GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University baseball team will host Belmont Abbey College this weekend for a three-game series at Pioneer Park. The series begins with Friday's home opener at 5 p.m. followed by a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.
RECAPPING LAST WEEK
Both teams are coming off tough opening weekends. The Pioneers went 1-3 during its annual Florida road trip. Tusculum posted a 9-5 win at Palm Beach Atlantic in a game which was postponed last Friday due to rain and was completed Sunday night as TU rallied from a 5-0 deficit with nine unanswered runs. TU suffered losses to No. 16 Nova Southeastern, Lynn and Embry-Riddle.
Belmont Abbey is winless in its first four games, dropping three games to defending South Atlantic Conference champion Newberry and Tuesday's home loss to Carson-Newman.
TUSCULUM SCOUTING REPORT
TU infielder Jaden Steagall was on fire this weekend at the plate recording nine hits in his first three games while scoring six times, driving in seven RBI while posting one double and a home run. For his efforts, he was named the SAC Player of the Week.
Daalen Adderley has a .571 average in his first four outings where he has amassed four hits including a pair of doubles. Steagall is second with his .529 average, while junior infielder Trey Hinton is batting .400.
Senior All-American second baseman Daulton Martin is hitting .333 with four runs, three RBI and a home run. The Pioneers homered five times in Florida including round-trippers by TU newcomers Fuzzy Furr, Luis Ezra and Alvaro Valdez.
The Pioneers went through 14 different pitchers in Florida, with relievers Trent Collins, Jacob Willett and Carter Linton seeing action in multiple games.
BELMONT ABBEY SCOUTING REPORT
Belmont Abbey is coming off a 27-24 campaign last season which included a 14-10 record in Conference Carolinas play. The Crusaders are picked to finish third in the league according to the conference's preseason coaches' poll.
The duo of Matt Bapst and Sean Johnson are each batting .444 to lead the team. Johnson has also tallied four runs and drawn a team-high four walks.
Despite the 0-4 start, the Crusader pitching staff still boasts a 3.00 earned run average and limiting the opposition to a .237 batting average.
This will mark the fourth straight season the two teams have met in a three-game set with the Crusaders going 6-3 during that span. The all-time series is tied 10-10 dating back to the 1998 season.
TICKETS
Tickets for all Tusculum University home baseball games is $5 general admission with children ages 12 and under admitted free. Tusculum students are also admitted free with a valid student ID.
FOLLOW THE GAMES
If you can't make it to the games, follow the action of Tusculum University baseball on-line at www.TusculumPioneers.com with video and live stats. Score updates will also be shared on Twitter (@TusculumSports) and the #PioneerUP App on your mobile devices.
