NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Belmont baseball team returns to action on Friday at 4 p.m. at Rose Park, facing UNC Asheville in a three-game series.
The Bruins have not met the Bulldogs since 1998, head coach Dave Jarvis' first season as coach. Belmont has won five of its last six games, winning three of those games in walkoff fashion.
UNC Asheville leads the series 2-1, with Belmont winning the first matchup in Nashville 4-0 on March 1, 1998. UNC Asheville took both games at their place on March 19, 1998 by scores of 5-3 and 12-1.
Game Notes
Belmont has had significant contributions from its freshman class, with Brodey Heaton and Drew Lowry has already come up with three-hit games. The earliest a freshman reached that mark last season was Tommy Crider, who had three hits on Feb. 24, 2019 against Toledo. Freshman Andy Bean also picked up the win in his first collegiate start against Southern Illinois, coming up with six strikeouts in five innings pitched.
Belmont junior pitcher Kyle Brennan was named the OVC Pitcher of the Week, the conference announced on Monday. The Bruins have had two consecutive pitchers win OVC Pitcher of the Week this season, with sophomore Joshua South claiming the conference's first honor last week. Brennan earned two wins and two saves during Belmont's five-game winning streak, playing a crucial role in the extra innings win over Missouri State last Friday by pitching the final 2.1 innings and collecting three strikeouts. The Franklin, Tenn., native tied Blake Owen (2005) and Josh Davis (2010-13) for eighth on the program's most career saves list with 13.
Having nine home games in the month of February in 2020, Belmont will play at least six home games in February for the seventh straight season. With Belmont's 6-3 record in the first month of February, the Bruins have won at least five games in the first month of the season for the first time since 2014.
Scouting UNC Asheville
UNC Asheville is coming off a loss at Tennessee on Wednesday and holds a 2-6 record overall. The Bulldogs have hit two home runs and drove in 29 RBIs, hitting .246 on the season. Getting on base is not a problem for UNC Asheville, however, with eight players having an on-base percentage of .333 or better. The Bulldogs have also drawn 30 walks this season to go along with nine doubles and 69 hits.
Easton Jones leads the offensive charge, hitting .364 and leading the team with 12 hits. Grayson Preslar is hitting .333 on the season, with Will Barbour coming up with seven hits and a .304 batting average. Greg Gasparro is the team's main slugger, leading the team with three doubles, one home run and nine RBIs. UNC Asheville's pitching staff has a combined ERA of 7.43, coming up with 60 strikeouts in the process.
