Northwood (19-18, 6-10 TSC) at USCB (16-18, 6-12 TSC)

The University of South Carolina Beaufort baseball team looks to move up in the Sun Conference standings when the Sand Sharks host league rival Northwood (Fla.) for a three-game series Friday and Saturday at Richard Gray Sports Complex. Both teams are in the thick of the race for the last two spots in the Sun Conference Tournament, as two games separate fifth and eighth place but only the top six teams make it to Fort Myers. The Seahawks occupy seventh place, one game ahead of USCB and one game behind Warner and Webber International, who are tied for fifth. The Sand Sharks have claimed the season series each of the last four years including a three-game sweep at Northwood last season.  

LEADING OFF

WHEN: Friday, April 4, Noon (DH); Saturday, April 5, Noon

WHERE: Richard Gray Sports Complex — Hardeeville

CURRENT NU STREAK: L1

CURRENT USCB STREAK: W2

EWC ON THE ROAD IN 2014: 5-6

USCB AT HOME IN 2014: 13-7
 

LIVE COVERAGE

TV: Game 1 — The County Channel (Hargray 9/113, Comcast 2, Time Warner 63)

Streaming video: The County Channel (Game 1); Stretch Internet (Game 2)

Live stats: Stretch Internet
 

SCOUTING NORTHWOOD

The Seahawks hit a hot streak in late February and early March but have lost seven of their last nine and are coming off a 12-3 loss to Lindenwood-Belleville on Wednesday. Northwood boasts the league's third-highest batting average at .295 and ranks second in the conference in hits per game (9.62) and fourth in runs per game (5.22). The pitching staff ranks near the bottom of the league in ERA (5.21) and opponents' batting average (.297). 
 

HEAD-TO-HEAD

ALL-TIME: USCB leads 11-4

CURRENT STREAK: USCB W3

ALL-TIME AT USCB: USCB leads 5-1

CURRENT STREAK AT USCB: NU W1
 

NOTES

• USCB is 115-51 all-time at Richard Gray Sports Complex and 126-51 all-time in the state of South Carolina.

• USCB is 49-19 all-time in the month of April but has never played on April 4 or 5. 

• Senior 1B Erik Armstrong hit his 10th career home run on Feb. 18 to become USCB's all-time home run leader. He has since hit his three more homers and is third all-time in RBIs with 115, trailing only R.J. Neal (133) and Spencer Jackson (117).

• Junior OF Matt Kianka has recorded at least one hit in 24 of the 29 games he has played this season. 

• Senior OF Blake Cilwick is 7-for-13 with three doubles and four RBIs during his current four-game hitting streak, while senior 3B Ryan Walker is 7-for-14 with four doubles and seven RBIs during a four-game hit streak of his own.

• USCB's outfielders have made only three errors in 275 chances this season. Overall, the Sand Sharks boast a .959 fielding percentage — second in the Sun Conference and 49th in the NAIA — with 49 errors in 34 games. 

• The Sand Sharks' last four games have been decided by a total of five runs, including three one-run contests. USCB is 4-4 in one-run games and 8-11 in games decided by three runs or fewer. 
 

RELATED LINKS

USCB Season Statistics

Sun Conference Baseball Standings

USCB Sand Sharks on Facebook

USCB Athletics on Twitter