After getting blown out at Charlotte in its midweek matchup, Tennessee returns home to face another “Tar Heel” state foe in North Carolina-Greensboro.
The Spartans are off to a 10-2 start including a midweek win over a ranked North Carolina State team and five weekend wins over a 3-7 Elon team.
“As far as the weekend competition goes, look at Greensboro’s record,” Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello said. “Our biggest thing on Friday night is to get into the fight and we want to try and win the series and in college baseball that’s how your season is dictated or judged, do you win weekend series?”
Leading the way to UNC-Greensboro’s success has been the success of its offense. The Spartans are averaging over eight runs a game thanks to a team .294 batting average and .421 on-base percentage that ranks 16th nationally among teams that have played at least five games. UNC-Greensboro’s 80 walks are good for fifth nationally.
“They’re really aggressive,” Vitello said of the Spartans’ offense. “They’re strong from top-to-bottom of the order which is what we have the capability of being and we have the capability of doing and have done in certain games. They’re really aggressive on the bases.”
UNC-Greensboro has four players entering the weekend hitting over .300 including first basemen Josh Madole. Madole doesn’t hit for power like most first basemen, recording just six RBIs and one extra-base hit, but the redshirt junior lives on base, hitting .368 with a .554 on-base percentage.
The Spartans’ lineup doesn’t blow you away with its power, but still has the long ball threat, hitting 11 in the first 12 games.
Leading UNC-Greensboro in homers are redshirt-sophomores Corey Rosier and Hogan Windish, tallying four each. Rosier has been the Spartans’ best hitter to this point in the season recording 18 RBIs and a .340 batting average while Windish, the starting second baseman, has 14 RBIs and a .296 batting average.
Shortstop Daniel Cerda and third baseman Zack Budzik round out the Spartans hitting over .300 on the season with Cerda hitting .324 with 10 RBIs and Budzik hitting .304 with one homer and 10 RBIs.
On the mound, UNC-Greensboro has shown more vulnerability, allowing 4.6 runs per game. The Spartans have done a good job of making opponents earn in, ranking in the top 50 nationally of walks surrendered.
“A pitching staff that throws strikes,” Vitello said. “The strike throwing numbers are on par with ours if you check them.”
UNC-Greensboro’s weekend starters have had its fair share of struggles this season. RHP Austin Koehn is set to start Friday and has been the Spartans’ only reliable starter. The redshirt-sophomore is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in 16.1 innings.
Behind Koehn, RHP Jacob Curry and RHP Alex Hoppe have each had serious troubles this season, leading to the Spartans’ announcing two new weekend starters heading into the weekend.
Austin Parley will start Saturday for UNC-Greensboro after allowing three hits, two walks and zero runs in 6.2 innings of relief.
On Sunday, UNC-Greensboro will start one of its few left handed arms in Jared Matthewson. Matthewson has a 2-1 record in three bullpen appearances, but his ERA is 6.75 in 6.2 innings of action.
UNC-Greensboro’s bullpen has been better than its starting rotation through the first 11 games, allowing just 20 of the Spartans’ 49 runs allowed.
Right handed pitchers Brandon Stephens and Phillip Sanderson have all been fantastic out of the bullpen, not giving up a single run.
Stephens has allowed just nine baserunners in 11 innings of action while striking out eight. Parsley has allowed just three hits in 6.2 innings while Sanderson has allowed two hits and one walk in five innings.
UNC-Greensboro is short on left handed pitching with Jack Voight being its only effective lefty pitcher.
The three-game series is set to start Friday night with Tennessee junior Chad Dallas returning to face Koehn. First pitch from Lindsey Nelson Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. ET.
