Friday, April 27
Davidson, N.C.
6:00 p.m.
Davidson College
vs
Samford
David Daniels
Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
Baseball Opens Series with Samford Friday with Beach Bash
4/26/2012 5:54:00 PM | Baseball
DAVIDSON, N.C. - Freshman LHP Henry Sisson will make his first start at Wilson Field since throwing a no-hitter two weeks ago when Davidson baseball opens a three-game series against Samford Friday at 6 p.m. Students and fans in attendance will have opportunities to win prizes as part of a "Beach Bash" event.
All students can boost their Wildcat Pride point totals Friday night with Double Pride Points. The first 100 students will receive free t-shirts and the first 75 students will receive free Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Ben & Jerry's will be selling to all throughout the game. Other prizes include a boat rental on Lake Norman courtesy of Duffy Electronic Boats of Lake Norman, a $50 Best Buy gift card, a $50 Target gift card, tickets to Our Town Cinemas and more.
Sisson (4.05, 3-1) is scheduled to face Samford's (26-16) RHP Charles Basford (3.48, 6-1) in the series opener. Davidson (16-22, 7-14 SoCon) will then send senior RHP Ryan Overcash (4.75, 3-6) to the hill Saturday against RHP Josh Martin (3.25, 7-1). Sunday's starters are to be announced.
Davidson is attempting to break into the Top 8 of the SoCon standings and qualify for the conference tournament. The 'Cats (7-14) are presently tied with Furman (7-14) and UNCG (6-12) for eighth place.
Leading Off
- Davidson had a season-best five-game winning streak snapped at UNCG over the weekend after getting swept in a series-ending doubleheader. The 'Cats have now dropped their last three after losing to Virginia Tech on Tuesday.
- Starters Henry Sisson and Ryan Overcash have thrown complete games in their last two outings and both went eight innings the week prior to their first complete games.
- Drew Gadaire leads the team in hitting (.297) and RBI (27.)
- Entering the week Davidson ranked 27th in the nation in stolen bases per game at 1.65.
The Series
Davidson trails in the all-time series with Samford, 3-7. The two teams met for the first time in 1999 in a non-conference game, and have played each other annually since Samford joined the SoCon in 2009. The Bulldogs swept Davidson in their lone visit to Wilson Field in 2010 and took 2-of-3 last season on the road.
Last Time Out
BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech scored six unanswered runs and used eight different pitchers to keep Davidson bats in check in a 7-3 victory over the Wildcats in non-conference baseball action Tuesday evening at English Field.
After allowing Davidson to take a 3-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning, Virginia Tech was able to get one run back in the bottom half of the inning with two outs. The Hokies then scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Forrest Brandt paced the Wildcats going 2-for-4, Jake Berman went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and the 'Cats lone RBI.
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Spartan pitcher Dylan Hathcock threw 7.2 innings, striking out seven and allowing just two runs and three hits in game one, and Thomas Troelstrup stroked a two-run, go-ahead single late in game two as UNCG swept Davidson in a Southern Conference baseball doubleheader at UNCG Baseball Stadium Saturday afternoon.
The Spartans took the first game 4-2 and the second 8-6.
Forrest Brandt was 4-for-5 with an RBI triple and two runs scored in the second contest, while Drew Gadaire and Ryan Lowe each collected two hits on the afternoon for the Wildcats (16-21, 7-14 SoCon). Ryan Overcash tossed a complete game the first contest, allowing three earned runs and fanning three.
Davidson claimed the first game of the series Friday. Sisson tossed his second consecutive complete game, and Gadaire's two-run single in the sixth inning provided the game-winning runs as Davidson topped UNCG, 7-5. It was the fifth consecutive victory for the Wildcats.
About Samford
Samford sits third in the SoCon standings after sweeping Western Carolina last weekend. Senior RHP Josh Martin became Samford's all-time leader in career wins (19) with his victory over Western on Saturday. In a pair of mid-week contests, Samford fell to Alabama, 4-5, but defeated UAB, 9-2. OF Brandon Miller is the team's top power hitter, leading the SoCon with 16 home runs and 46 RBI. 1B Saxson Butler is batting .343 with eight home runs and 35 RBI. OF Phillip Ervin is batting .322 with seven homers and 35 RBI. The Bulldogs have three other batters hitting above .300.
Great Gadaire
Senior Drew Gadaire continues to be Davidson's leading hitter (.298) after leading the team last season batting .362. Gadaire joined the team as a true walk-on and earned the team's rookie of the year award and a place on the SoCon All-Freshman team (2009), and has been the team's MVP the past two seasons. Gadaire has also been strong defensively primarily playing in centerfield. He robbed a potential game-tying home run in the Wofford series. Gadaire and classmate Seth Freeman are the team captains.
Thieves
Davidson entered the week ranked 27th in the nation in stolen bases per game at 1.65, with 62 total to rank third in the Southern Conference. Forrest Brandt leads the team and ranks fifth in the SoCon with 15 stolen bases. The Wildcats stole a team record 10 bases at Presbyterian (4/10).
Walk This Way
Davidson leads the SoCon with 178 bases on balls this season. Leadoff batter Jake Berman is tied for third in the league with 27 free passes, while Michael Zeblo is fifth in the league with 26. Zeblo tied Davidson's single-game record with four at Presbyterian (4/10).
Sisson Throws No-Hitter
Davidson left-handed pitcher Henry Sisson threw the sixth no-hitter in Davidson history and the first since 2001 as the Wildcats shut out Wofford, 1-0 (4/13). The milestone came in just Sisson's fifth career start as he upped his record to 2-1. He allowed four base runners on three walks and an error and matched his career high of nine strikeouts. The no-hitter was the first in the SoCon since College of Charleston combined to blank Western Carolina in 2004, and it was the first complete game no-hitter by a starter since The Citadel's T.A. Fulmer shut down East Tennessee State in 2002.
Sisson Earns National Awards
Sisson's no-hitter was recognized as the top pitching performance in the nation for the week by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, as the publication named him Louisville Slugger's National Pitcher of the Week and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), which also named him the National Pitcher of the Week. Sisson was also named to the College Baseball Hall of Fame National All-Star Lineup and the CollegeBaseballInsider.com National Pitcher of the Week. A game ball from his no-hitter was sent to the College Baseball Hall of Fame.
Coincidence or Not?
Henry Sisson became the first Wildcat to receive conference pitcher of the week honors since Chris Lamb did so in March 2011. Sisson coincidentally now wears Lamb's former No. 16 as Lamb, who is also left-handed, elected to forego his senior season and pitch in the Oakland A's organization this year.
Overcash Named SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week
Ryan Overcash was named the Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week after tossing his first career complete game in a 2-1 victory over Wofford (4/14) and recording a career-high 11 strikeouts. The right-hander maintains a 3.74 grade point average in economics.
Break Out the Brooms
The three-game SoCon series sweep of Wofford was Davidson's first since 2009 when it took three from UNCG at home.
Home Sweet Home
Davidson is 11-8 at Wilson Field, winning its last three games. On the road, Davidson is 5-5 against teams that have not been nationally ranked this season, and 0-8 against teams that have been ranked at some point in the season.
Young Arms
Of the 14 relief pitchers Davidson has called upon this season, seven are freshmen (Ben Arkin, Rob Bain, Clark Beeker, Ryan Lowe, Nick Neitzel, Matt Saeta and Henry Sisson), two were originally exclusive position players (Bryan DaCanal and Michael Zeblo) and two (Justin Charles and Michael Loeb) did not appear in a game last season. Just one, sophomore Jip Richards, was regularly called into action last season. Brian Russell made his first releif appearance vs. Duke (3/27) after making six starts, while sophomore Danny Mooney made his first relief appearance at UNCG (4/21, G2). One of the biggest adjustments Davidson is making in 2012 is adapting to the absence of bullpen stalwart Mike Frongello. The reliable, righty-reliever concluded his stellar four-year career by breaking the SoCon's all-time appearance record in the 2011 season finale, taking the ball for the 136th time. He appeared in 39 of 48 games last season, throwing 67.1 innings (second on the team) and posted a team low 2.54 ERA. Also missing from the bullpen is flamethrower Andy Bass, who graduated and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 18th round. Starter Chris Lamb elected to forego his senior season after the Oakland A's selected him in the 11th round last year, so combined with the departure of graduating seniors, Davidson lost nearly 68 percent of last year's innings pitched.
Closer by Committee
Four different pitchers have earned Davidson's seven saves this season. Freshmen Clark Beeker and Matt Saeta and junior Michael Zeblo, who primarily plays shortstop, have two each. Zeblo earned Davidson's first save of the season and most recent against Wofford (4/15). Freshman Ryan Lowe earned his first save at USC Upstate (4/3) after Saeta ran into trouble in the ninth inning.
Ironmen
3B Andrew Barna, LF Forrest Brandt, and CF Drew Gadaire have started each game this season. Gadaire has started a pair of games at first base, while Barna has started each game in the cleanup spot.
Home Run Paradox
Davidson is just 4-6 in games in which a Wildcat hits a home run.
Streaks End
OF Drew Gadaire saw his 27-game reached base streak, which dated back to last season come to an end vs. Duke (3/27) with an 0-for-4 night. It also ended an eight-game hitting streak. 1B Calvin Sigelbaum reached base in 15-straight games after moving into the starting lineup, but failed to reach base in the series finale at Coll. of Charleston (3/25). Sigelbaum and Gadaire are tied for the longest hiting streaks of the season, as Sigelbaum had a hit in each of his first eight starts.
Bonus Baseball
Four of Davidson's games this year have gone into extra innings, including three SoCon games. Davidson fell to Ohio and Appalachian State earlier in the year in games that went 10 innings and defeated Elon in back-to-back 11 inning contests. The Wildcats had just four extra inning games all of last season.
Team of the Week Honorable Mention
Davidson earned a “Team of the Week” honorable mention (Mar. 12-18) from CollegeBaseballInsider.com, after going 3-1 with a pair of dramatic wins over Elon.
All students can boost their Wildcat Pride point totals Friday night with Double Pride Points. The first 100 students will receive free t-shirts and the first 75 students will receive free Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Ben & Jerry's will be selling to all throughout the game. Other prizes include a boat rental on Lake Norman courtesy of Duffy Electronic Boats of Lake Norman, a $50 Best Buy gift card, a $50 Target gift card, tickets to Our Town Cinemas and more.
Sisson (4.05, 3-1) is scheduled to face Samford's (26-16) RHP Charles Basford (3.48, 6-1) in the series opener. Davidson (16-22, 7-14 SoCon) will then send senior RHP Ryan Overcash (4.75, 3-6) to the hill Saturday against RHP Josh Martin (3.25, 7-1). Sunday's starters are to be announced.
Davidson is attempting to break into the Top 8 of the SoCon standings and qualify for the conference tournament. The 'Cats (7-14) are presently tied with Furman (7-14) and UNCG (6-12) for eighth place.
Leading Off
- Davidson had a season-best five-game winning streak snapped at UNCG over the weekend after getting swept in a series-ending doubleheader. The 'Cats have now dropped their last three after losing to Virginia Tech on Tuesday.
- Starters Henry Sisson and Ryan Overcash have thrown complete games in their last two outings and both went eight innings the week prior to their first complete games.
- Drew Gadaire leads the team in hitting (.297) and RBI (27.)
- Entering the week Davidson ranked 27th in the nation in stolen bases per game at 1.65.
The Series
Davidson trails in the all-time series with Samford, 3-7. The two teams met for the first time in 1999 in a non-conference game, and have played each other annually since Samford joined the SoCon in 2009. The Bulldogs swept Davidson in their lone visit to Wilson Field in 2010 and took 2-of-3 last season on the road.
Last Time Out
BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech scored six unanswered runs and used eight different pitchers to keep Davidson bats in check in a 7-3 victory over the Wildcats in non-conference baseball action Tuesday evening at English Field.
After allowing Davidson to take a 3-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning, Virginia Tech was able to get one run back in the bottom half of the inning with two outs. The Hokies then scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Forrest Brandt paced the Wildcats going 2-for-4, Jake Berman went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and the 'Cats lone RBI.
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Spartan pitcher Dylan Hathcock threw 7.2 innings, striking out seven and allowing just two runs and three hits in game one, and Thomas Troelstrup stroked a two-run, go-ahead single late in game two as UNCG swept Davidson in a Southern Conference baseball doubleheader at UNCG Baseball Stadium Saturday afternoon.
The Spartans took the first game 4-2 and the second 8-6.
Forrest Brandt was 4-for-5 with an RBI triple and two runs scored in the second contest, while Drew Gadaire and Ryan Lowe each collected two hits on the afternoon for the Wildcats (16-21, 7-14 SoCon). Ryan Overcash tossed a complete game the first contest, allowing three earned runs and fanning three.
Davidson claimed the first game of the series Friday. Sisson tossed his second consecutive complete game, and Gadaire's two-run single in the sixth inning provided the game-winning runs as Davidson topped UNCG, 7-5. It was the fifth consecutive victory for the Wildcats.
About Samford
Samford sits third in the SoCon standings after sweeping Western Carolina last weekend. Senior RHP Josh Martin became Samford's all-time leader in career wins (19) with his victory over Western on Saturday. In a pair of mid-week contests, Samford fell to Alabama, 4-5, but defeated UAB, 9-2. OF Brandon Miller is the team's top power hitter, leading the SoCon with 16 home runs and 46 RBI. 1B Saxson Butler is batting .343 with eight home runs and 35 RBI. OF Phillip Ervin is batting .322 with seven homers and 35 RBI. The Bulldogs have three other batters hitting above .300.
Great Gadaire
Senior Drew Gadaire continues to be Davidson's leading hitter (.298) after leading the team last season batting .362. Gadaire joined the team as a true walk-on and earned the team's rookie of the year award and a place on the SoCon All-Freshman team (2009), and has been the team's MVP the past two seasons. Gadaire has also been strong defensively primarily playing in centerfield. He robbed a potential game-tying home run in the Wofford series. Gadaire and classmate Seth Freeman are the team captains.
Thieves
Davidson entered the week ranked 27th in the nation in stolen bases per game at 1.65, with 62 total to rank third in the Southern Conference. Forrest Brandt leads the team and ranks fifth in the SoCon with 15 stolen bases. The Wildcats stole a team record 10 bases at Presbyterian (4/10).
Walk This Way
Davidson leads the SoCon with 178 bases on balls this season. Leadoff batter Jake Berman is tied for third in the league with 27 free passes, while Michael Zeblo is fifth in the league with 26. Zeblo tied Davidson's single-game record with four at Presbyterian (4/10).
Sisson Throws No-Hitter
Davidson left-handed pitcher Henry Sisson threw the sixth no-hitter in Davidson history and the first since 2001 as the Wildcats shut out Wofford, 1-0 (4/13). The milestone came in just Sisson's fifth career start as he upped his record to 2-1. He allowed four base runners on three walks and an error and matched his career high of nine strikeouts. The no-hitter was the first in the SoCon since College of Charleston combined to blank Western Carolina in 2004, and it was the first complete game no-hitter by a starter since The Citadel's T.A. Fulmer shut down East Tennessee State in 2002.
Sisson Earns National Awards
Sisson's no-hitter was recognized as the top pitching performance in the nation for the week by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, as the publication named him Louisville Slugger's National Pitcher of the Week and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), which also named him the National Pitcher of the Week. Sisson was also named to the College Baseball Hall of Fame National All-Star Lineup and the CollegeBaseballInsider.com National Pitcher of the Week. A game ball from his no-hitter was sent to the College Baseball Hall of Fame.
Coincidence or Not?
Henry Sisson became the first Wildcat to receive conference pitcher of the week honors since Chris Lamb did so in March 2011. Sisson coincidentally now wears Lamb's former No. 16 as Lamb, who is also left-handed, elected to forego his senior season and pitch in the Oakland A's organization this year.
Overcash Named SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week
Ryan Overcash was named the Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week after tossing his first career complete game in a 2-1 victory over Wofford (4/14) and recording a career-high 11 strikeouts. The right-hander maintains a 3.74 grade point average in economics.
Break Out the Brooms
The three-game SoCon series sweep of Wofford was Davidson's first since 2009 when it took three from UNCG at home.
Home Sweet Home
Davidson is 11-8 at Wilson Field, winning its last three games. On the road, Davidson is 5-5 against teams that have not been nationally ranked this season, and 0-8 against teams that have been ranked at some point in the season.
Young Arms
Of the 14 relief pitchers Davidson has called upon this season, seven are freshmen (Ben Arkin, Rob Bain, Clark Beeker, Ryan Lowe, Nick Neitzel, Matt Saeta and Henry Sisson), two were originally exclusive position players (Bryan DaCanal and Michael Zeblo) and two (Justin Charles and Michael Loeb) did not appear in a game last season. Just one, sophomore Jip Richards, was regularly called into action last season. Brian Russell made his first releif appearance vs. Duke (3/27) after making six starts, while sophomore Danny Mooney made his first relief appearance at UNCG (4/21, G2). One of the biggest adjustments Davidson is making in 2012 is adapting to the absence of bullpen stalwart Mike Frongello. The reliable, righty-reliever concluded his stellar four-year career by breaking the SoCon's all-time appearance record in the 2011 season finale, taking the ball for the 136th time. He appeared in 39 of 48 games last season, throwing 67.1 innings (second on the team) and posted a team low 2.54 ERA. Also missing from the bullpen is flamethrower Andy Bass, who graduated and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 18th round. Starter Chris Lamb elected to forego his senior season after the Oakland A's selected him in the 11th round last year, so combined with the departure of graduating seniors, Davidson lost nearly 68 percent of last year's innings pitched.
Closer by Committee
Four different pitchers have earned Davidson's seven saves this season. Freshmen Clark Beeker and Matt Saeta and junior Michael Zeblo, who primarily plays shortstop, have two each. Zeblo earned Davidson's first save of the season and most recent against Wofford (4/15). Freshman Ryan Lowe earned his first save at USC Upstate (4/3) after Saeta ran into trouble in the ninth inning.
Ironmen
3B Andrew Barna, LF Forrest Brandt, and CF Drew Gadaire have started each game this season. Gadaire has started a pair of games at first base, while Barna has started each game in the cleanup spot.
Home Run Paradox
Davidson is just 4-6 in games in which a Wildcat hits a home run.
Streaks End
OF Drew Gadaire saw his 27-game reached base streak, which dated back to last season come to an end vs. Duke (3/27) with an 0-for-4 night. It also ended an eight-game hitting streak. 1B Calvin Sigelbaum reached base in 15-straight games after moving into the starting lineup, but failed to reach base in the series finale at Coll. of Charleston (3/25). Sigelbaum and Gadaire are tied for the longest hiting streaks of the season, as Sigelbaum had a hit in each of his first eight starts.
Bonus Baseball
Four of Davidson's games this year have gone into extra innings, including three SoCon games. Davidson fell to Ohio and Appalachian State earlier in the year in games that went 10 innings and defeated Elon in back-to-back 11 inning contests. The Wildcats had just four extra inning games all of last season.
Team of the Week Honorable Mention
Davidson earned a “Team of the Week” honorable mention (Mar. 12-18) from CollegeBaseballInsider.com, after going 3-1 with a pair of dramatic wins over Elon.
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