The University of South Carolina Beaufort baseball team aims to continue its strong start to the season when the Sand Sharks host St. Thomas for a three-game Sun Conference series this weekend. Both teams are a half-game behind league-leading Southeastern after they opened conference play with series victories last weekend. USCB took two of three from visiting Warner while the Bobcats claimed two of three from Thomas.
SCOUTING ST. THOMAS
The Bobcats' bats have been red-hot, as they've scored 13 or more runs in three straight games, including a 14-6 win over NCAA Division II Nova Southeastern on Tuesday. St. Thomas ranks sixth in the NAIA in runs per game (9.286) with 1B Eric Santamaria leading the offense with a .618 batting average, two homers and a team-high 18 RBIs. RHPs Jose Lazaro (0-2, 1.59 ERA) and Alex Perez (1-0, 2.00) anchor the starting rotation, for a pitching staff that has compiled a 3.26 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 69 innings.
NOTES
• Senior SS Ashly Morris has 113 career hits, ranking seventh in USCB history. Morris has scored 76 career runs and needs three to match Ty Main for eighth on USCB's all-time list.
• Morris has been hit by a pitch 11 times, eighth-most in USCB history. He is one behind Spencer Jackson and two behind Jeremy Webb. Morris also ranks second all-time at USCB with 18 sacrifice bunts.
• Freshman OF Zack Saldivar has hit safely in 11 of USCB's 12 games and is riding a team-best five-game hitting streak.
• Junior RHP Blake Drew has four saves in his first season with the Sand Sharks and needs only one more to match Colton Rudd (2012) and Kyle McCullough (2009) for USCB's single-season record. Drew's four saves rank fourth on USCB's career list behind McCullough (11), Rudd (7) and Andrew Barrineau (6).
• USCB head coach Bryan Lewallyn is in his fourth season leading the Sand Sharks and has a 97-70 overall record. He needs five more wins to surpass Rick Sofield as the program's career leader.
• USCB is 128-54 all-time at home, including a 10-2 mark this season.
• USCB pitchers have issued only 36 walks in 97 innings while compiling 63 strikeouts. USCB starting pitchers have not allowed more than three earned runs in any game this season.
• Through Wednesday, USCB ranked seventh in the NAIA in batting average (.349), ninth in hits per game (11.250) and 12th in runs per game (8.583). Morris is third in hits (22) and 11th in runs (16), while senior DH Zack Holt is 13th in RBIs (16) and senior OF Kyle Thompson is 13th in runs (15).
• Senior RHP Junior Delatorre, the scheduled starter for Game 1, is fourth in USCB history with a 3.09 career ERA, fifth in wins (12) and fourth in strikeouts (130).
RELATED LINKS
USCB Season Statistics
Sun Conference Baseball Standings
