WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The William & Mary baseball team will square off against Big 12 foe West Virginia for its final non-conference series this weekend. The three-game set opens on Friday, March 15 at 4 pm, resumes on Saturday, March 16 at 4 pm, and concludes on Sunday, March 17 at 1 pm.
W&M News and Notes
• W&M and WVU will meet for the 26
th-28
th time in series history this weekend. The Mountaineers hold an all-time series lead of 22-3. WVU swept a three-game series during the previous matchup in 2016, but the first two games were decided by one run. It is the first time the Mountaineers will come to Williamsburg since 1968.
• Despite seeing its nine-game winning streak come to an end, the Tribe ranks 12
th in the NCAA in win-loss percentage (0.857). The last time the Green and Gold won 12 of its first 14 games occurred in 2000. It was also the first time the Tribe fashioned a nine-game winning streak since 2001.
• The W&M pitching staff sports one of the top ERA in the entire nation. A team ERA of 2.74 ranks 16
th in Division I. The Tribe has held an opponent to three runs or less on 10 occasions. W&M is the only CAA team with a sub-3.00 ERA. The bullpen has been a key cog in the success with a CAA-leading five saves. Additionally, the Tribe leads the conference in walks allowed (51) and ranks third with a .224 opposing batting average.
• Freshman
Zach Tsakounis has been sensational in the early stages of his rookie campaign. The rookie slots 28
th in the nation with a 0.77 ERA. He is the only CAA pitcher with three wins and a save. In his most recent start, Tsakounis surrendered just one hit and one earned run in 5.1 innings at Old Dominion.
• Junior
Chris Farrell and sophomore
Justin Pearson have led the efforts for the bullpen. Farrell has tossed 6.1 shutout innings of relief with 10 strikeouts. The Great Falls, Va., native ranks second in the CAA with two saves. Pearson has logged 8.2 innings in his four appearances, allowing just one earned run. He holds a 1.04 ERA, totals 10 strikeouts and a save. In addition, sophomore
Randy Prosperi paces the team with eight appearances.
• Offensively, W&M is second-best in the CAA with a .273 team batting average. The team also ranks top five in the league in runs scored (100), RBI (86), doubles (35), triples (seven) and home runs (7). The Tribe tallied 10-plus hits five times and scored at least eight runs on six occasions.
• Freshman
Hunter Hart has progressed to becoming one of the top 10 hitters in the CAA. Hart leads the Tribe with a .333 batting average (15-for-45), adding two doubles and nine RBI. The first baseman is riding a five-game hitting streak and recorded a multiple hit performance four times.
• Sophomore
Matt McDermott is providing clutch hits for the Tribe. McDermott is hitting .429 (6-for-14) with runners on base and two outs. The second baseman leads the team with five two-out RBI. Overall, McDermott is batting .314 (16-for-51) and ranks second on the team in hits (16) and third in doubles (4).
• Since becoming the leadoff hitter, freshman
Jack Cone is batting .316 (12-for-38), with five doubles, six RBI and nine walks. The outfielder registered a multiple hit game in four of his last seven appearances. Cone is also in the midst of a nine-game reached base streak.
• Senior
Bodie Sheehan ranks fourth in program history with 48 career starts. With his upcoming start, he will tie
Will Malerich '97 for third in W&M annals. Sheehan is really close to becoming the 13
th player at W&M to reach 200 strikeouts. The Virginia Beach, Va., native needs to fan nine more batters to reach the mark.
• W&M has had three players collect CAA Weekly Awards in the first four weeks of the season. Two freshmen pitchers in
Tristan Snyder and Tsakounis garnered CAA Rookie of the Week honors. The other award went to McDermott as the CAA Player of the Week for the week of March 8.
• Plumeri Park, the home of the Tribe Baseball, turns 20 this spring. The anniversary will be celebrated and recognized over the course of the season. The facility was constructed in large part due to the generous donation by Mr. Joseph J. Plumeri II in the autumn of 1996. It is now considered one of the finest baseball facilities in the region, consistently receiving upgrades over the course of time. W&M has enjoyed a lot of success at Plumeri Park with a 382-197 (.660) since its completion.
