Concord Stats -
Bluefield State Stats -
Live Stats -
Live Video
ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball team begins the 2024 season by taking on Bluefield State in a split three-game series with games at each school's home field.
SCHEDULE
12:00 p.m. Saturday – Bluefield State at Concord
12:00 p.m. Sunday – Concord at Bluefield State (Doubleheader) – Games are at Bowen Field.
LIVE COVERAGE
Both the Concord University Bluefield State University Sports Information Department will have live in-game statistics and live video of the games.
Live Stats
Live Video
SERIES HISTORY: Concord leads 58-5
LAST FIVE MEETINGS VERSUS BLUEFLED STATE
February 11, 2023: Concord 2 – Bluefield State 0 (W, 5-3 W, 2-1) (Athens, W.Va.)
February 26-27, 2022: Concord 1 – Bluefield State 1 (L, 4-3 W, 8-4) (Athens/Bluefield, W.Va.)
April 30, 2019: Concord 14 – Bluefield State 13 (Bluefield, W.Va.)
April 11, 2019: Concord 15 – Bluefield State 2 (Athens, W.Va.)
May 1, 2018: Concord 9 – Bluefield State 6 (Bluefield, W.Va.)
CONCORD AT A GLANCE
2023 Overall Record: 29-21
MEC Record: 23-7
Home Record: 17-13
Away Record: 10-6
Neutral Record: 2-2
ARM STRENGTH
The Mountain Lions welcome back their top three starting pitchers from last season in graduate students
Eddie Blake and
Andrew Neff as well as junior
Rylee Nicholas. The trio combined for 237 of the 325 strikeouts that CU piled up last season. The 325 strikeouts were the third most in a single season in program history. Neff's 95 strikeouts set a program record for an individual while Blake's 73 and Nicholas' 69 were sixth and ninth, respectively. Neff is two strikeouts away from breaking the all-time program for strikeouts as he starts the season with 234 strikeouts. Troy Beckner (2016-19) owns the current record. Neff is the reigning MEC Pitcher of the Year while Blake and Nicholas were named All-MEC Honorable Mention a season ago.
RECORD BOOK WATCH
Not only are some pitching records in danger, but some individual batters are threatening the CU record book. Senior infielder
Zack Saryeldin starts the year with 49 career doubles which places him in a tie for fourth all-time at CU. The Weston, Florida native is chasing the all-time program record of 62 doubles. Over the last two seasons, Saryeldin has recorded 43 doubles. Fellow senior infielder
Chris Satcher needs three home runs to enter the top 10 in program history in career home runs. He starts the year with 17 career homers. Blake entered the record books last season in career strikeouts as he starts the spring with 164, seventh in program history.
GOING BIG AGAINST THE BLUES
Behind stellar pitching, Concord won both games over its Mercer County rival last season, 5-3 and 2-1. A three-run double from Satcher was part of a four-run fifth inning in the 5-3 win. Neff recorded nine strikeouts over five innings, and in his career has 22 strikeouts in 14 innings versus BSU. Blake was just as dominant in his start of the Big Blues last season as he covered five innings, only allowing three hits and a run while fanning six batters. Blake is 2-0 in his career against Bluefield State after tossing seven innings and giving up three runs in 2022. Saryeldin is 6-for-16 in four games versus BSU with four RBI, a home run and a double.
BLUEFIELD STATE AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 0-3
Home Record: 0-0
Away Record: 0-3
SCOUTING THE BIG BLUES
Bluefield State started the season by losing three games against Savannah State, getting outscored 31-13. Korbin Bostic and Tahraun Hammond combined for six hits and five RBI in the series. Kerry Collins had the best outing of any BSU pitcher as he gave up two runs over four innings and struck out three. In last year's 2-1 game at CU, Zack Powell was outdueled by Blake as he tossed a complete game, allowing just two runs on seven hits while striking out three.
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