Appalachian State (1-2) will face UNCW (3-1) for a weekend baseball series at Brooks Field in Wilmington, with Game 1 beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday.
The Saturday and Sunday games are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., and all three games will be available via live stream.
SETTING THE STAGE
For the second straight weekend, Appalachian State will play on the road against an in-state opponent that is the preseason favorite in its conference.
The Mountaineers closed their season-opening, three-game series with a 6-4 victory at UNCG, which is the preseason favorite in the Southern Conference following a 2017 NCAA Regional appearance. UNCW has lost seven of the top nine hitters from a 30-29 team that reached the CAA tournament final in 2017, and the Seahawks are the CAA's preseason favorite this year.
ASSESSING APP STATE
Led by second-year head coach
Kermit Smith, the Mountaineers have 13 returning players and 18 newcomers following a 19-36 season in which they stood at 18-24 overall and 7-12 in Sun Belt play before closing against South Alabama, Wake Forest and Coastal Carolina.
There are six seniors among the 13 returnees, and the 18 newcomers are split evenly between nine freshmen and nine transfers, including eight from the junior college level.
After beginning the 2018 season with seven straight road games, App State's first home game is scheduled for March 2, the start of a three-game series against Marshall. The Mountaineers will play South Carolina in Charlotte's BB&T Ballpark on March 6, and they are scheduled to play 40 of their 56 regular-season games in the state of North Carolina this season.
RANKING HIGHLY IN THE SUN BELT
Junior catcher
Riley Smith ranks fourth among Sun Belt players with a .455 batting average, fourth with a .571 on-base percentage and 12th with a .636 slugging percentage. He went 4-for-4 with a walk in Game 2 at UNCG and had a two-run double with two walks in Game 3.
Freshman left fielder
Kendall McGowan ranks seventh in the Sun Belt with a .667 slugging percentage, as he hit a two-run homer in Game 3 of the UNCG series, and senior first baseman
Conner Leonard is in the top 10 in both hit by pitches (second with two) and walks (tied for sixth with four).
The pitching staffs from App State and UT Arlington are tied for first place with only seven walks apiece.
RECAPPING THE UNCG SERIES
In the 27 innings played over three days, App State held the lead after its at-bat 14 times, was tied after seven of its at-bats and trailed after only six of its at-bats. It either led or was tied until the bottom of the seventh inning Friday and led or was tied until the bottom of the fifth inning in Game 2.
The Mountaineers led 3-2 entering the bottom of the seventh inning of Game 1, were ahead 6-3 entering the bottom of the fifth inning of Game 2 and held a 6-1 advantage entering the bottom of the seventh inning of Game 3.
App State's starting pitchers had a combined ERA of 2.93 in the UNCG series, with Game 3 starter
Travis Holden allowing no earned runs in five innings,
Colin Schmid giving up his two earned runs with two outs as rain picked up in the fourth inning of a suspended Game 2 and Game 1 starter
Andrew Vaccacio allowing three earned runs while pitching into the seventh inning.
MATCHING UP ON THE MOUND
A closer look at the probable starters on the mound:
Game 1 (Friday, 4 p.m.)
• App State — LHP
Andrew Vaccacio (Jr.)
2018 stats: 0-1, 4.26 ERA, 5 Ks, 2 BBs and 4 hits in 6.1 IP
2017 stats: 4-4, 4.34 ERA, 25 relief app., 5 saves, 52 Ks in 37.1 IP (junior college)
• UNCW — RHP Alex Royalty (Jr.)
2018 stats: 0-0, 1 start, 3.60 ERA, 6 Ks, 1 BB, 7 hits and 2 ER in 5.0 IP
2017 stats: 9-2, 3.20 ERA in 15 starts, 106 Ks, 25 BBs and 86 hits in 98.1 IP
Game 2 (Saturday, 2 p.m.)
• App State — LHP
Colin Schmid (Jr.)
2018 stats: 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 1 K, 2 BBs and 4 hits in 4 IP
2017 stats: 6-7, 3.61 ERA, 79 Ks in 87.1 IP
• UNCW — LHP Zarion Sharpe (So.)
2018 stats: 0-1, 1 start, 7.36 ERA, 4 Ks, 1 BB, 6 hits and 3 ER in 3.2 IP
2017 stats: 6-1, 4.74 ERA in 11 starts, 45 Ks, 19 BBs and 51 hits in 57.0 IP
Game 3 (Sunday, 2 p.m.)
• App State — RHP
Brandon Boone (Jr.)
2018 stats: 0-1, 4 ER and 5 hits in 0.1 IP
2017 stats: 7-0, 2.48 ERA, 75 Ks, 27 BBs and 45 hits in 65.1 IP (Brunswick C.C.)
• UNCW — RHP Logan Beehler (Jr.)
2018 stats: 0-0, 1 start, 8.31 ERA, 5 Ks, 2 BB, 7 hits and 4 ER in 4.1 IP
2017 stats: 3-7, 5.22 ERA in 15 starts 55 Ks, 34 BBs and 82 hits in 81.0 IP
SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS
UNCW's 3-1 start includes three 5-4 wins. including one at No. 6 UNC on Tuesday.
App State is 1-4 all-time against UNCW with a 1-0 victory in 1971. The Seahawks won 4-3 in 1983, 6-1 in 2001, 8-2 in 2003 and 6-5 last season. In the third game of last season, the Mountaineers scored twice in the top of the eighth inning to claim a 5-3 lead before allowing one run in the bottom of the eighth and two runs in the bottom of the ninth.
RETURNING TO WILMINGTON
Appalachian State newcomers
Brandon Boone (junior college transfer) and
John Price (freshman) are both pitchers who attended Hoggard High School in Wilmington.
Boone, the likely Sunday starter, played previously at Brunswick Community College outside of Wilmington and went 7-0 last season with a 2.48 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 65.1 innings.
Joel McDaniel, a newcomer at shortstop, also played at Brunswick C.C.
LOOKING BACK AT 2017
Some highlights from Smith's debut season came as App State:
• Gave Smith his first win with a 3-1 victory against VMI in Game 3 of 2017.
• Posted a road sweep of Gardner-Webb.
• Recorded a 12-4 road upset of Louisiana in its first Sun Belt series.
• Claimed 7-6 and 3-2 victories to win a Sun Belt road series against Little Rock
• Won 7-3 at Georgia Southern thanks to 13 strikeouts in seven innings from
Colin Schmid. App State hit back-to-back-to-back homers in a four-homer inning that later involved a two-run shot from
Conner Leonard.
• Won 8-7 at home vs. ETSU thanks to a walk-off homer from
Avery Jackson.
• App State had two players drafted, with right-handed reliever
Matt Brill going in the 12th round to the Arizona Diamondbacks and catcher
Chandler Seagle going in the 30th round to the San Diego Padres.
CALLING ON COLIN
Colin Schmid's ERA of 3.61 in 2017 ranked fourth among returning full-time starters in the Sun Belt Conference ... After posting four of his six wins in Sun Belt play last year, there were only five returning pitches who had more wins in league play during the 2017 season … Schmid's 79 strikeouts last year are tied for sixth place on App State's single-season list ... He pitched at least 6.0 innings in 10 of 13 starts and at least 7.0 innings in 6 of 13 starts.
MEETING THE MOUNTAINEER SENIORS
•
Luke Watts, RHP (Taylorsville, N.C./Alexander Central HS)
Before making 14 starts (primarily as the Sunday starter), issuing only 20 walks in 75.1 innings and posting the best groundball ratio on the team in 2017, appeared out of the bullpen in all 30 of his appearances as a freshman and sophomore … Led App State relievers with a 2.48 ERA in 2016.
•
Reed Howell, RHP (Goldsboro, N.C./Rosewood HS)
Appeared in a team-high 25 games out of the bullpen in 2017, posting a team-best 3.38 ERA with a team-high five saves and a 1-2 record … Through 20 of his 25 outings, had a 1.93 ERA, and the ERA was at 1.64 through 18 outings … Pitched at least one full inning in 22 of his 25 appearances and at least two innings in 12 of his appearances.
•
Travis Holden, RHP (Advance, N.C./West Forsyth HS)
Often the Friday starter on the mound for the Mountaineers in 2017 ... Had 44 strikeouts and 28 walks over 65.2 innings … Because of injury, missed the final two Sun Belt Conference series against South Alabama and Coastal Carolina.
•
Tristan Helms, LHP (Aberdeen, N.C./Pinecrest)
Appeared in 22 games as a relief pitcher and had a 1-0 record with a 4.82 ERA in 2017 … Through the first 17 of his 22 appearances, had a 0.82 ERA with one run and seven hits (all singles) allowed over 11 innings … Didn't allow a run in 17 of his 22 appearances and didn't allow a hit in his first six appearances.
•
Conner Leonard, 1B (Winston-Salem, N.C./Reagan HS)
Entered 2018 with 125 career starts and 13 career home runs ... Had seven home runs (tied for second on the team) and 27 RBIs while starting in 40 of his 51 appearances and serving as App State's primary first baseman in 2017 … In Sun Belt play, hit .280 with five homers, 19 RBIs and a .488 slugging percentage … In a month span from April 14 to May 14, raised his batting average by 63 points by going 21-for-60 (.350) over 15 games with four homers and 18 RBIs.
•
Drake Zupcic, OF (Waxhaw, N.C./Cuthbertson HS)
Started in 75 of of his 109 career games ... Batted .277 (third on the team) while starting in 47 of his 48 appearances in 2017 … The starting center fielder in 41 games, he had 46 hits, 25 runs scored, 23 RBIs, five doubles and two homers.
