Game Notes | Overall Stats | Live Stats | Live Stream

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel baseball team will face USC Upstate on Tuesday for the first of four games away from Joe Riley Park.
 
The Bulldogs (9-11) come into the contest after taking a weekend series over Presbyterian with JP Sears picking up the win on Friday and Jacob Watcher improving to 3-1 with the win on Sunday.
 
Tuesday's game will mark the second time this season the two teams have met with the Spartans (8-12) taking the first game 7-1. Philip Watcher got the start against the Spartans on March 8, pitching a season-high 5.0 innings with four strikeouts.
 
Freshman Dylan Spence will get the nod for Tuesday's matchup after completing the strongest outing of his career against Clemson. Spence allowed just one run and fanned seven Tigers in a career-best 3.0 innings of work on March 16.
 
Live stats and video will be available at CitadelSports.com for the 5 p.m. game at Harley Park.
 
Notes:
• The Bulldogs won the first game of the series against Presbyterian in a 2-1 pitching duel. Starter JP Sears went a season-best 7.0 innings, allowing three hits, one run and fanning three. Sears improved to 3-1 for the season with the victory. Presbyterian's Brian Kehner tossed 6.1 innings, giving up four hits and two runs. The Citadel handed Kehner his first loss of the season to drop his record to 4-1.
• After dropping the second game of the series with the Blue Hose, The Citadel dominated the rubber match and clinched the series with a convincing 7-2 win. Mike Deese finished the game two-for-five with two RBI and one run scored and Austin Mapes pushed his hitting streak to five games after collecting two hits and driving in one run.
• This will be the second time this year The Citadel and USC Upstate will meet in a midweek matchup with the Spartans taking the first contest 7-1.
• Tuesday's game will mark the first of a four-game road swing for the Bulldogs who have played just four away games total this season.
• Philip Watcher got the start against the Spartans in the previous contest, throwing a season-high 5.0 innings with four strikeouts.
• Mike Deese led the Bulldogs at the dish with a two-for-four effort and scored the only run in the game for The Citadel.
• Senior Zach Lavery ranks among the top-two in four categories in the SoCon and is ranked in the top-40 of two national categories.
• The Goose Creek, South Carolina, native is tied for first with 14 appearances and 14 games in relief. He leads the conference with 10 games finished and picked up his fourth save over the weekend, pitching 2.0 scoreless innings in the 2-1 victory over the Blue Hose. With the save, the senior is now tied for second in the conference with Taylor Edens of VMI.
• The righty is tied for first in the country with 14 appearances with fellow SoCon member Conrad Broom of Mercer and tied for 33rd in the nation with four saves.
• Lavery has 14 strikeouts in 16.2 innings pitched and holds a 4.86 ERA.
• Mike Deese tallied his first career triple in the first inning of Sunday's 7-2 victory over Presbyterian.
• William Kinney has extended his reached base streak to a team-best nine games. The sophomore has 13 hits this season and nine RBI after going three-for-four on March 19 against the Blue Hose. He is also one of only three Bulldogs who have started every game this year with Bret Hines and Austin Mapes also having started all 20 contests.
• Mike Deese has been the most consistent Bulldog at the plate this year, leading the team with 16 runs and 28 total bases, and is tied for first on the team with 19 hits. The senior also holds the squad's second-best batting average (.284) and best slugging percentage (.418).
• After stealing second and third in the eighth inning against Presbyterian Sunday, Jason Smith is a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts.
• Sophomore Jordan Buster pitched 2.2 innings in relief on March 20 and got the Bulldogs out of two bases-loaded jams in consecutive innings. In the top of the sixth, the sophomore induced two fly outs to end the Blue Hose scoring threat and then he ended the seventh by fanning the last batter. The 2.2 innings stint is the longest of his career.
• The Citadel had two freshmen pitchers throw solid innings in relief against Clemson on March 15-16. Jordan Merritt eclipsed new career-highs against the Tigers on March 15, striking out four batters and giving up just two hits over 2.2 innings of work. Dylan Spence, making just his fourth appearance this season, struck out a career-best seven of the 14 batters he faced and allowed one run in 3.0 innings.
• JP Sears and Thomas Byelick rank third and eighth, respectively, in the conference in ERA. Sears currently holds a 2.51 ERA with Byelick at 3.09. Sears is also ranked third in opposing batting average, holding opponents to a .204 average
• Kyle Smith has been clutch with runners in scoring position this year. Smith kept USC Upstate from tacking on any more runs on March 8 with a strikeout to end the frame and then struck out the last two batters in the inning against Richmond on March 9 with runners on first and second to preserve the Bulldogs' 4-2 lead.
• Thomas Byelick has pitched 32.0 innings this season, the fifth-most in the conference.
• JP Sears reached the 100-career strikeout mark on March 4 and after fanning six on March 11, now has 107 strikeouts for his career.
 
For more information on The Citadel baseball, follow @CitadelBaseball or visit CitadelSports.com.