Appalachian State begins its second season under the leadership of head baseball coach Kermit Smith when it faces UNCG on Friday at 4 p.m. in Greensboro. It's the opener of a three-game series that continues Saturday at 2 p.m. and concludes Sunday at 1 p.m.
Live stats will be available for all three games, and Sunday's game will be streamed on the SoCon Digital Network.
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.
Here's a closer look at this weekend's series:
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
UNCG, the preseason favorite in the Southern Conference coaches poll, went 36-24 and used a SoCon tournament title to reach an NCAA Regional in 2017. The Spartans batted .320 as a team, had six starters over .300, hit 45 home runs as a group and averaged 7.3 runs per game last season.
App State has an all-time record of 25-36 against UNCG, and this is their first meeting since they played as SoCon members in 2014. The Mountaineers swept two home games against the Spartans that year, and App State began competing in the Sun Belt in 2015.
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.)
2017 stats: 4-4, 4.34 ERA, 25 relief app., 5 saves, 52 Ks in 37.1 IP (junior college)
• UNCG — RHP Matt Frisbee (Jr.)
2017 stats: 8-4, 4.10 ERA, 74 Ks in 96.2 IP, .238 opposing batting average
Game 2 (Saturday, 2 p.m.)
• App State — LHP Colin Schmid (Jr.)
2017 stats: 6-7, 3.61 ERA, 79 Ks in 87.1 IP
• UNCG — LHP Bryce Hensley (Sr.)
2017 stats: 7-8, 4.71 ERA, 80 Ks in 91.2 IP
Game 3 (Sunday, 1 p.m.)
• App State — RHP Travis Holden (Sr.)
2017 stats: 2-7, 5.76 ERA, 44 Ks in 65.2 IP
• UNCG — RHP Trey Kissack (So.)
2017 stats: 5-3, 4.08 ERA, 70 Ks in 68.1 IP (Southeast Community College)
LOOKING BACK AT 2017
Here are 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.
• 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 ranks 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 are 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)
Enters 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.
