With its ACC opener against North Carolina State looming over the upcoming weekend, Boston College baseball takes on a pair of non-conference foes in midweek action—the Big South’s UNC Asheville, followed by the Southern’s Wofford.
The Eagles (4-5) have struggled with consistency through their first nine games, dropping two of three in their last two sets of games. They’ll face a Bulldogs (2-8) team on a six-game losing streak first, then head down to play the Terriers (6-4), who are winners of three straight.
Who is BC playing?
UNC Asheville
Wofford
When is BC playing?
Tuesday, March 6, 4 p.m.
Wednesday, March 7, 12 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Greenwood Baseball Field, Asheville, N.C.
Fluor Field, Greenville, S.C.
How to Watch:
Tuesday’s game against UNC Asheville will be available to stream on the conference website, here. Wednesday’s only has live stats available, here.
Probable Starters:
Tuesday: BC RHP Matt Gill vs. UNC Asheville RHP Danny Wilson
Wednesday: BC RHP Jack Nelson vs. Wofford RHP Clay Schwaner
By the Numbers:
BC:
1) Freshman outfielder Chris Galland has quickly earned a spot in the starting lineup, having started four-straight games. Over that span, Galland has posted three multi-hit games and is 9-for-15 (.600) on the season.
2) The duo of Sean Hughes and Thomas Lane have established themselves as go-to arms out of the bullpen. They’ve totaled 10 appearances and 15 innings, allowing just two earned runs and holding opponents to a .137 batting average.
3) The Eagles have already given up nine-plus runs on four separate occasions this season—all of which were losses. Winning, obviously, has gone hand in hand with the pitching. When the BC rotation breaks down, the Eagles don’t have much of a chance.
UNC Asheville:
1) Head coach Scott Friedholm led the Eagles pitching staff and catchers from 2011 to 2014 under BC head coach Mike Gambino, before taking over over the Bulldogs. Friedholm, a former Providence catcher who spent time in the minors, has yet to record a winning season with UNC Asheville.
2) The trio of Carmine Pagano, Joe Gruszka, and Chris Troost are the obvious players to watch in the lineup—they’re the only players with double-digit hit totals. Pagano leads the way, hitting 13-for-43 (.302) in the early going.
3) The Bulldogs have been handicapped by struggles in the back end of the bullpen. Through 10 games, they’ve outscored opponents through the first three innings—but have been outscored 24-7 in the final four.
Wofford:
1) Sluggers Mack Nathanson and McClain Bradley have combined for six home runs in the Terriers’ first 11 games, logging three apiece as they’re both hitting over .345.
2) Wofford is playing No. 10 Clemson on Tuesday, looking to build off the momentum gained from a three-game sweep of Pennsylvania. The Terriers won all three games by two or less runs, but had strong production from their bats throughout.
3) Wednesday’s probable starter, Clay Schwaner, hasn’t had the best success thus far. Schwaner has dropped his last two outings, conceding seven runs against UNC Asheville before giving up three more over the course of five innings in a shutout loss to Georgia. That said, his last performance was promising—after all, Georgia ranks 15th in RPI.
Featured Image by Kaitlin Meeks / Heights Editor
