Concord Statistics –
UVa.-Wise StatisticsATHENS, W. Va. – Winners of 13 of its last 16 games, the Concord University baseball team will look to continue its winning ways when it closes out the 2014 regular season with home doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday vs. Mountain East Conference rival UVa.-Wise at Anderson Field. First pitch on both days is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
Records and Standings• Concord is slotted firmly in second place in the MEC Standings at 32-14 overall and 29-11 in league games. Concord is coming off of winning three of games against West Liberty last weekend.
• The Cavaliers have won four out of their last six games, but at 16-23 overall and 13-18 in MEC play are mathematically eliminated from conference tournament contention.
The Series• This weekend's games between Concord and UVa.-Wise will be the first on record.
Mountain Lion Notes• The Mountain Lions were ranked fifth in the latest NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional rankings that were released earlier in the week. The top-six teams in the region at the conclusion of the season earn bids into the NCAA Tournament.
• Concord is just four games wins away from tying the program record for single-season victories which was set by last year's team.
• This weekend's games mark the final home contests in the careers of CU's senior class made up of outfielder
Bret Blevins, pitcher
Chris Baker, catcher
Brandon Costa, pitcher
Tyler Coyle, pitcher
Tim Leather, first baseman
Joey Miller, pitcher
Dustin Nuckels and pitcher
Ryan Weatherholtz.
• The Mountain Lions' four-year seniors (Blevins, Nuckels and Weatherholtz) have helped Concord to a 121-87 record with two West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances since coming to Athens.
• CU's two-year seniors which include the Frederick Community College transfer quartet of Baker, Costa, Leather and Miller along with Coyle from UNC-Ashville have all been significant contributors over the last two years, which have been Concord's most succesfull two-year run in school history thanks to a 68-34 record.
• No pitcher in the region has been hotter than Weatherholtz as of late. Concord's No. 1 pitcher has thrown three consecutive shutouts, 21.1 scoreless innings and given up just three hits in each of his last two starts to bring his record to 6-4 with a scant 2.76 ERA and 50 strikeouts over 71.2 innings.
• Blevins is also making his final run in the Maroon and Gray a memorable one by producing team-highs of 21 stolen bases, 44 runs and a .385 batting average to go with two home runs and 30 RBI. Blevins will take a season-long 15-game hitting streak into this weekend's games.
• A MEC Hitter of the Year candidate, Miller comes into the UVa.-Wise series batting .376 with 36 runs, nine home runs, 54 RBI in addition to driving 15 doubles and registering a .658 slugging percentage. Off the field, Miller was recently named to the Capital One Academic All-District team for his performance in the classroom.
• Coyle has been a more than reliable No. 2 starter for Concord having gone 13-6 as a starter in his CU career and logging over 130 innings on the mound. This year, he is 6-2 with a 3.65 ERA.
• Out of the bullpen, the combination of Nuckles, Leather and Baker have made 29 combined appearances for 57.1 innings of work in 2014 and are 5-3 with four saves and 35 strikeouts.
• Costa has guided the pitching staff to a 3.69 team ERA and has thrown out a MEC-high 15 base runners attempting to steal.
• With his next victory Weatherholtz will become Concord's all-time winningest pitcher with 26 career wins. He already ranks first all-time at Concord in strikeouts (216), games started (48) and innings pitched (316.2).
• Blevins, the reigning MEC Hitter of the Week, leads Concord in career stolen bases (79), ranks second in hits (259) and fifth in both runs (179) and RBI (156).
Scouting UVa.-Wise• On the mound, Steven Klaiber is 5-2 with a 3.74 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 53 innings. Relief pitcher Cody Compton has made 11 appearances, recording an ERA of just 1.53.
• UVa.-Wise's offense has been paced by the duo of Mike McCollum and Bill Steven in 2014. McCollum is batting an impressive .401 (55-for-123) with 23 runs scored and 20 RBI while Steven has totaled team-bests of four home runs and 26 RBI.
The Coaches•
Andrew Wright is in his fourth season at Concord. Since taking over the program, Wright has guided the Mountain Lions to a pair of conference titles and a record of 121-87 (.582).
• Longtime UVa.-Wise coach Hank Banner is in his 18
th season in charge of the Highland Cavaliers' program. In that time his has compiled 352 wins in his career.
Up Next• The Mountain Lions will look for their third conference championship in the last four seasons when it takes part in the inaugural MEC Tournament May 8-11 at Epling Stadium in Beckley, W. Va.
