HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The regionally ranked No. 10 Coker Cobra baseball team will host the Saints of Limestone College in a three-game Conference Carolinas series beginning with a nine-inning game on Friday (March 1) and concluding with a double-header on Saturday (March 2).
The Cobras enter the game with a record of 10-4 overall and they are 3-0 in league play. In their first conference series of the season, the Cobras swept the Barton Bulldogs, winning three one-run games; 7-6, 3-2 and 5-4. Senior Tyler Witzel (3-1) earned conference pitcher of the week honors for his efforts in the victories. He threw 4.1 scoreless innings of baseball allowing just two hits, while striking out two in three relief appearances.
In their most recent game, Coker lost a heartbreaker to No. 24 UNC Pembroke. The Braves scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning taking a 5-4 lead and the eventual win.
Junior first baseman Fico Kondla is Coker's leading hitter. He is batting .419 with four doubles and 12 RBIs through 14 games. Zach Loraine has also been impressive at the plate so far, the junior his batting .351 with three doubles, two triples, a home run and 12 RBIs in 37 plate appearances this season.
The Coker pitchers are continuing to get the job done on the mound. As a staff they have a 3.95 ERA, allowing just 60 runs in 109.1 innings with 79 strikeouts. They are averaging 6.5 strikeouts per game. Senior Dan Meyer (1-1) is the leader of the pitching staff. He has posted a 3.10 ERA in 20.1 innings of work with a team-high 20 strikeouts.
Limestone (9-4, 1-1 Conf. Carolinas) comes into the game boasting a .343 team batting average and a 4.18 team ERA. KJ McAllister leads the Saints at the plate with a .526 average, including four doubles, three triples and nine RBIs in 13 games. Cameron Ward (2-0) is the top pitcher for the Saints with a 1.69 ERA in 21.1 innings of work. He has allowed just four earned runs and has struck out 14 batters.
Friday's nine-inning affair will begin at 2 p.m. and Saturday's double-header will start at noon. All three games will be played at Coker's Tom J. New Field.