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Tuesday Starters
UNCG: So., LH Jake Lewis
HPU: Jr., LH Jordan Sergent

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team hosts inter-Triad rival UNCG in midweek action at Williard Stadium on Tuesday, April 18. It is the first official meeting of the season between the two sides after their previous meeting in Greensboro, N.C. was cancelled due to inclement weather. 
 
History vs. UNCG: High Point is just 8-16 against UNCG in the Div. I era. The Panthers dropped two of three games against the Spartans in a season-opening home-and-home series in 2016. High Point lost the first two games of the series by scores of 9-3 and 13-5 before bouncing back with a 15-5 win at home in the series finale.
 
The Opponent: UNCG is 22-13 on the season and 8-4 in the Southern Conference but is coming off a series loss at home against Wofford over the weekend. The Spartans are hitting .328 as a team, fourth in the nation, and lead the nation with 29 triples. Third baseman Caleb Webster ranks third in the nation with a team-best .434 batting average to go along with 30 RBI and 25 runs scored. Outfielder Andrew Moritz is hitting .378 six triples and a team-best 29 run scored while outfielder Cesar Trejo is tops on the team with seven home runs and 38 RBI. Left-hander Jake Lewis will make his second start of the season for UNCG on Tuesday. Lewis has appeared in seven games and is 0-1 with a 9.95 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 12-2/3 innings. He has walked just six but is allowing opponents to hit .352 against him.

Probable Starting Pitchers:
• Tuesday: Junior left-hander Jordan Sergent will get the start on the mound for the second time this season on Tuesday. Sergent made his first appearance for the Panthers last week against Elon, allowing three runs on two hits and a walk while striking out three in three innings of action.
 
Last Weekend: High Point took two of three games from UNC Asheville at Williard Stadium over the weekend to claim its third-straight Big South series. The Panthers won the first two games of the series by scores of 5-2 and 7-0 behind strong pitching performances by senior Jeremy Johnson and freshman Drew Daczkowski. Johnson made his first collegiate start on Thursday and threw a complete game, the Panthers' first since 2015. The following day, Daczkowski struck out a career-high nine in 6-2/3 scoreless innings. It was the most strikeouts by an HPU starting pitcher this season.
 
Johnson Goes The Distance: Senior Jeremy Johnson threw a complete game in his first collegiate start on Thursday against UNC Asheville. The left-hander allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits and two walks while striking out five in his nine innings of work. It was the first complete game for a Panther pitcher since former Panther Conor Lourey went the distance against Longwood on May 21, 2015 in the Big South Baseball Championships.

Schunk Surging: Since laying claiming to the starting third base position against Liberty, Blake Schunk has been one of the top hitters in the Big South. The junior has gone 31-73 (.425) over the past 20 games with 10 doubles, 16 RBI and 16 runs scored. Against Gardner-Webb, Schunk went 8-12 with three doubles, four RBI and two runs scored.
 
Greene Reemerges: Senior Josh Greene has started each of the past 25 games and is hitting .290 with five home runs, 17 RBI and 17 runs scored in those games. He has 11 extra-base hits this season while also leading the team with 15 stolen bases, second most in the Big South. He had a career-high three steals at North Carolina Central and two at North Carolina A&T.
 
Fireman Hodges: Sophomore left-hander Matt Hodges has become one of the Panthers' top relievers in his second year with the club, appearing in 17 games, third-most in the Big South, and posting a 5-1 record with three saves. Hodges is tied for the Big South lead in wins and is also tied for seventh in saves. The left-hander has a 2.60 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 34-2/3 innings of work this season.
 
Power Surge: High Point has shown much more pop at the plate this season with 31 home runs in 35 games, third in the Big South behind Gardner-Webb and Campbell. The Panthers are threatening the program Div. I record of 56 home runs set in 2010. Junior Austen Zente is tied for second in the Big South with eight home runs while junior Carson Jackson has six home runs and senior Josh Greene has five.
 
Start'em Young: The High Point pitching staff has relied on youth this season as underclassmen have pitched 240 of 312 innings (76.9 percent) for the Panthers in 2017. All but three of HPU's 35 games this season have been started by underclassmen including nine each by freshmen Drew Daczkowski and Trevor Holloway. Daczkowski currently ranks sixth in the Big South with 49 strikeouts and sophomore  Andrew Gottfried is ranked third in the conference with a .206 opponent batting average.
 
Up Next: The Panthers hit the road in conference play for the first time in four weeks this weekend as they head to Clinton, S.C. to take on the Presbyterian College Blue Hose, the team currently tied for the Big South lead. High Point is 10-8 against the Blue Hose in the Div. I era, including a home sweep in two clubs last meeting back in 2015. HPU is just 2-4 in two series at Presbyterian with the team's last series road win over the Blue Hose coming in 2010.

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