RADFORD HEADS TO ASHEVILLE FOR FINAL BSC ROAD SERIES

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RADFORD, Va. – Down to the last three Big South weekend series of the season, postseason play is on the line as Radford and UNC Asheville meet in a series that decided the final seed in the league's tournament a season ago. Radford has won 22 straight at UNC Asheville, having not lost a road matchup since 2003, will play a single game on Friday and a doubleheader on Saturday.

SETTING THE STAGE

Series: Radford leads (40-40)
Location: Greenwood Baseball Field (Asheville, N.C.)
The Highlanders have won 21 straight in the all-time series dating back to 2009.
UNC Asheville has not won a series in the matchup since 2004.
Game Notes
Live Stats
Watch Live (Friday | Saturday GM 1 | Saturday GM 2)

ON THE HILL
Friday, May 5th – 7:00 p.m.
LHP Zack Ridgely (4-5, 2.66 ERA) vs. TBA
Saturday, May 6th – 2:00 p.m.
RHP Danny Hrbek (3-4, 5.37 ERA) vs. TBA
Saturday, May 6th – 5:00 p.m.
TBA vs. TBA

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Current record: (18-24) | Home: (9-8) | Away: (8-15) | Neutral (1-1)
Big South (6-9)
Streak: W2
Radford is coming off of its last weekend non-conference series of the season, collecting its fifth series win on the season, taking two out of three from in-state foe VMI.
Radford collected its first home win since March 28 with a 9-3 victory on Saturday as the program christened its new stadium name of Williams Field at Carter Memorial Stadium.
Radford's offense scored 29 runs on 38 hits in the three-game non-conference series.
The series saw 13 extra base hits, including six in the series finale.
The three games of double-digit hits are the most since the Highlanders had five in a row March 12-21.
In Saturday's win, Radford snapped its five-game streak of double-digit strikeouts, the second five-game stretch on the season. Radford has 19 games of double-digit strikeouts on the season.
Jonathan Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to nine games, while going 6 for 15 with three runs, two doubles, two home runs and eight RBIs.
Gonzalez put together a career day in Sunday's 15-9 win, finishing the day with his sixth three-hit game on the season and a career best five RBIs.
Gonzalez ranks third in the league with 10 home runs, ninth with 35 RBIs and ninth with 50 hits.
Of Gonzalez's 10 home runs, four have come in Big South play with 11 RBIs to lead the Highlanders in both categories.
Kyle Butler continues to lead the Highlanders with a .320 batting average on the season, good enough for 10^th in the Big South. Butler holds a .306 average in league play, collecting 19 hits in 62 at bats.
The only other Highlander hitting over .300 in Big South is Anthony Miano as the junior enters the weekend with an even average in 12 league games. Miano has 9 hits in 30 at bats, contributing two doubles, one home run and six RBIs.
Last time out, Miano fell a triple shy of the cycle, collecting the first three-hit game of his career. Miano finished with two RBIs in the win, giving him 15 on the year.
As a team, Radford has five players with 40-plus hits and six with 20-plus runs scored.
Radford ranks 45^th in the country with 33 sac bunts. Luke Wise ranks 29^th with nine sac bunts. Three Highlanders have five-plus sac bunts on the season.
After only swiping 61 bags in 58 games a season, Radford has collected 56 steals in 42 games this season.
Three Highlanders are tied for the team lead as Danny Hrbek, Richard De la Cruz and Wise are tied with eight steals each.
Twelve different Highlanders have collected a stolen base this season, including six with five or more.
Freshman Spencer Horwitz continues to be one of the best with runners in scoring position, collecting 14 hits in 38 at bats for a .368 average in the situation. Horwitz is also 7 for 9 with a runner on third base and less than two outs. Not to mention, he is 16 for 50 with two outs.
Radford is 125 for 430 with runners in scoring position, possessing a .291 average.
Matt Roth and Butler have dominated left-handed pitching through 42 games. Roth leads the team with 16 hits and a .364 average in the situation, while Butler has 15 hits and a .341 clip. Swinging a left-handed bat, Wise is 12 for 32 against opposing southpaws.
Last time out, Radford ace Zack Ridgely was touched up for five runs on six hits, including three home runs. The three home runs are the most surrendered by the lefty. In his last two starts, Ridgely has given up five home runs.
Ridgely ranks third in the league with a 2.99 ERA, while holding a 1.82 clip in Big South play.
Opposing hitters have managed only a .232 average off the lefty. Ridgely has struck out 59 batters in 69.1 innings pitched. The 59 punch outs are fourth in the league.
Nationally, Ridgely ranks 21^st in strikeout-to-walk ratio with a 6.56 mark and 25^th with a 1.17 walks allowed per nine innings clip. Ridgely's 1.01 WHIP is 52^nd in the land.
Kyle Zurak has been lights out in the several roles that he has had to fill this season. In 17 appearances, Zurak commands a 3-3 record with a 2.36 ERA. He ranks fifth in the conference with five saves.
In 34.1 innings, Zurak has punched out 41 batters, allowing only nine earned runs. In Big South games, Zurak holds a 0.96 ERA, punching out 27 batters in 18.2 innings.

SCOUTING UNC ASHEVILLE

Current record: (18-24) | Home: (9-8) | Away: (8-15) | Neutral (1-1)
Big South (7-8)
Streak: W1
The Bulldogs have played five Big South series on the season, taking series wins over Presbyterian and Campbell.
UNC Asheville has won five out of its last 10 home games, holding a two-game winning streak on the diamond.
Danny Wilson is the only Bulldog hitting over .300 on the season, coming into the series with a .303 average. Wilson leads the team with 44 hits and 37 walks. The 37 walks rank second in the league, while ranking second with a .455 on-base percentage.
Brandon Lankford provides the power in the lineup, leading the team with three offensive categories. Lankford leads the squad with 11 doubles, seven home runs and 30 RBIs.
An All-Big South performer a season ago, Joe Tietjen is second on the team with a .265 batting average. Leading the team with 31 runs scored, Tietjen has tallied six home runs and 27 RBIs.
Wilson and Tietjen have provided the speed on the bases for the Bulldogs, combining for 27 of the team's 49 steals.
As a team, UNC Asheville is hitting .223, which ranks last in the Big South. The Bulldogs also rank last in hits with 309.
Spencer Orr has been the ace on the staff for the Bulldogs, compiling a 2-3 record and 3.14 ERA in 10 starts. Orr has struck out 49 batters in 57.1 innings.
Closer Justin Woods provides another reliable arm out of the Bulldog bullpen as the righty holds a 2.08 ERA with five saves in 17 appearances.
UNC Asheville's ERA is the only one over 6.00 in the Big South, coming in at 6.16.

ON DECK

Radford will play its final road game on May 9, traveling to Johnson City, Tenn. for a March makeup game with ETSU.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
The Highlanders took the first matchup 4-3 on March 28.

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