The fifth-ranked USCB baseball team plays its final home game of the season when the Sand Sharks host St. Andrews for a non-conference matchup Tuesday. The teams have met only once previously, splitting a doubleheader at Richard Gray Sports Complex in 2014. USCB will play its final four regular-season games on the road before traveling to Fort Myers, Fla., next week for the Sun Conference Tournament. The Sand Sharks will be the top seed in the tournament and will host the NAIA National Championship Opening Round from May 17-20 at Historic Grayson Stadium in Savannah.
FIN FACTS
• The Sand Sharks are 155-64 all-time at Richard Gray Sports Complex, including an 18-10 mark last season and a 19-2 mark in 2016. The school records for home wins and home winning percentage came in 2010 (26-5, .839). USCB will break the latter record this season regardless of Tuesday's outcome.
• USCB's pitching staff has compiled a 3.21 ERA through 46 games, which ranks 20th in the NAIA through Sunday's games. The school record for team ERA is 3.34 set in 2012.
• USCB has racked up the Sun Conference weekly awards in 2016 with Sand Sharks claiming Player of the Week honors six times and Pitcher of the Week honors three times. Junior OF Thomas Estopare (Feb. 15, April 4 & April 18), junior C Nick Payne (Feb. 22), senior OF Matt Kianka (March 7), and junior OF/DH Kal Davis (March 28) each have earned Player of the Week honors, while senior LHP John Gora (Feb. 22 & April 4) and junior RHP Julio De Pena (Feb. 29) have been named Pitcher of the Week.
• The Sand Sharks have been aggressive on the bases, ranking 13th in the nation (through Sunday) in stolen bases per game (2.217), 14th in stolen bases (102) and 17th in steal attempts per game (2.652). Senior OF Matt Kianka leads the team with 23 stolen bases, followed by junior OF Thomas Estopare and senior OF John Cloyd with 15.
MILESTONE WATCH
• Junior DH/OF Kal Davis has 63 RBIs this season, breaking USCB's single-season record of 57 previously held by Ashly Morris (2015) and Brandon Collins (2010).
• Senior OF Matt Kianka is USCB's single-season stolen base leader with 23 steals this season, surpassing Larry Perry's mark of 21 set in 2010. Kianka has 33 in his career, good for third on the all-time chart.
• With 57 hits this season, junior 3B Brandon Joyce has 140 in his career, eighth on USCB's all-time list. Next up on his ascent up the chart is Blake Cilwick (155).
• Joyce has drawn 39 walks this season and has 89 in his career, surpassing RJ Neal (67) as the program's all-time leader.
• Senior RHP Blake Drew has six saves this season and 14 in his two-year USCB career, making him the program's single-season and all-time leader. Drew set USCB's single-season saves record last year with eight and is also sixth on the all-time list with 11 wins, including three this season.
• Junior DH/OF Kal Davis has eight sacrifice flies this season, breaking Erik Armstrong's single-season school record of six in 2014.
BY THE NUMBERS
17 – Junior OF Thomas Estopare had his 17-game hitting streak snapped in the final game of a three-game series against top-ranked Georgia Gwinnett on Saturday. Estopare has gone hitless only seven times in 46 games this season.
44 – The Sand Sharks have turned 44 double plays in 46 games this season.
.344 – USCB's .344 team batting average ranks ninth in the NAIA and is on pace to break the single-season school record of .343 in 2010.
SCOUTING ST. ANDREWS
The Knights sit in sixth place in the Appalachian Athletic Conference standings after taking two of three from visiting Milligan (Tenn.) last weekend. St. Andrews has swung the bats well, batting .316 as a team and averaging 6.5 runs per game. Senior SS Rancel Rosado (.388 BA, 4 HR, 44 RBIs) and senior OF Kyle Schade (.333, 4 HR, 45 RBIs) are the top run producers. The pitching staff has compiled a 4.91 ERA.
RELATED LINKS
USCB Schedule and Results
USCB Season Statistics
Sand Shark Baseball Record Book
Sun Conference Baseball Standings
