The University of South Carolina Beaufort baseball team aims to continue its strong start to the season when the Sand Sharks host Truett-McConnell for a three-game series this weekend. The teams will play a single nine-inning game starting at 2 p.m. Friday and wrap up the series with a seven-inning doubleheader beginning at noon Saturday at the Richard Gray Sports Complex in Hardeeville. 

The Sand Sharks hope to pick up where they left off at the plate after racking up 52 runs while taking three of four from Northwestern Ohio — a team receiving votes in the NAIA Baseball Coaches Preseason Top 25 — on opening weekend. USCB enters the weekend leading the NAIA in hits per game (14.5) and runs per game (13) and ranking fourth in batting average (.389) and 14th in slugging percentage (.477). 

LIVE COVERAGE

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

Streaming video: The County Channel (Game 1)

Live stats: Stretch Internet

SCOUTING TMC

The Bears opened their season with a three-game sweep of visiting Hiwassee College last weekend, outscoring the Tigers 25-5 in the series, before suffering an 8-1 loss to Reinhardt in Appalachian Athletic Conference play Tuesday. Ace LHP Luke Henderson tossed a one-hitter in the season opener and INF/RHP Chris Carden (0-0, 1.80 ERA) and RHP Wyatt Holloway (0-1, 1.80 ERA) also have turned in strong starts. Carden has led the offense thus far, going 6-for-12 with two doubles and four RBIs. 

HEAD-TO-HEAD

First meeting

NOTES

• Senior OF Kyle Thompson ranks in the top 15 in the NAIA in runs per game (5th, 2.25), hits per game (8th, 2.5) and RBIs per game (11th, 2.0) and leads USCB in batting average (.500), hits (10), runs (9) and RBIs (8).

• Senior SS Ashly Morris has 100 career hits and needs three to pass DeShontay Berry and JJ Crespo for eighth in USCB history. Morris has scored 68 career runs and needs four to match Berry for ninth 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.

• Senior RHP Junior Delatorre, the scheduled starter for Game 1, is fourth in USCB history with a 3.12 career ERA, fifth in wins (11) and fourth in strikeouts (115). 

• Junior RHP Jamie Strock, who is projected to start one of Saturday's games, pitched six scoreless innings in his USCB debut last week vs. Northwestern Ohio. 

• USCB head coach Bryan Lewallyn is in his fourth season leading the Sand Sharks and has a 90-69 overall record. He needs 12 more wins to surpass Rick Sofield as the program's career leader. 

• USCB is 121-53 all-time at home, including a 3-1 mark this season. 

RELATED LINKS

USCB Season Statistics

Sun Conference Baseball Standings

USCB Sand Sharks on Facebook

USCB Athletics on Twitter