BLUFFTON, S.C. - Highlighting the week for USCB Athletics is the USCB men's and women's track and field teams sending three Sand Sharks to the NAIA Indoor Nationals to compete in six different events in South Dakota.
USCB men's golf and baseball will host home events this week at the Oldfield Country Club and Richard Gray Stadium, respectively.
Men's Golf - Sand Shark Classic (March 2-3)
USCB men's golf will host its first tournament of the 2019-20 season, as it will entertain 10 schools at the annual Sand Shark Classic. The two-day tournament begins on Monday, March 2 at the Oldfield Country Club in Okatie, S.C. The opening day will feature 36 holes of golf, while the final 18 holes of action will be held on Tuesday, March 3. Results for the tournament can be found at www.GolfStat.com.
The 11 total participating schools at the Sand Shark Classic are Coastal Georgia, Point, Midland, SCAD Atlanta, Dalton State, Southeastern, SCAD Savannah, Johnson & Wales, St Thomas, Reinhardt and USCB.
USCB has played in three outings this spring, as it has finished in third place twice and defeated SCAD Savannah in a dual match.
In USCB's last tournament (Championsgate Invitational), the Sand Sharks finished third out of seven teams at the two-day outing.
Dawson Peters had the best overall finish at tied for seventh with a 3-over 219. Marc Sweeney and Will Canipe finished tied for 10th with two other golfers, as all four golfers finished the three-round tournament with a 6-over 222. Tyler Fox rounded out the top-15 finishes for the Sand Sharks, as he placed tied for 15th with a 9-over 225.
Men's and Women's Track and Field - NAIA Indoor Nationals (March 5-7)
To conclude the indoor portion of the 2019-20 track and field season, USCB will send a pair of females and a lone male to compete at the NAIA Indoor Nationals from March 5-7. The three-day national championship meet is held in Brookings, S.D., as it is hosted on the campus of South Dakota State in the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex.
On the women's side, Iyana McKeever and Ja'milyea Poole will represent USCB in four different events. McKeever will compete in two jump events - triple and long - while Poole will run in two sprint events - 200m and 400m.
McKeever collected a season-best performance in both events at the Embry-Riddle Last Chance meet. The junior collected a 5.62m jump in the long jump and a 11.23m leap in the triple jump. Poole earned her top marks of the year at the same meet, as she collected a 25.14 in the 200m and a 57.36 in the 400m.
Kadari Mitchell will be the lone male Sand Shark at the national meet, as he will compete in a pair of sprint events (60m and 200m). The sophomore posted season-best marks at the Embry-Riddle Last Chance meet in both events. Mitchell finished first at the meet in the 200m with a time of 21.77, and he then finished runner-up in the 60m with a 6.88.
Baseball - Doubleheader at Brewton-Parker (March 3) and Three-Game Series Versus Bryant & Stratton (March 6-7)
USCB baseball will play its first road contest of the season at Brewton-Parker on Tuesday, March 3, as the two clubs will begin action at 3 p.m. in Mount Vernon, Ga. The Sand Sharks will then return to Richard Gray, as they entertain Bryant & Stratton for a three-game set beginning on March 6.
The Sand Sharks travel to BPC with a 5-7 overall record, as they won the three-game series at home over Toccoa Falls this past weekend. The Sand Sharks dropped the series opener in extras, 6-5, but they rebounded, as they swept Saturday's doubleheader over the Screaming Eagles, 2-1 and 3-0.
USCB's offense has been led by two key players in Alexander Humphrey and Leandy Castro. Humphrey has been a big power threat, as he has four extra-base hits and has collected a team-best 10 RBIs. He totes a .419 batting average to go along with his .677 slugging percentage. Castro, who has started all 12 games, has a .405 clip and paces the team with 15 hits. He has six doubles and a team-best 10 runs.
On the mound, Eamonn Collins and Matt Malatesta are the key starters for the Sand Sharks. They have combined for seven starts and 14 earned runs in 35 innings of work. Collins leads the team with 19 strikeouts, as he has won two games this year. Malatesta has a 3.95 ERA and has limited batters to a .217 clip.
Out of the bullpen, Tanner Davis and Braxton Copley have been key relievers. They have appeared in a team-leading five games each. Davis has twirled 15.2 innings and has held opponents to a .176 batting average. Copley has only worked 6.1 innings but has a save and six strikeouts to his name.
The three-game series versus Bryant & Stratton will be streamed on the Sand Shark Gameday Network, and that link can be found by clicking HERE. Live stats for all three games can be found by clicking HERE.
Softball - Doubleheader at Warner (March 7)
The Sand Shark softball team will open Sun Conference action on Saturday, as it will travel to TSC rival Warner on Saturday, March 7. The two clubs will play a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. in Lake Wales, Fla.
USCB is off a doubleheader split at home, as it won the nightcap, 4-2, against Brewton-Parker on Friday, Feb. 28. In the two-run win, Amber Locasto had a big two-run single, while Taylor Boykin was the lone Sand Shark to collect a multi-hit game. Four other Sand Sharks also posted hits in the victory.
Bri Dunn picked up her first win of the year, as she worked four innings against the Barons. She scattered four hits and used 41 pitches. Sloan Ducey came in relief and was dominant, as she went 1-2-3 in her three innings out of the bullpen. The sophomore collected her first save of the year as well.
Boykin continues to pace the USCB offense, as she has a team-best .444 batting average. She has 16 this, 10 walks, 17 runs scored and nine stolen bases. Kaleigh Furbush, who has started 12 of the 18 games this year, has a .344 batting average and five RBIs. Emily Martin continues to be an extra-base threat, as she has a team-leading 18 hits (10 of which are extra-base knocks). The senior also paces the squad with 14 RBIs.
Maria Molloseau has found success in the circle, as she has appeared in 11 games with nine starts. She already has eight complete games and boasts a 1.85 ERA. She has twirled 60.2 innings and has struck out a team-leading 49 batters. She has held opponents to a .215 batting average and has allowed just 16 earned runs.
USCB's conference doubleheader at Warner will be streamed, and those links can be found by clicking HERE. Live stats for both contests will be available, and those can be found by clicking HERE.
