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CHARLESTON, S.C. – After completing the series sweep over Siena on Sunday, The Citadel baseball team will host No. 13 South Carolina on Tuesday for the first of two midweek matchups between the two schools.
 
Gates will open at 5 p.m. and first pitch for Tuesday's game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Live stats and video will be available for the game at CitadelSports.com. For tickets, call 843-953-DOGS (3647) or visit CitadelSports.com/tickets.
 
• With the 5-1 start, The Citadel is off to its best start to a season since the 2010 squad started 7-1.
• The Citadel has now won its first two three-game series of the season, a feat that has not been accomplished since 2007.
• The Bulldogs swept Siena over the weekend recording a dominant 14-2 win on Friday and then rallying for two come-from-behind wins on Saturday and Sunday.
• In the two comeback wins over the weekend, the Bulldogs scored six of their nine total runs in the eighth inning.
• On Saturday, The Citadel put together a three-run rally over the final two innings to clinch the second series in a row.
• In Sunday's game the Bulldogs exploded for five runs in the eighth inning, stringing together three hits to rally from a 3-1 deficit.
• South Carolina took the two-game home and away series last year, posting 2-0 and 4-2 wins.
• The Citadel's last victory over the Gamecocks came in April of 2014 when the Bulldogs posted a 10-8 win at Joe Riley Park.
• For the first time since May 22, 2015, every starter recorded a hit for the Bulldogs en route to the 14-2 victory over Siena.
• Drew Ellis leads the team with 12 total bases this season and recorded just the second triple of his career on Sunday against Siena to drive in the tying run. With the triple, Ellis also put himself into position to plate the go-ahead run.
• Mike Deese leads the team with 7 hits and has 11 total bases this year. The senior recorded his first home run of the season on Friday in a 14-2 winning effort.
• Jason Smith was unstoppable offensively against Siena as the senior batted .556 with five hits in nine at bats. Smith tallied five hits including the game-winning RBI single on Saturday and did not strike over the course of the series.
• Zach Lavery is tied for sixth in the nation with three saves this year. In his four appearances, Lavery has seven strikeouts and has allowed just one run. The senior picked up his first win of the season in relief on Feb. 27.
• The Citadel is currently second in the Southern Conference with a 3.67 ERA. The Bulldogs have allowed 26 runs in 54.0 innings and are third best in the league with 64 strikeouts.
• JP Sears now has 16 strikeouts to his name this season after fanning four on Friday. The sophomore is 2-0 and has allowed just two runs to cross the plate in 11.2 innings of work.
• Philip Watcher made his first start of the season on Sunday on the mound, going three innings, giving up three hits and allowing one run to score.
• Redshirt freshman Kyle Smith has been solid in two appearances this season, striking out five in three innings of work. Smith picked up his first win of the season on Sunday after striking out two of the four batters he faced in the eighth inning.
• Thomas Byelick pitched a career-high eight innings on Saturday, scattering seven hits and striking out four. The sophomore has pitched a team-best 14.0 innings and has 11 strikeouts.
• Sears was named SoCon Pitcher of the Week and one of Collegiate Baseball's National Players of the Week on Feb. 22 after his dominating performance in the series opener.
• The Bulldogs used a team-record 10 pitchers in the third game of the series against Virginia Tech, eight of which were making their collegiate debut.
• In the opening weekend, The Citadel staff tallied a conference-best 41 strikeouts.
• Of the Bulldogs 56 games this season, 22 will be against opponents from the state of South Carolina.
• Dating back to 1965, this will be just the seventh time The Citadel has hosted South Carolina and Clemson in the same year.
• This will be the first appearance for Clemson in the Lowcountry since 1990. It will also be the first time since 2004 that the Bulldogs and Tigers have faced each other.
• The Bulldogs have held opponents to a league-low 26 runs this year.
• The Citadel is tied with Western Carolina for a league-leading 13 regular-season championships. Furman is the next closest member with four titles.
• In 28 appearances in the Southern Conference tournament, The Citadel holds a 72-37 record.
• Sophomore JP Sears was named SoCon Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 22, the Bulldogs' conference-high 63rd Pitcher of the Week award. Combined with 36 Player of the Week honors, The Citadel leads the Southern Conference with 99 all-time weekly honors.
 
For more information on The Citadel baseball, follow @CitadelBaseball or visit CitadelSports.com.