Blue Hose Close Out Season Series with Asheville on Tuesday

CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College Baseball team begins its final homestand of the 2021 season on Tuesday with a midweek matchup against UNC Asheville slated for 3:30 from the PC Baseball Complex. It is the sixth and final meeting between the Blue Hose and Bulldogs in the season series between the two teams.

GAMEDAY CENTRAL
WHAT: UNC Asheville (13-24, 12-17 Big South) vs Presbyterian (12-17, 11-12 Big South)
WHERE: PC Baseball Complex (Clinton, S.C.)
WHEN: Tuesday May 4, 2021 (3:30 p.m.)
THE SERIES (Since 2008): Presbyterian Leads 26-16

FOLLOW THE ACTION
LIVE STATS: Statbroadcast.com
TWITTER: @PresbyterianBSB
GAME NOTES: Presbyterian Notes

About the Blue Hose
• The Presbyterian College baseball team cut the Spartans lead to one in game two but couldn't complete the comeback as the hosts completed a three-game sweep of the Blue Hose with a 12-11 victory in Saturday night's nightcap at Harley Park. USC Upstate picked up an 8-4 victory in the opener on Saturday.
• Jeremiah Boyd paced the Blue Hose offense on Saturday with five hits as three of those came in the first game including a double. Boyd added a pair of hits and an RBI in the nightcap. Eric Toth had three hits including doubles in both contests and knocked in four runs for PC in game two off of a three-run double.
•With his two hits in game two, Toth now leads the team with 10 multi-hit contests on the season.
• In game one, Noah Lebron connected on his first collegiate home run.

Series History
• PC and UNC Asheville have met 42 times in the Blue Hose DI era prior to Tuesday's matchup. Presbyterian holds a 26-16 head to head record over the Bulldogs with the Bulldogs earning a 6-2 victory in the most recent meeting on April 27.
• In the five meetings with Asheville this season, Zacchaeus Rasberry and Kyle Merkle lead the Blue Hose with each hitting at a .357 clip. Rasberry has four RBIs and three extra base hits. Toth has a pair of home runs and a team-high six runs knocked in.

Scouting UNC Asheville
• UNC Asheville enters Tuesday's game with a 13-24 record after being swept by Campbell in its most recent three-game series. The Bulldogs hold a 3-2 edge in the season series with the Blue Hose.
• The Bulldogs are led offensively by Brandon Lankford who sits at a .350 average with 13 home runs and a team-high 32 runs driven in. Dominic Freeberger sits with a .313 average including nine doubles, three triples and five home runs.
• Kole Harris paces the Asheville pitchers that have made starts in 2021 as he sits with a 2-1 record at 4.61 ERA in seven starts over 14 appearances. Freeberger holds a 1-0 record with 1.12 ERA in eight appearances with a pair of 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.

Record Chasing
• Senior Eric Miles needs 23 strikeouts to move into first in the Blue Hose D1 record book. Miles currently sits with 226 career strikeouts.
• Miles needs 1.1 innings pitched to past Brian Kehner for fourth in the DI record book for innings in his Blue Hose career
• Senior Zacchaeus Rasberry needs one stolen base to move into first in the Blue Hose D1 record book. Rasberry has 35 career stolen bases.
• Rasberry's next triple will move him into a tie for fourth in D1 history with his sixth career triple as a Blue Hose.

Up Next
• The Blue Hose close out the 2021 home slate beginning on Friday with the first of three against Gardner-Webb slated for 3 p.m… The series is slated to wrap up on Saturday with an 11 a.m. doubleheader.

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Players Mentioned

#33 Jeremiah Boyd: C; 5' 10"; Junior; R/R

#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

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

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

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

#9 Noah Lebron: INF; 5' 10"; Freshman; L/R

Players Mentioned

#33 Jeremiah Boyd
: 5' 10"; Junior; R/R
: C

#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

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

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

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

#9 Noah Lebron
: 5' 10"; Freshman; L/R
: INF