Carrollton, GA - The University of West Georgia baseball teams hosts Delta State this weekend at Cole Field for a three-game series. The series begins this Saturday with a doubleheader. The first game will be played at 2:00 p.m. and the series finale will start on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
Game Notes
Wolves at a Glance
UWG enters this weekend with an overall record of 12-18 and 6-8 in the Gulf South Conference. The Wolves are currently on a three game skid, but look to turn it around this weekend at home. West Georgia has played a little better at home this year as they are 7-9 compared to 5-9 on the road. Although the record may not show it, the Wolves have played tough in the GSC, as six out of eight losses have been from two runs or less.
Statesmen at a Glance
Delta State comes into this weekend's series with an overall record of 16-8 and 14-3 in the GSC. The Statesmen are playing well, winning both of their weekday games against Ouachita Baptist University, and six in a row before that. In that stretch, DSU swept both GSC opponents Alabama-Huntsville and Union University. According to NCCA.com, Delta State came into this week ranked #16 in the nation.
Wolves Offense
West Georgia has turned their hitting woes around a bit, as both
Sumner McWhorter and
Bryan Dunson have assisted
Shaquille Jackson as of late. Dunson actually leads the team in batting average in the month of March with a .364 average. Mcwhorter is batting .320 in the month with four doubles and one home run. Jackson still leads the team in the 2014 season with a .349 batting average and in hits with 37.
Statesmen Offense
DSU is hitting .329 as a team this season with a .426 slugging percentage. The team also has nine different players who have qualified with enough at-bats hitting over .300 on the year. The Wolves pitching staff needs to be aware of whenever Dex Herrington steps to the dish, as he is leading the team in batting average, hitting .389 thus far. He also leads the team with a .611 slugging percentage and in home runs with four. Kasey Hinton is another dangerous hitter, batting .370 on the year and hitting six doubles.
Wolves Pitching
With as well as West Georgia's starting pitching is throwing the ball, the Wolves can play with any team in the country.
Cody Skinner has been one of the most impressive guys on the hill with a record of 4-3 and a 2.67 ERA. Skinner has pitched in four complete games this season, and opponents are only hitting .260 against him. Preseason All-GSC Pitcher,
Jamie Sexton, is always an elite competitor on the mound as well. Sexton is 2-4 on the season; however, he is still feared in minds of the opponents. He leads the team with 35 strikeouts and has pitched in two complete games.
Statesmen Pitching
Coming into the weekend, Delta State has a team ERA of 2.06, and also has two starting pitchers who have a 5-0 record. Michael Manley, who was voted the GSC Student-Athlete of the week, is one of the Statesmen who is 5-0. He has a 0.77 ERA and opponents are hitting just a measly .199 against him. Ricky Winters is the other perfect 5-0 starter, and he also has an ERA under the 2.00 mark. DSU also has a third starter who in Jonathon Moody, who is 4-1 on the year with a 1.84 ERA and the most strikeouts on the team with 31.
Previous Matchup
The Wolves were not as successful as they would have liked agaisnt Delta State last year, as the Statesmen got the best of the UWG, beating them in all three regular season games. UWG and DSU also met in the Gulf South Conference tournament last year. Still, the Statesmen had the Wolves number and beat them 12-1.
