WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – William & Mary baseball returns to action this weekend for a trio of games with in-state rival VCU. The teams will square off Friday at 4:00 p.m. at Plumeri Park and play a pair of games in Richmond beginning at 1:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon. The Plumeri Park leg of the series was originally scheduled for Sunday but has been moved up to Friday due to weather concerns.
The Tribe is 4-9 on the year and coming off an impressive 2-1 weekend over league favorite UNCW while VCU has dropped three straight games including a 5-3 midweek decision to Old Dominion on Tuesday evening.
The Rams own an 18-13 advantage in the rivalry despite the fact that the Tribe has won each of their last two meetings in Richmond including a 7-3 win in March of the 2019 season.
Tribe junior
Jack Cone is the CAA's reigning Player of the Week following a stellar weekend leading the Green and Gold to a pair of wins. Over the three-game set with the Seahawks the utility man was 4-10 at the plate and stole a base in each of the three games. Cone ended game one of the series with a walk-off single to left field and tossed a clean ninth inning to earn the save in game two.
Tribe starting pitcher
Wade Strain will have the ball in game one for coach Murphy's side looking to improve on his 2-1 record and stingy 3.16 ERA. The graduate student has won each of his last two decisions and William & Mary has won each of the last three games started by the righty.
Zach Tsakounis and
Ben Greenspon also put in quality outings for the Tribe as the trio of starters combined to strike out 10 men and allow just four walks in 19.1 innings of work. Tsakounis allowed just five hits over seven innings to earn his first win of the 2021 season.
Sophomore
Ben Williamson enters the weekend red hot at the plate leading the team with 15 hits. The third baseman is second on the team with a .313 and is riding an eight game hitting streak, the longest steak for any member of the tribe this season.
Phil Conti provided an offensive boost for the Green and Gold in last Saturday's game two win over UNCW. The junior smacked an RBI double to deep left center and would later crush a two-run homer over the left field wall.
It was the second three-RBI performance from a W&M player this season and the first time since
Nic Britt knocked in three in an opening weekend game at Charlotte. Conti joined Britt,
Matt Thomas, and
Tyler Solomon as Tribe players to homer on the season.
