Friday, April 14
Richmond, Va.
6:30 p.m.
Davidson College
at
VCU
Photo by: DavidsonPhotos.com
Red-Hot 'Cats Head to Richmond to Face VCU
4/13/2017 2:01:00 PM | Baseball
DavidsonPhotos.com
Live Stats | Game Notes | VIDEO
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Davidson baseball (17-13, 7-5 A-10) looks to continue its hot streak this weekend, traveling to Richmond, Va., for a three-game stint with Atlantic 10 foe VCU beginning Friday, April 14. All games will be held at The Diamond, site of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.
The Wildcats are coming off their first league sweep since 2015 and their third A-10 series victory after downing La Salle in all three affairs last weekend.
Davidson betters VCU in eight statistical categories, including batting average, runs, extra-base hits, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, and OBP.
Fans can follow along through the @dcbaseball_ Twitter account for in-game updates, and can also view the game via live stats and video streaming in the links provided.
THE SERIES
Davidson and VCU will meet for the 11th time in series history on Friday. The Rams hold a narrow 6-4 edge over the 'Cats, but Davidson has taken the last two contests. Last season, in a rain-shortened winner-take-all one game series, the 'Cats downed VCU 11-5 and clinched the No. 6 seed in the A-10 Championships. They then beat the Rams (the No. 2 seed) again in the tourney, 7-3. Then-junior Will Robertson barreled over the Rams, going a combined 6-for-8, with five runs, four RBI, and two doubles. Then-rookie Eric Jones collected four hits, scoring three times and adding two RBI. In the tournament, Evan Roberts earned the win and Josh Smutzer recorded a save after 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.
THE DAVIDSON RUNDOWN
The 'Cats picked up their third A-10 series last weekend, sweeping La Salle on the road for their first league sweep since 2015. Davidson rallied from behind in both Saturday and Sunday's contests, forcing extra innings Saturday.
Senior Will Robertson and sophomore Justin Lebek each had fantastic weekends at the plate, where they each pounded out eight hits and scored six times. Lebek turned in the first inside-the-park homerun during Coach Cooke's 28-season tenure, and went on to hit .667 on the weekend.
Robertson was awarded Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week for his efforts, where he also tallied seven RBI, falling one shy of matching his season total- in one weekend. He recorded three career bests on the weekend. He is the second Wildcat to earn the title this season (Sr. Brian Fortier, Feb. 28), becoming the first duo to ever take the award in same season since Davidson joined, and the first set to take weekly POTW honors in same season since 2005.
He followed the weekend up with a 4-for-5 performance Tuesday, scoring three times and adding three RBI. He homered and doubled, making it his fifth game with an extra-base hit out of the last six, and his third homer in the last five games.
SCOUTING THE RAMS
VCU enters the weekend on a 19-14 ledger, but have an 8-1 record in league play. The team is coming off a 9-4 loss to in-state foe Virginia Tuesday, but prior to that, completed the sweep of league-foe UMass on the road. Paul Witt leads the crew with a .377 batting average, boasting a team-best 46 hits, but Darien Carpenter lead the team in RBI (21), total bases (54), and home runs (6). The Rams bullpen entered Tuesday having allowed no hits in the last 18 innings, but are led by three solid starters. Senior Sean Thompson leads the way with a 5-2 record and 51 Ks, but his southpaw classmate Brooks Vial boasts the best ERA of 2.53. Thompson is narrowly behind him at 2.54.
THE MOUND MAKEUP
Friday, April 14: 6:30 p.m. | Game 31
Sr. RHP Sean Thompson (2.54 ERA, 5-2, 49.2 IP, 51 K) vs. RSr. RHP Durin O'Linger (4.67 ERA, 2-2, 44.1 IP, 44 K)
Saturday, April 15: 2:00 p.m. | Game 32
Sr. LHP Brooks Vial (2.53 ERA, 4-3, 46.1 IP, 41 K) vs. Jr. RHP Josh Smutzer (3.55 ERA, 4-1, 45.2 IP, 25 K)
Sunday, April 16: 1:00 p.m. | Game 33
So. RHP Michael Dailey (4.62 ERA, 4-2, 39.0 IP, 28 K) vs. TBA
UP NEXT
The 'Cats will remain on the road, traveling to Columbia, S.C., to face the nationally-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks for a Tuesday tilt.
Live Stats | Game Notes | VIDEO
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Davidson baseball (17-13, 7-5 A-10) looks to continue its hot streak this weekend, traveling to Richmond, Va., for a three-game stint with Atlantic 10 foe VCU beginning Friday, April 14. All games will be held at The Diamond, site of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.
The Wildcats are coming off their first league sweep since 2015 and their third A-10 series victory after downing La Salle in all three affairs last weekend.
Davidson betters VCU in eight statistical categories, including batting average, runs, extra-base hits, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, and OBP.
Fans can follow along through the @dcbaseball_ Twitter account for in-game updates, and can also view the game via live stats and video streaming in the links provided.
THE SERIES
Davidson and VCU will meet for the 11th time in series history on Friday. The Rams hold a narrow 6-4 edge over the 'Cats, but Davidson has taken the last two contests. Last season, in a rain-shortened winner-take-all one game series, the 'Cats downed VCU 11-5 and clinched the No. 6 seed in the A-10 Championships. They then beat the Rams (the No. 2 seed) again in the tourney, 7-3. Then-junior Will Robertson barreled over the Rams, going a combined 6-for-8, with five runs, four RBI, and two doubles. Then-rookie Eric Jones collected four hits, scoring three times and adding two RBI. In the tournament, Evan Roberts earned the win and Josh Smutzer recorded a save after 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.
THE DAVIDSON RUNDOWN
The 'Cats picked up their third A-10 series last weekend, sweeping La Salle on the road for their first league sweep since 2015. Davidson rallied from behind in both Saturday and Sunday's contests, forcing extra innings Saturday.
Senior Will Robertson and sophomore Justin Lebek each had fantastic weekends at the plate, where they each pounded out eight hits and scored six times. Lebek turned in the first inside-the-park homerun during Coach Cooke's 28-season tenure, and went on to hit .667 on the weekend.
Robertson was awarded Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week for his efforts, where he also tallied seven RBI, falling one shy of matching his season total- in one weekend. He recorded three career bests on the weekend. He is the second Wildcat to earn the title this season (Sr. Brian Fortier, Feb. 28), becoming the first duo to ever take the award in same season since Davidson joined, and the first set to take weekly POTW honors in same season since 2005.
He followed the weekend up with a 4-for-5 performance Tuesday, scoring three times and adding three RBI. He homered and doubled, making it his fifth game with an extra-base hit out of the last six, and his third homer in the last five games.
SCOUTING THE RAMS
VCU enters the weekend on a 19-14 ledger, but have an 8-1 record in league play. The team is coming off a 9-4 loss to in-state foe Virginia Tuesday, but prior to that, completed the sweep of league-foe UMass on the road. Paul Witt leads the crew with a .377 batting average, boasting a team-best 46 hits, but Darien Carpenter lead the team in RBI (21), total bases (54), and home runs (6). The Rams bullpen entered Tuesday having allowed no hits in the last 18 innings, but are led by three solid starters. Senior Sean Thompson leads the way with a 5-2 record and 51 Ks, but his southpaw classmate Brooks Vial boasts the best ERA of 2.53. Thompson is narrowly behind him at 2.54.
THE MOUND MAKEUP
Friday, April 14: 6:30 p.m. | Game 31
Sr. RHP Sean Thompson (2.54 ERA, 5-2, 49.2 IP, 51 K) vs. RSr. RHP Durin O'Linger (4.67 ERA, 2-2, 44.1 IP, 44 K)
Saturday, April 15: 2:00 p.m. | Game 32
Sr. LHP Brooks Vial (2.53 ERA, 4-3, 46.1 IP, 41 K) vs. Jr. RHP Josh Smutzer (3.55 ERA, 4-1, 45.2 IP, 25 K)
Sunday, April 16: 1:00 p.m. | Game 33
So. RHP Michael Dailey (4.62 ERA, 4-2, 39.0 IP, 28 K) vs. TBA
UP NEXT
The 'Cats will remain on the road, traveling to Columbia, S.C., to face the nationally-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks for a Tuesday tilt.
Players Mentioned
INF/RHP
/ Baseball
C/INF
/ Baseball
OF/RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
OF/RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballCoach Cooke Retirement Video
Wednesday, October 29
2024 Davidson Baseball Alumni Game Will DuBose message
Wednesday, August 14
Baseball Wins at Kannapolis
Thursday, March 16
Baseball - A-10 Regular Season Champions
Monday, January 30
