The University of South Carolina Beaufort baseball team opens the 2014 season with a four-game series against visiting Fisher College on Saturday and Sunday at Richard Gray Sports Complex. The teams will play doubleheaders starting at noon each day. The USCB softball team also will be in action Saturday, opening its season with a 1 p.m. doubleheader against St. Andrews (N.C.).

The Falcons have made the trip south from Boston to start their season every year since USCB launched its baseball program in 2009. USCB owns a 15-3 advantage in the series, but Fisher won two of three last February to claim the season series for the first time. 

The Sand Sharks are looking to pick up where they left off a year ago, when they won seven of their last 10 regular-season games to squeak into the postseason, then won three straight to reach the Sun Conference Tournament finals and earn a berth in the NAIA Opening Round for the third time in four years. 

USCB expects to send a pair of veterans to the mound on Saturday, handing the ball to senior CJ Kelly in the opener and starting junior Junior Delatorre in the second game. Sunday's starters will be determined after Saturday's games.

LEADING OFF

Date: Saturday, Feb. 1, Noon (DH); Sunday, Feb. 2, Noon (DH)

Location: Richard Gray Sports Complex, Hardeeville

LIVE COVERAGE

TV: None

Streaming video: Stretch Internet

Live stats: Stretch Internet

SCOUTING FISHER

The Falcons are coming off a season in which they set a school record for wins, going 35-18 overall.  Fisher is no stranger to success, though, as longtime coach Scott Dulin has compiled a 305-258-2 record in the program's 12 years of existence. 

HEAD-TO-HEAD

All-time: USCB leads 15-3

Current streak: Fisher won last 1

All-time at USCB: USCB leads 15-3

Streak at USCB: Fisher won last 1

NOTES

• USCB is 102-44 all-time at Richard Gray Sports Complex and 113-44 all-time in the state of South Carolina.

• The Sand Sharks split a doubleheader with Shawnee State (Ohio) in last year's opener and are 6-1 all-time on opening day.

• USCB is 52-31 all-time in the months of January (3-1) and February (49-30). 

• Senior 1B Erik Armstrong (8) needs one home run to tie Brandon Collins for USCB's career lead and needs five RBIs to become the fourth USCB player to reach 100 career RBIs.

• Armstrong is riding a five-game hitting streak dating to last season and hit safely in 10 of the last 11 games of the 2013 campaign.