RADFORD AND LIBERTY TO MEET IN FOUR GAMES ON THE WEEK

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RADFORD, Va. – Two in-state foes will meet four times on the week as Radford and Liberty will play one non-conference game on Tuesday and a Big South series Friday-Sunday. The Tuesday matchup will be played in Lynchburg, while the weekend series will be played at Radford Baseball Stadium.

SETTING THE STAGE
• Series: Liberty leads (62-35)
• Live Stats (Tuesday)
• Live Stats (Weekend)
• Listen Live (Tuesday)
• Listen Live (Weekend)
• Watch Live (Friday)
• Watch Live (Sunday)

ON THE HILL
Tuesday, April 4th – 6:00 p.m.
LHP Andrew Nardi (0-2, 5.29 ERA) vs. RHP Jackson Bertsch (0-3, 6.85 ERA)
Friday, April 7th – 6:30 p.m.
RHP Caleb Evans (4-2, 1.59 ERA) vs. LHP Zack Ridgely (3-4, 3.25 ERA)
Saturday, April 8th – 4:00 p.m.
RHP Garret Price (2-0, 1.12 ERA) vs. RHP Danny Hrbek (2-2, 5.59 ERA)
Sunday, April 9th – 2:00 p.m.
RHP Evan Mitchell (3-1, 3.13 ERA) vs. TBA

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Current record: (12-15) | Home: (8-2) | Away: (3-12) | Neutral (1-1)
Big South (3-3)
Streak: W1
Left-hander Colin Reid is coming off a strong weekend on the mound against Presbyterian. Reid was used in every game over the series, totaling 3.1 innings and seven strikeouts. For his extraordinary efforts, Reid was named Big South Come Ready Nutrition Freshman of the Week.
Continuing to be a tough out, sophomore Matt Roth has extended his on-base streak to 23 games. Roth has also collected a hit in the last six games, including three multi-hit games. He leads the team with 12 multi-hit games this season.
Roth is fourth in the Big South with 36 hits and sixth with a .350 average.
Maintaining a team best .386 batting average, Kyle Butler has been the backbone in the Highlanders lineup. Butler is sporting an 11-game hit streak, and picked up six hits in the three game in the weekend series against Presbyterian.
Butler ranks third in the Big South in average, fifth in runs scored (23) and fifth in hits (34).
As a team the Highlanders possess a solid .319 batting average with runners in scoring position. Assisting in that average is freshman Spencer Horwitz, who has collected a team-high 13 hits with runners in scoring position.
Roth and Butler follow with 12 hits each with runners in scoring position.
In addition, Horwitz is riding a modest four-game hit streak. Over the streak, Horwitz has doubled twice giving him a total of four two-baggers on the season.
Last week saw Radford go 11 for 44 with runners in scoring position.
As a team, Radford has put down 23 sacrifice bunts to rank 25^th nationally. Luke Wise ranks fourth in the country with eight sac bunts, average 0.36 per game, which is third best.
Over the weekend series against Presbyterian, lefthander Mack Krupp recorded his first save of the year. In one inning of work Krupp allowed no hits, punching out two Blue Hose.
Senior Kyle Zurak made his first start of his career on Sunday and was able to help Radford avoid being swept by Presbyterian. Zurak tossed six innings, striking out a career-high nine batters,surrendering one unearned run.
Factoring in every start in 2017, Zack Ridgely struck out five-plus batters for the fifth time on March 31 in a 4-3 loss at Presbyterian.
Ridgely has tallied 41 punch outs on the season to rank second in the Big South. He ranks ninth in the league with a 3.25 ERA. In addition, Ridgely ranks 20^th nationally in walks allowed per nine innings with 1.02. He has yielded only four walks, which ranks second in the league.

SCOUTING LIBERTY

Current record: (16-10) | Home: (10-5) | Away: (4-2) | Neural (2-3)
Big South (4-2)
Streak: W2
Liberty is fresh off of taking two out of three from Bethune-Cookman in non-conference weekend action, including a tenth inning walk-off win on Saturday.
Senior Sammy Taormina delivered the walk-off hit, leading all Flames in hits (33) and RBIs (21). Taormina is second on the team in batting average behind sophomore D.J. Artis.
Artis has a solid .341 batting average, which is good enough for eighth in the Big South. The young outfielder is not only a reliable option at the plate, but has some speed to compliment. Artiz is responsible for nine of the 14 stolen bases by the Flames. He has only been thrown out twice.
Joining Taormina with double-digit RBIs are Artis (18, Jake Barbee (18), Will Shepherd (17) and Andrew Kowalo (16).
Eight different Flame batters have scored 10-plus runs.
As a team, Liberty is tied for fifth in the Big South with Radford in home runs with 18 each. Taormina leads the Flames with four long balls on the season.
The Flames have incredibly patient at the dish, collecting a Big South best 153 free passes.
Liberty enters this week among the national leaders in both doubles and double plays. Despite not hitting a two-bagger over the weekend, the Flames have 55 doubles and rank 37th nationally with 2.12 doubles per game.
Artis leads the team with nine double, while Jake Barbee and Taormina follow with eight each.
Meanwhile, Liberty is 23rd in the country with 1.08 double plays per game. The Flames have turned 28 double plays, this season.
Liberty tops the league with a 3.36 ERA, a run lower than Presbyterian, who is next in the conference with a 4.66 ERA.
Right-handed Caleb Evans is having a superb year on the mound. Evans has struck out 41 over 45.1 inning of work, while ranking second in the Big South with a 1.59 ERA.
The success continues in the Liberty bullpen as Flame relievers have combined for a 10-1 record and three saves over 109.1 innings of work, not to mention a strong 2.30 ERA.

ON DECK

In the last six games played against Liberty inside Radford Baseball Stadium, Radford holds a 4-2 record.
Liberty hasn't won a road series between the two in-state rivals since May 2012.

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