University of Delaware Athletics
Blue Hens Travel to Atlanta and Tackle Georgia State in Final CAA Road Trip of the Season
5/11/2012 6:45:00 PM | Baseball
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware baseball team will pack their bags for its final road trip of the season as Blue Hens head to Atlanta to play the Georgia State Panthers in a three-game, Colonial Athletic Association weekend series. The action begins on Friday, May 11, with first pitch set for 6 p.m. at Georgia State's Baseball Complex. Saturday's game will have a 1 p.m. start while Sunday's finale of the series has a 1 p.m. game time.
Delaware baseball looks to continue its dominance in road conference games with a 10-2 road CAA record and currently sit third in the conference with a 14-10 CAA record. Georgia State baseball is in a three-way tie for sixth place with Towson and William & Mary with an 11-13 CAA record. The Panthers are 7-5 in their four CAA weekend series this season at home.
SCOUTING GEORGIA STATE
The Panthers (21-28, 11-13 CAA), who were ranked fourth in the Colonial Athletic Assocation's preseason coaches poll, enters the weekend series after a 13-8 victory over UNC-Asheville on Tuesday and have posted a 3-5 record over the last two weeks.
Georgia State's pitching staff ranks 10th in the CAA with a 5.71 team earned run average (272 ER/428.2 IP). GSU's pitchers have a .302 opponent batting average and are one of two staffs in the CAA, along with Towson (.300), with a .300-plus opponent batting average. Panthers' pitchers are averaging 6.10 SO/9.0 IP while averaging 1.04 hit batsmen per game. Freshman Max Schmitz is seventh in the CAA while holding the opposition to a .238 batting average.
The Panthers offense has a .281 (281-1671) team batting average, which has GSU sixth in the CAA. Drew Shields leads the club with 57 base hits and a .329 batting average. Freshman Kody Adams leads the team with four triples and was named CAA Rookie of the Week in February. Senior Brandon Williams sits in a three-way tie for third place in the CAA with eight home runs on the season.
DELAWARE BEHIND THE NUMBERS
The Blue Hens (24-22, 14-10 CAA) tackle their final, but longest road trip of the season as UD flied to Atlanta for their final CAA road weekend series of the season after sweeping George Mason in Farifax, Va. last weekend. UD enters this weekend's series riding a four-game winning streak and enjoyed a four-day break while not playing any mid-week games.
Delaware's pitching staff has the reigning CAA Co-Pitcher of the Week after the league honored starter Chad Kuhl on Monday and the pitchers own a 4.80 (213 ER/399.0 IP) team earned run average, which puts the Blue Hens fifth in the CAA. Stephen Richter (above right) has registered eight saves this season, which is as many as six other teams in the CAA (Georgia State, Hofstra, James Madison, Northeastern, Old Dominion and Towson). Devon Pearson leads the staff with 19 appearances and a 1.10 (5 ER/41.0 IP) earned run average. The Blue Hens pitching staff sits second in the CAA with 7.44 strikeouts per nine innings. Starter Corey Crispell leads the club and ranks in the CAA Top 10 with 72.1 innings pitched in 12 games.
UD hitters have produced a .274 (424-1671) team batting average, which puts the Blue Hens eighth in the CAA. Freshman Tyler Powell leads the Blue Hens with a .350 (49-140) batting average and it puts him in the CAA Top 10. Powell leads the UD offense with 14 multi-hit games this season. Junior Nick Ferdinand is riding a seven-game hitting streak and has collected base knocks in 26 of the last 28 games for a .326 batting average. Ferdinand also leads the club with 38 RBI and is the only UD batter that's collected a 2, 3, 4 and 5 RBI game this season. DJ Long, Brock Niggebrugge and Ferdinand have played in all 46 games this year. Long also leads the team with 23 extra-base hits while Niggebrugge has a team-high, 13 sacrifice bunts.
DELAWARE VS. GEORGIA STATE SERIES HISTORY
The Blue Hens and Panthers series began in 2006 and enter this weekend's series having played 15 times. Delaware has a 7-8 record against Georgia State and UD took two-of-three games played last season.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Game One – Friday, 6:00 p.m. (Live Stats)
UD – Eric Young, Sr. RHP [5-4, 5.22 ERA (41 ER/70.2 IP), 49 SO]
Earned his fifth victory of the season, which puts him in a tie for the team lead with Corey Crispell, in his last start on May 4 at George Mason where he was charged with four earned runs on eight hits, three walks and two strikeouts. During the week of 2/28 he was named CAA Pitcher of the Week, after he tossed eight scoreless innings and held The Citadel on February 24, to three hits, two walks and six strikeouts for his first win of the season.
GSU – Justin Malone, Sr., RHP [1-2, 5.07 ERA (34 ER/60.1 IP), 55 SO]
Malone takes the ball in the opener after he received a no-decision on Friday, May 4 at VCU. He held the Rams to two earned runs on six hits and six strikeouts in 7.2 innings pitched. The senior righty paces the GSU staff with 55 strikeouts.
Game Two – Saturday, 1:00 p.m. (Live Stats)
UD – Corey Crispell, Sr.-r, RHP [5-3, 3.73 ERA (30 ER/72.1 IP), 44 SO]
Crispell enters weekend play tied with starter Eric Young the most victories on the club with five and will make his 11th start (12th appearance) for the Blue Hens this season. Earned a victory in his last start on May 5, at George Mason. He held the Patriots to one earned run on eight hits, one walk and three strikeouts in eight innings on the mound. Crispell is tied with Eric Young with a team-high five victories on the season. In Crispell's 11 starts this year, the Blue Hens have posted an 8-3 record.
GSU – Ben Marshall, Sr., RHP [5-5, 3.33 ERA (29 ER/78.1 IP), 45 SO]
Marshall, a two-time CAA Pitcher of the Week selection, is the only pitcher in the conference with two shutouts this season. He leads the GSU pitching staff with a 3.33 earned-run average, 12 games started and 78.1 innings pitched. In his last start on May 5 at VCU, Marshall earned the win after he tossed seven innings and held the Rams to two earned runs on seven hits, three walks and three strikeouts.
Game Three – Sunday, 1:00 p.m. (Live Stats)
UD – Chad Kuhl, So., RHP [3-4, 4.77 ERA (32 ER/60.1 IP), 41 SO]
Kuhl, who was awarded CAA Co-Pitcher of the Week after the right-hander earned a victory over George Mason on May 6. The right-hander held the Patriots to one earned run on seven hits, two walks and eight strikeouts in 8.0 innings pitched. Kuhl leads the UD pitching staff with 56 strikeouts.
GSU – Tyler Claburn, Sr., RHP [4-2, 7.81 ERA (35 ER/40.1 IP), 23 SO]
Claburn is expected to take the mound for his 19th appearance and fifth start of the season for the Panthers on Sunday. The senior right-hander suffered a defeat to VCU on May 6th. He was charged with four earned runs on seven hits, two walks and three strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched. This season the opposition is batting .335 in 40.1 innings pitched Clayburn has thrown this season.
