Blue Hose Head to HPU for Series Beginning on Friday

CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College Baseball team returns to action on Friday night when the Blue Hose face High Point in the opener of a three-game series at 6 p.m. from Williard Stadium. The Blue Hose and Panthers wrap up the three-game series on Saturday with a twin bill set for 2 p.m…

GAMEDAY CENTRAL
WHAT: Presbyterian (14-20, 13-15 Big South) at High Point (14-25, 12-19 Big South)
WHERE: Williard Stadium (High Point, N.C.)
WHEN: Friday May 14, 2021 (6:00 p.m.) | Saturday May 15, 2021 (2:00 p.m.) | Saturday May 15, 2021 (Approx 5:30 p.m.)
THE SERIES (Since 2008): HPU Leads 18-10

FOLLOW THE ACTION
LIVE STATS: Sidearm Stats (All Three Games)
VIDEO: ESPN+ (Game One Saturday) | ESPN+ (Game Two Saturday)
TWITTER: @PresbyterianBSB
GAME NOTES: Presbyterian Notes

ON THE MOUND
Friday
PC – RHP Eric Miles (2-4, 8.37 ERA, 39 K)
HPU – RHP Grey Lyttle (4-5, 3.65 ERA, 78 K)

Saturday (Game One)
PC – LHP Charlie McDaniel (3-2, 4.32 ERA, 23 K)
HPU – RHP Teddy Merritt (1-1, 4.44 ERA, 15 K)

Saturday (Game Two)
PC – RHP Duncan Howard (2-2, 4.54 ERA, 23 K)
HPU – TBA

About the Blue Hose
• After an 88-minute weather delay, Charleston Southern used a two-run double from Tyrell Brewer to rally past the Presbyterian College baseball team 9-8 on Tuesday night at Nielsen Field inside the CSU Ballpark. Zacchaeus Rasberry connected on his sixth home run of the season in the setback.
• Kyle Merkle joined Rasberry with a pair of hits to lead the Blue Hose offense on Tuesday. Rasberry connected on his sixth home run of the season which tied the team-high. Rasberry also extended his reached base streak to a season-high 13 straight games. He has hits in each of his last five contests as well.

Series History
• High Point and PC have met 28 times prior to Friday's series opener with the Panthers leading the all-time series 18-10. HPU has won the last three meetings between the two teams including a 15-4 victory in 2019 during the Big South Championship which ended the 2019 season for PC.
• Presbyterian is looking for its first win in High Point since April 15, 2012 as the Panthers have earned back-to-back sweeps of Presbyterian in games played at HPU.

Scouting High Point
• High Point enters the weekend with a 14-25 record while sitting 12-19 in league play after an 8-1 setback on Tuesday against Longwood.
• Cole Singsank leads the Panthers at .351 with 11 doubles, one triple a home run and 29 runs knocked in. He also leads the Panthers with seven steals.
• Peyton Carr sits with a .298 average including nine doubles, five home runs and 29 RBIs.
• Joe Johnson leads the Panthers with 14 doubles and six home runs.
• On the mound, Trent Harris has a 3.46 ERA in three starts totaling 13 strikeouts. Grey Lyttle is at 4-5 with a 3.65 ERA in 13 appearances and 12 starts. Lyttle has 78 strikeouts in 66.2 innings.
• High Point has five pitchers who have recorded at least one save this season led by Parker Dean and Carter Sheppard with two saves apiece.

Recent Success
• Zacchaeus Rasberry is pacing the Blue Hose offense in the last five games with a .435 (10-for-23) with two homers and five runs knocked in. Jake Wyandt is hitting .400 (4-for-10) with six walks.
• In his last four appearances which span over 10.1 innings, junior Eric Toth has a 1.74 ERA with a 1-0 record and has recorded two saves in that stretch.
• Brandon Williams has allowed one earned run in his last three appearances which carries over five innings.

Record Chasing
• Senior Eric Miles needs 18 strikeouts to move into first in the Blue Hose D1 record book. Miles currently sits with 231 career strikeouts.
• Miles needs 6.1 innings pitched to pass Tanner Chock for third in the DI record book for innings in his Blue Hose career
• Zacchaeus Rasberry's next triple will move him into a tie for fourth in D1 history with his sixth career triple as a Blue Hose.
• Junior Eric Toth with his next save will move into a tie for fifth in the Blue Hose DI record book for career saves. Toth has recorded five saves this season to lead PC.
• Toth needs two more saves to move into a tie for third in the single-season DI record book. Hayden Deal sits in third with seven saves.

Toth Earns Big South Relief Pitcher of the Week Honors
• Presbyterian College baseball junior Eric Toth has been named the Big South Relief Pitcher of the Week for games played April 19-25, as announced by the conference office on Monday.
• Toth began his week in Friday's series opener on the mound as he entered with the go-ahead run at the plate but needed just two pitches to notch his third save of the season.
• In game two on Sunday afternoon, Toth entered in the sixth inning and held Campbell to one hit and one walk in the final four frames to record his third win of the season. The victory helped secure Presbyterian's first series win over Campbell in the Blue Hose DI era dating back to 2008.
• Toth also notched a .353 (6-for-17) week at the plate which included two doubles, four runs and 3 RBIs. The Mobile, Ala. native is currently tied for the team lead in wins and saves with three apiece. He leads Blue Hose arms with a WHIP of 1.02.

Wyandt Named to Buster Posey Watch List
• Presbyterian College catcher Jake Wyandt has been named to the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Watch List, as the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission announced.
• Wyandt is fourth on the team in hitting with a .278 average this season over 18 games played. He leads the team with a .409 on-base percentage while sitting second on the team at a .500 slugging percentage.
• Wyandt is one of four Blue Hose this spring with multiple home runs as he has connected on a pair of long balls. He's tied for the team lead with three stolen bases. Wyandt has a .992 fielding percentage this spring as he has only one error in his 18 games played.
• Behind the plate, he has thrown on six would-be base stealers and picked off one runner.
• The list spotlights 80 catchers including a pair from the Big South Conference. The award, formerly known as the Johnny Bench Award, was created in 2000 to honor college baseball's top catcher in the NCAA Division I ranks.

Veach Earns Olerud Watch List Honor
• Presbyterian College infielder & pitcher Chris Veach has been named to the 10th annual John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award watch list, as announced by the College Baseball Foundation on Tuesday.
• The deep pool of talent resulting from several veteran players returning for an extra season granted by the NCAA in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, plus the influx of new talent from the last two seasons, has created a unique pool of 17 top candidates for the 2021 Olerud watch list.
• The list also includes teammates from two Power 5 schools, three players who have already been honored with the Olerud Player of the Week award and four players who were on the watch list for the 2019 award.
• The Chapin, S.C. native is continuing to lead the Blue Hose offensive attack with a conference leading .348 average thru 16 games. He's had a base hit in 14 of 16 games he's played in this spring.
• Veach has already earned a pair of Big South Freshman of the Week honors this spring as well.

Up Next
• The Blue Hose close out the 2021 regular season beginning on Thursday May 20 with the opener of the three-game series at Winthrop with first pitch set for 3 p.m… The two teams close out the regular season on Friday with a doubleheader set for noon.

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Players Mentioned

#32 Kyle Merkle: 1B; 6' 6"; Sophomore; R/R

#17 Eric Miles: P; 6' 1"; Fifth Year; R/R

#4 Zacchaeus Rasberry: OF; 6' 2"; Fifth Year; R/R

#26 Brandon Williams: P; 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior; R/R

#20 Jake Wyandt: C; 6' 0"; Senior; R/R

#25 Duncan Howard: P; 6' 3"; Freshman; R/R

#31 Charlie McDaniel: P; 6' 3"; Freshman; L/L

#10 Chris Veach: INF/P; 6' 0"; Freshman; R/R

#7 Eric Toth: P/UTL; 6' 4"; Junior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#32 Kyle Merkle
: 6' 6"; Sophomore; R/R
: 1B

#17 Eric Miles
: 6' 1"; Fifth Year; R/R
: P

#4 Zacchaeus Rasberry
: 6' 2"; Fifth Year; R/R
: OF

#26 Brandon Williams
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior; R/R
: P

#20 Jake Wyandt
: 6' 0"; Senior; R/R
: C

#25 Duncan Howard
: 6' 3"; Freshman; R/R
: P

#31 Charlie McDaniel
: 6' 3"; Freshman; L/L
: P

#10 Chris Veach
: 6' 0"; Freshman; R/R
: INF/P

#7 Eric Toth
: 6' 4"; Junior; R/R
: P/UTL