Upstate Travels to ETSU for Weekend Series
5/1/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Games 45-47: USC Upstate (14-30, 4-13) vs. ETSU (21-22, 8-9)
Friday - Sunday | 5.2. - 5.4.2014 | 7:05 p.m. | 2:05 p.m. | 1:05 p.m. EST
Johnson City, Tenn. | Thomas Stadium
Spartanburg, S.C. – Following an eight-day hiatus from competition, the USC Upstate baseball team returns to the diamond Friday night at 7:05 p.m. when the Spartans travel to Johnson City, Tenn., to battle ETSU to begin a three-game series from Thomas Stadium.
Upstate freshman right-hander Eric Birklund (0-7, 7.02) will face ETSU righty Jimmy Nesselt (5-4, 4.19) in game one, while Spartan southpaw David Roseboom (2-6, 4.10) matches up against Buccaneer left-hander Jamin McCann (3-3, 4.19) in game two on Saturday. Sunday's starting pitchers have yet to be determined.
Senior outfielder Tyler Lesch picked up one hit Apr. 23 at No. 8 South Carolina and enters the weekend leading the Spartans with a .313 batting average to go along with 25 runs scores, two triples and eight stolen bases.
Junior Erik Samples leads the team with 26 RBIs and ranks fifth in the Atlantic Sun and 54th in the nation with 15 doubles. Senior Luke Weber needs just one more double himself to move into a tie with Chris Nowak (2002-04) for the most doubles in school history with 53. Weber also stands third place all-time at Upstate with 136 RBIs.
Roseboom could also etch his name in the Upstate records books over the weekend, as he will become just the fourth pitcher in school history with 200 strikeouts if he registers two on Saturday. The Pattersonville, N.Y., native needs five more punchouts to pass Brandon Williams (2003-06) and move into third place all-time with 203. Roseboom is averaging 4.4 strikeouts per start.
USC Upstate and ETSU will be meeting on the diamond for the 26th time when the two schools face off Friday night. ETSU is 15-10 all-time against the Spartans and 7-7 when playing in Johnson City. The Buccaneers have won three of the last four meetings with Upstate after taking two of three last year in Spartanburg before eliminating the Spartans from the A-Sun Tournament in the semifinals. Upstate, however, has won three straight games in Johnson City after sweeping a three-game series in 2012.
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