STORYLINES
– Averett enters on a six-game win streak
– The Lions are on a three-game win streak.
– Piedmont has the reigning USA South Rookie Pitcher of the Week, Seth George.
– The Cougars swept Huntingdon College, a team who appeared to be one of the best in the league just a few weeks ago.
THE COACHES
Ed Fulton has been at the helm of the Cougars program since 1996 when he took over a program that had only completed one varsity season. Fulton has guided his team to 10 20-plus win seasons and over 350 wins in his career. In 2013, he led his team to a 24-16 record after going 26-18, 22-19 and 25-17 the previous three seasons. A season ago, his squad finished 16-23 missing the USA South Conference tournament for the first time in his career.
Now in his 14th year at the helm of the Lions baseball program, Jim Peeples has helped establish one of the most consistent programs in the South Region, if not the country, with 10 of his previous 13 seasons featuring 21 wins or more including a current streak of five straight. Since 2008, Piedmont has made two appearances in the NCAA National Tournament while the 2014 version posted 25 wins and finished in the top four of the USA South regular season standings for a second straight year.
SCOUTING AVERETT
The Cougars are currently at the top of the USA South after sweeping Huntingdon College in their last conference series. They have won their last six outings, and have only dropped four conference contests all year. Those four losses came to teams near the bottom half of the league standings including Greensboro, Ferrum and LaGrange. The last game for the Cougars was a 17-9 win against Lynchburg College Wednesday night on the road.
SERIES RECORDS
Piedmont leads the series 4-2 in the last two seasons with the Lions sweeping the series last season in Wilson, North Carolina.
USA SOUTH ROOKIE PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Representing the baseball team on the weekly awards list was freshman Seth George taking home his first award with Baseball Rookie Pitcher of the Week. George tossed the first six and a third innings against DePauw in a 9-1 victory for the Lions.
In those six and a third innings, George did not allow a run on five hits, a single walk and five strikeouts. He is now tied for second on the team in strikeouts with fellow starter Max Oberkofler and behind only Chris Goershel.
The win marked George’s second of the season as he is now 2-2 on the year. Also nominated for Baseball Rookie Pitcher of the Week was Madison Cook of Methodist.
PITCHING IS KEY
The Lions’ pitching staff has been one of the best in the league this season as they have consistently seen good work from their guys on the mound. Allen Tokarz, an ABCA All-South Region Selection from a season ago, leads the USA South in ERA with a 2.36 this season. Josh Thomas has been electric on the mound as the closer with a 0.45 ERA with a 3-0 record and four saves. Chris Goershel took home USA South Pitcher of the Week earlier this season while freshman Seth George earned the first USA South Rookie award of the season for the club this past week.
LAST TIME OUT: V. HENDRIX 4-3 W
Piedmont’s last competition came against Hendrix College and behind junior sluggers Evan Gresham and Breck Davidson, the Lions prevailed 4-3. The two juniors provided four of the seven team hits for Piedmont as each continues to swing the bat well in 2015.
Senior Max Oberkofler made the start on the mound for the Lions picking up his second win of the season tonight. The senior had a shutout through four innings and only gave up one run in the fifth and seventh innings.
Oberkofler finished the night throwing seven strong innings limiting the Warriors to just four hits and two runs striking out three in his outing. The Lions’ bullpen held the Warriors at bay in the eighth and ninth as Allen Tokarz and Josh Thomas would seal the win for the Lions.
NEXT UP FOR PIEDMONT
After this three-game stretch with Averett, the Lions will have a midweek contest with Oglethorpe on April 1 at Loudermilk Field before a weekend series with Methodist University. The Lions and Monarchs will play a doubleheader on Friday and a single game Saturday due to the Easter holiday.
