ETTRICK, VA  – The Virginia State University baseball team (9-12) will travel over to Hampton, Virginia to face The Newport News Apprentice School (12-13) in a doubleheader on Friday, April 1. Last time out, the Trojans had a good showing losing a hard fought battle against the Barton Bulldogs 7-3 as VSU scored three runs on five hits with an error while allowing the Bulldogs nine hits. After losing 25-6 in 2021 the 7-3 loss proves the significant improvement of the team.
 
 
After going a perfect 8-8 against Christendom, Dawsyn Hock now leads the team with a ridiculous .524 batting average. Hock leads the team in slugging percentage (.762) and on-base slugging percentage (1.333). He has had four games this season when he has batted 1.000 with more than one at-bat in the game. Opposing teams plan to play the fence against Ricky Jones, as he was able to put a jolt into the baseball twice in game two of the CAU series. Jones leads the squad in home runs (3), hits (30), RBI (17) as well as total bases (46), triples (1), and at-bats (71). Jones has collected nine multi-hit games this season. The super freshman, Tahruan Hammond, currently leads the team in runs (24), walks (23), doubles (8), on-base percentage (.583) and triples (1). His on-base percentage ranks him 16th in the country. Hammond also has a lively arm on the mound as the reliever has accounted for nine strikeouts while giving up just four hits. Chase Moore missed the season opening series but has since accrued 10 hits in just 35 at-bats (.286/BA) while driving in six runs and scoring six himself. The Trojans currently have four players, who have at least 30 at-bats that maintain a batting average of .300 or better while three players average .400 or better. The team hits a whopping .295 from the plate with an on-base percentage of .419. The pitching rotation has been keeping the base paths vacant this season as they allowed a respectable 4.73 earned runs per contest and have not allowed an opponent to score 10 runs or more. Nicholas Woolfolk and Grayson "Cole" Spain are proven to be a two-headed monster on the mound as Woolfolk leads the team with a three wins while maintaining an impressive 2.97 ERA in 39.1 innings while Spain leads with 58 strikeouts which, ranks him 21st in the country. Against CAU, Woolfolk earned a career-high nine strikeouts as Spain earned a season-high 14 strikeouts against Davis & Elkins. Woolfolk is tied for 25th in the country in innings pitched with 39.1 while also tying for third in complete games with three. Spain has his name all over the country's pitching statistics as he ties for third as well with three compete games. He also ties for 26th in innings pitched with 38.0 and ranks 16th in strikeouts per nine innings with 13.38. Rashard Miller has proven to be a primetime reliever as he has stepped in 21.2 inning and struck out 14 batters while boasting the best ERA on the team with a 2.91. Avante Banks leads the infield with 64 put outs so far this season while also maintaining a .306 batting average, which ranks him fourth on the team. Ricky Jones is a vacuum in the outfield as well with 53 put outs on the season with no errors. Tahraun Hammond has assisted on the most outs on the team this season with 38. 
 
 
Weekend Schedule
Friday, April 1
Virginia State at Newport News Apprentice School
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. *Hampton, Virginia *Historic War Memorial Stadium
 
 
 
About The Apprentice School
The Newport News Apprentice School Builders are 12-13 overall and 4-0 in the Eastern Metro Athletic Conference (EMAC) after winning their last three games against MACU, Bryant & Stratton and Paul D. Camp CC. The Builders do their winning in bunches going on winning streaks of seven games and three games. They have also lose in bunches as well going on losing streaks of three and six games. Offensively, the Builders put the bat on the ball quite a bit hitting .274 with a .365 on-base percentage and boast 20 home runs. The Apprentice School has driven 132 runs home with a .426 slugging percentage. The squad has struck out 171 times while drawing 90 walks. Camden Waston leads his team as the freshman maintains a .379 batting average along with 33 hits and a home run. He leads the squad in hits (33) and ties for first in at-bats (87). Maxwell Burcham is the slugger of the squad as the senior bats a .345 from the plate and leads the squad in at-bats (87), runs (22), home runs (7), and stolen bases. Braden Lambert leads with 26 RBI with along with six home runs on the season. The Builders pitching rotation gives away 5.33 earned runs per contest while allowing 140 runs with 145 strikeouts (6.55 K/9) and 92 walks this season. Teams have accumulated 201 hits against the rotation this season. Andrew Castine is the ace as he leads the team in innings pitched (45.1), strikeouts (27) and wins (3). Castine has walked just six batters this season and maintains a 4.96 ERA.
 
 
 
Series History
The Trojans are 7-13 against the Builders in matchups dating back to 2012. VSU has won three of the last five matchups but has dropped four games straight on two separate occasions. The last matchup, the Trojans won 8-5 with nine hits and no errors while the Builders score five runs on 12 hits with an error. Joshua Tayman went 2-of-3 with two walks and three runs in the contest.   
 
 
Next Five Matchups

• Apr. 1 at Newport News Apprentice School
• Apr. 6 vs. Barton
• Apr. 9-10 at Mid-Atlantic Christian
• Apr. 14 vs. Newport News Apprentice School
• Apr. 16-17 at Salem