Concord Begins Seasons Against Wheeling, Salem

Concord Stats - Wheeling Stats - Salem Stats

ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball team opens up the 2021 season with three games to be played at Frank Loria Field in Nutter Fort, West Virginia starting 2:00 p.m. Friday against Wheeling followed by two games against Salem (5:00 p.m. Friday and 11:00 a.m. Saturday).

RECORDS
The Mountain Lions finished 5-5 last season before the coronavirus pandemic ended the season.

Wheeling is 1-2 after dropping a series to California (Pa.) to open the season.

Salem sports a mark of 0-4.

ENDING ON A HIGH NOTE
Concord concluded the shortened 2020 season with consecutive wins including a walk-off, 11-inning victory over Pitt-Johnstown March 12. The Mountain Lions also grabbed a 3-2 win over Lock Haven on March 1. The CU pitching staff combined for 22 strikeouts in the final two games of the season. Senior pitcher Spencer Hoyt led the way with 10 strikeouts, including seven in his start of 5.1 innings against Lock Haven. Freshman pitcher Andrew Neff collected four more strikeouts including three in his first collegiate win against LHU, which he pitched 1.2 innings of relief. Sophomore outfielder Josh Adkins provided the walk-off hit versus Pitt-Johnstown as he notched his first career four-hit game, including the 11^th inning walk-off single to lift Concord to a 7-6 victory.

OFF TO THE RACES
The Mountain Lions stole 16 bases in 20 attempts in the 10 games they played in 2020. Senior infielder and 2019 All-MEC First Teamer Anthony Stehlin accounted for five steals. Over the last two seasons, Stehlin is 22-for-27 on stolen base attempts, and needs seven steals to break into the top 10 all-time at Concord. Fellow junior infielder Evan Antonellis was successful in both of his steal attempts last season. Through seven combined games, Wheeling nor Salem have been successful in throwing out a runner—a combined 0-for-9. During the last fully-completed season, the Mountain Lions swiped 68 bases which was the sixth most in program history.

LEADING THE WAY
Only senior pitcher Trent Abernathy, Hoyt, junior pitcher Dan Nicholls and Stehlin have started two or more games on the mound in their careers at Concord. In his three starts last season, Abernathy struck out 27 batters in 18 innings, including a career-best 11 punch outs against nationally-ranked Mercyhurst. During the 2019 season, Abernathy struck out eight Wheeling hitters in 4.2 innings which was a previous career best before last season's performance. Abernathy starts the season with 138 career strikeouts which ranks ninth in program history. The Harrisonburg, Virginia native needs only 14 strikeouts to jump into the top five all-time at CU.

FINDING SUCCESS AGAINST SALEM
Concord is 31-8 against Salem dating back to the start of the 1997 season. However, the two teams split a pair of games in 2019. SU picked up a 10-3 win at home March 19, 2019. The Mountain Lions returned the favor with a convincing 14-3 win at Anderson Field April 2. Stehlin scored a pair of runs. Sophomore catcher Chance Davis had one of his four multi-hit games as a freshman with a 2-for-5 day and an RBI against the Tigers. Junior pitcher Gabe Garcia had two strikeouts as he worked a scoreless eighth inning. 

WHEELING AT A GLANCE
In the weekend series versus California (Pa.), Riley Cameron collected six hits in 12 at-bats with five of those hits going for doubles. Blake Vandiver added four hits in nine trips to the plate, and a pair of RBI. No Wheeling starting pitcher lasted more than four innings against the Vulcans. Nick Luciano appeared out of the bullpen twice over the weekend as he struck out six in three innings.

SALEM AT A GLANCE
The Tigers lost two games to Kentucky State to start the season followed by back-to-back losses against MEC teams, Charleston and Glenville State. Jason Gomez has nine strikeouts over 6.2 innings out of the bullpen. Kasey Buchanan leads the Salem offense through four games with a .500 average (6-for-12).