Gardner-Webb Set To Battle No. 15 South Carolina Tuesday Night In Shelby
April 22, 2013 | Baseball
Tickets are $5 for general admission, and are available by visiting http://www.americanlegionworldseries.com/tickets/online or by calling (704) 466-3103.
The matchup is the second at the location for Gardner-Webb (20-19-1) this season. The Runnin' Bulldogs dropped an 8-7 decision to Wake Forest on March 13 on a walk-off hit by the Demon Deacons.
Gardner-Webb will send freshman righty Hunter Smith (1-0, 2.35 ERA) to the hill Tuesday night for his third start and seventh appearance of the season. The Whiteville, N.C., native has allowed just 11 hits in 15.1 innings of work so far this season (.200 opponents BA).
The 'Dogs, who dropped four games last week away from home, are led at the plate by senior outfielder Benji Jackson (.344, 15 doubles, 2 HR, 19 RBI) and senior first baseman Brad Collins (.292, 18 doubles, HR, 22 RBI). Collins and Jackson rank first and second in the Big South Conference in doubles so far this season.
The 15th-ranked Gamecocks are coming off a sweep of No. 19 Kentucky and Tuesday's game will mark the 12th time this season that Gardner-Webb has squared off against a team that has earned a national ranking at some point during the 2013 season. The Runnin' Bulldogs are 2-9 in those previous 11 match ups, with wins over league foes Coastal Carolina and Campbell. Five of the nine losses have come by three runs or less - with losses to UNC Wilmington, Coastal Carolina and Campbell coming by just one run.
Gardner-Webb has played in 15 games decided by one run this season, and in 18 games decided by two runs or less. GWU is 7-8 in one run games, and 1-2 in games decided by two runs.
Tuesday night is part of a busy week for the Runnin' Bulldogs, as they travel to face USC Upstate on Wednesday night in Spartanburg, S.C., before returning home to host UNC Asheville in a three-game Big South Conference series.
