RADFORD HOSTS VIRGINIA TECH TUESDAY IN NRV SHOWDOWN

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SETTING THE STAGE

Opponent: Virginia Tech
Series: Hokies lead 45-14
Location: Carter Memorial Stadium (Radford, Va.)
Virginia Tech won the first matchup of 2018 in 12 innings with a 3-2 victory on a walk-off suicide squeeze on Feb. 27.
The Hokies have won three straight in the all-time series after Radford won the 2016 three-game midweek series, 2-1.
A season ago, Virginia Tech collected a 17-6 victory inside Carter Memorial on four home runs and three doubles
Radford's last win in the series came at home with a 12-8 decision on March 22, 2016 as its three through seven hitters drove in nine runs.
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ON THE HILL
Tuesday, April 17 – 6 p.m.
LHP Andrew Nardi (2-3, 7.85) vs. RHP Dylan Hall (3-2, 5.46)

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Current record: (14-21) | Home: (4-7) | Away: (10-12) | Neutral (0-2)
Big South (6-9)
Streak: W2
Radford picked up its second straight Big South road series win over the weekend as Winthrop as the Highlanders swept a Saturday doubleheader to take the series.
The conference doubleheader sweep is the first by the Highlanders since May 19, 2016.
Matt Roth paced the Highlanders in the series as he went 5 for 12 at the plate with three RBIs and two runs scored.
Roth has 13 of his 24 RBIs in the last nine games, collecting a hit in all nine games.
During the stretch, Roth is 15 for 37 at the plate as he has raised his average to .288 from .230 over the stretch.
In addition to Roth's three RBIs in the series, four Highlanders had two RBIs each.
Averaging 5.6 runs per game, Radford is hitting .233 in RBI opportunities, picking up 29 hits in the situation over the last 10 games.
Radford leadoff batters have reached base safely 41.7 percent of the time this season. The Highlanders have placed at least six leadoff guys on base 11 times on the season.
Six different Highlanders have double-digit RBIs on the season with Spencer Horwitz leading the way with 26. Joining Horwitz with 20-plus RBIs is Roth (24), Colby Higgerson (21) and Kyle Butler (20).
Over the weekend, Horwitz collected his 100^th career hit in his 92^nd career game, averaging 1.1 per game over the last two seasons.
Horwitz (13) and Roth (13) follow Andrew Szamski (16) in extra-base hits on the year, while the duo is tied for the team lead with five home runs.
Butler, Szamski and Horwitz lead the Highlanders with five multi-RBI games.
In his last 90 games played, Kyle Butler has 38 multi-hit games with 14 this season.
With a .393 on-base percentage, Butler has reached base safely in 21 straight, while collecting a hit in 10 consecutive games. The 2017 season saw Butler put together a 20-game streak.
Tied for fourth in the Big South, Straton Podaras has been hit by a pitch nine times on the season, while reaching base safely in 15 straight.
Radford has tallied 87 extra-base hits on the season, ranking 13^th nationally with 13 triples.
As a team, Radford has 26 sacrifice bunts, ranking 32^nd nationally. Higgerson has three games with two sacrifice bunts as his seven sac bunts is tied for 38^th in the country.
On the base paths, Radford is 53 for 78, which ranks as third most steals in the league. Over the weekend, Radford was 8 for 14 on the bases with three Highlanders swiping two bases each.
Fourteen different Highlanders have swiped a base this season with 10 swiping three-plus.
Opposing teams have outscored Radford 33-12 in the first inning, while the Highlanders have battled back in the second with a 31-16 edge.
Radford has plated 34 runs in the fourth for the most in any frame.
Highlander pitchers have struck out a Big South low 215 batters in 311.0 frames.
Striking out 11 batters in 7.1 frames on Saturday, Austin Ross one of a select few pitchers in the country that lead their team in most strikeouts as a starter and reliever. Ross punched out eight against Virginia Tech in a relief earlier in the season.
Radford's staff has been tough on left-handed bats of late, holding Winthrop southpaws to a 7 for 38 showing at the plate after allowing 11 hits to Virginia left-handed bats on April 11.
Redshirt senior southpaw Mack Krupp has held opposing lefties to a .154 clip with six hits in 39 at bats.
Out of the bullpen, Cody Boone has been dominant in the last eight innings, giving up only four hits in four outings, allowing a single unearned run. During the stretch, Boone has lowered his ERA from 24.00 to 6.55.

SCOUTING VIRGINIA TECH

Current record: (15-20) | Home: (6-7) | Away: (4-9) | Neutral (5-4)
ACC: (6-12)
Streak: L3
Virginia Tech is coming off a series against No. 21 Louisville, in which the Cardinals outscored the Hokies 22-4.
The Hokies are hitting .265 at a team with four players hitting over .300 as Nick Owens leads the squad with a .316 clip.
Following with a .313 clip, Tom Stoffel continues to lead Virginia Tech in most offensive categories. Stoffel leads the team in hits (45), home runs (5) and RBIs (27).
The Hokies sport four players with 20-plus RBIs and five players with 30-plus hits.
With 52 doubles as a team, Luke Horanski and Sam Fragale have 10 each.
As a team, Virginia Tech ranks 32^nd nationally with 0.94 doubles per game.
After serving as one of the country's best home run hitting teams in 2017, Virginia Tech has only 26 round-trippers through 35 games.
Leading the team with 31 runs scored, Jack Owens holds a .430 on-base percentage, ranking ninth nationally with 14 hit by pitches.
Swiping 27 bases in 42 attempts, Owens is 9 for 9 on the season.
Ranking 12^th in the ACC with a 5.19 ERA, Virginia Tech has struck out 305 batters in 310.2 innings.
Hokie closer Andrew McDonald has been the best reliever out of the Virginia Tech bullpen with a 3.56 ERA in 18 appearances. McDonald has 34 strikeouts in 31.1 frames.
As a pitching staff, Virginia Tech has allowed 62 doubles and 39 home runs, but only three triples.

ON DECK

Playing two straight Big South road series, Radford will host Charleston Southern Friday for its third conference home series.
The Highlanders welcome the Buccaneers to Carter Memorial Stadium for the first time since 2015.
The series is knotted at 35 with Charleston Southern sweeping the 2017 meeting. Radford swept the 2015 home meeting.
In games played inside Carter Memorial Series, the series is tied at 17.

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