | Home: (8-7) | Away: (7-15) | Neutral (1-1)
Big South (6-9)
Streak: L4
After sweeping Campbell April 13-15, Radford has now dropped four in a row, outscored 20-11 in the stretch.
In the four games, only one game was decided by more than two runs. Of the 11 runs scored by the Highlanders, eight came as RBIs with four coming off of three home runs.
Luke Wise and Jonathan Gonzalez led the team on the week with four hits each.
Wise has collected hits in 10 out of the last 13 games, raising his batting average from .154 to .229. He has reached base safely in the last six games.
Collecting home runs on the week were Spencer Horwitz (2) and Gonzalez (1). Horwitz led the way with three RBIs on two home runs in the weekend opener at Charleston Southern.
The duo has combined for 12 of the team's 25 home runs.
Gonzalez is tied for third in the league with eight home runs, while leading the team with 27 RBIs.
The senior is 10^th in the league with a .510 slugging percentage.
Coming out of the weekend, Radford now sports four players with 40-plus hits on the season.
Kyle Butler leads the way with 45 as the redshirt sophomore has only been held hitless three times in the last 23 games.
Butler's .336 average is 10^th best in the Big South and ranks tied for 10^th in hits.
Matt Roth and Gonzalez have posted 44 hits each, while Horwitz follows with 41 hits. Danny Hrbek is not far behind with 37 hits.
Hrbek is closing in on several career milestone marks. The senior is 15 hits away from 200 in his career and 17 RBIs away from 100. With 15 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.
With 12 career triples, Hrbek needs only two to match the program record set by Kellen Wohlford in 2005.
Through the first 39 games, Radford's leadoff batter each inning has reached base safely 117 of 345 opportunities for a .339 percentage.
Gonzalez has reached base safely 15 times in 35 opportunities, while Butler has 15 times in 36 chances.
In 24.2 innings pitched, Radford pitchers only walked two batters. Radford's pitching has allowed only 122 walks in 337.2 innings. The Highlanders lead the Big South in least number of walks surrendered.
As a team, Radford ranks 50th nationally in walks allowed per nine innings with 3.25.
The staff allowed only four extra base hits over the weekend, combing for 22 strikeouts over the weekend.
Kyle Zurak punched out five batters over 3.2 innings of relief over the weekend to lower his Big South ERA to 0.96. Zurak has only allowed two earned runs in 18.2 innings, striking out 27 batters.
The senior leads the team with a 2.37 ERA, striking out 38 in 30.1 innings, giving up only eight earned runs.

SCOUTING VMI

Current record: (17-23) | Home: (10-8) | Away: (6-13) | Neutral (1-2)
SoCon (4-11)
Streak: L8
VMI's last win against a non-conference opponent came in an offensive explosion as the Keydets defeated Old Dominion 17-14. The Keydets are 13-12 in non-conference games
Tyler Tharp is coming off a solid performance at the plate against Western Carolina, Tharp finished with two hits and two RBIs. One of his hits came as a home run, his team best 10^th on the season. The senior also leads the team with 27 RBIs.
He has been a force at the plate all season, commanding .317 average, while rocking an astounding .620 slugging percentage.
Tharp provides the Keydets with a threat on the base paths, swiping 7 of 8 bases on the season.
Sophomore Matt Pita holds a .356 average, but has only appeared four times as a pinch runner since suffering a hand injury on March 21. Joining Pita with another threat at the plate that has been sidelined with an injury, Will Malbon is hitting .349 in only 18 games played.
Peyton Maddox has been a doubles machine this season, having hit 15 two-baggers through the first 40 games, which is good enough for second in the SoCon.
Colin Fleischer and Maddox rank one RBI behind Tharp for the team lead.
As a team, VMI has been patient at the plate, earning 162 walks to rank second in the SoCon.
Jacob Jaye has contributed many of those free passes having walked 28 times on the season. Jaye is second on the team in home runs with seven. The junior has seven doubles and 22 RBIs to his credit.
Right-hander Josh Winder has carried the load for the Keydets pitching staff. Winder has recorded a SoCon best 73.2 innings pitched, maintaining a 3.54 ERA. The sophomore has three complete games and 80 strikeouts on the season. The 80 punch outs rank third in the league
Ryan Bennett has been the best Keydet out of the bullpen with a 1.63 ERA and .196 opponent batting average. Bennett comes in with four saves, striking out 33 in 27.2 innings pitched.
As a team, VMI holds a 5.89 ERA and a .287 opponent batting average, ranking last in the SoCon. Keydet pitchers have allowed 79 doubles and 49 home runs, while holding opposing teams to only five triples.

ON DECK

Radford will travel to UNC Asheville on April 5 for the final Big South road series of the 2017 slate
The Highlanders have won 22 straight in the all-time series dating back to 2009.
UNC Asheville has not won a series in the matchup since 2004.

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