ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson baseball team is set to open its longest homestand of the season, when the Trojans play host to Lincoln University of Pennsylvania in a Saturday afternoon doubleheader.
First-pitch for Saturday afternoon's twin bill is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Admission to Trojan baseball games is free and please ignore the outdated "No Animals Allowed" signs on the fencing at Memorial Stadium. AU Athletics promotes a family-friendly atmosphere and dogs of all shapes and sizes are welcome.
WHO: Anderson Trojans (4-8) vs. Lincoln Lions (1-4-1)
WHERE: Anderson Memorial Stadium; Anderson, S.C.
WHEN: Saturday, 1 p.m. / 4 p.m. (DH)
COVERAGE
Live Stats: AUTROJANS.COM
Live Video: AUTROJANS.COM
THE TROJANS
Anderson, which dropped its fifth one-run decision of the early season last Tuesday afternoon, is bidding to win two in a row for the first time this year.
The Trojan pitching staff ranks fourth in the South Atlantic Conference with a 4.23 ERA and is holding opponents to a .244 batting-average-against, which also ranks fourth in the league. Senior Austin Mercado (1-0) is second in the conference with a 0.73 ERA in five relief appearances, while tossing 12.1 innings. He has fanned eight batters, while issuing just one free pass.
Luke Poole, who has seen action in six games, owns a .400 batting average and a .438 on-base percentage, while Brandon Gibbs, who has seen action in five contests, owns a .385 batting average and a .429 on-base percentage.
Centerfielder Justin Fox has raised his batting average 41 points to .341 with five base hits over the last three games, while James Hanvey is hitting .333 over the span of six starting assignments. Third baseman Brayden Owens is batting .293, while starting 11 contests. Kye Andress paces the team with nine RBI on the season and is second on the squad with eight walks, while Jordan Montgomery has driven in eight runs and leads the team with nine walks.
SCOUTING THE LIONS
The Lincoln baseball program became a member of the East Coast Conference during the 2019-20 athletic calendar year after the CIAA dropped the sport following the 2017 season.
Lincoln got off to its best start since 2017 by going undefeated at the season-opening Peachtree City Classic two weeks ago in Atlanta. The Lions went 1-0-1 against a pair of Atlanta-area HBCUs, defeating Clark Atlanta, 7-4, before tying Morehouse, 8-8, in a rain-shortened contest. The win over CAU marked Lincoln's first season-opening victory in six seasons.
Fifth-year senior Sheldon Johnson followed up by becoming the first student-athlete ever to be named East Coast Conference Player of the Week. Johnson set career-highs with five RBI, three hits, three runs scored, and two home runs in just a little over seven innings of play against Morehouse.
Sophomore hurler Gabriel Sanchez earned Honorable Mention ECC Pitcher of the Week accolades after allowing just one hit over six scoreless innings with three strikeouts en route to recording the team's opening-day win over Clark Atlanta.
Lincoln has dropped four straight since tying Morehouse, as the Lions were swept by Coker on Tuesday, then dropped both ends of a doubleheader at Benedict, Thursday afternoon.
THE SERIES vs. LINCOLN
Saturday's twin bill will mark the first-ever meetings in program history between the Trojans and Lions.
UP NEXT
The Trojans will welcome Felician to the Electric City for a three-game midweek series, beginning with a Tuesday afternoon doubleheader and wrapping up with a single contest on Wednesday. First-pitch at Memorial Stadium is slated for 1 p.m.
