ETTRICK, VA  – The Virginia State University baseball team (12-20) will look for redemption as they travel down to the University of Mount Olive for a date with a stacked Trojans team. Last time out, the Trojans dropped the first game 13-11 on a walk-off home run hit by the Tigers before dropping the second 11-0. The next day, the Tigers took game three in a pitchers dual 2-0 for their second-straight shutout of the series before winning 9-1. After scoring 11 runs in the first game the Trojans only scored one run over the next three games.


 
After going a perfect 8-8 against Christendom, Dawsyn Hock now leads the team with a ridiculous .385 batting average. He has had four games this season when he has batted 1.000 with more than one at-bat in the contest. Opposing teams plan to play the fence against Ricky Jones (.364/BA), as he was able to put a jolt into the baseball in the first game of the Salem series to put the Trojans on top 11-9 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. Jones leads the squad in home runs (5), hits (39), RBI (28) as well as total bases (65), slugging percentage (.607), triples (2), and at-bats (107). Jones has collected 11 multi-hit games this season. The super freshman, Tahruan Hammond (.373/BA), currently leads the team in runs (34), walks (26), doubles (11), on-base percentage (.504) and on-base slugging percentage (1.092). His on-base percentage ranks him eighth in the country as he also ranks 45^th in doubles per game with .40. Hammond also has a lively arm on the mound as the reliever has accounted for 21 strikeouts while giving up just 14 hits. The Trojans currently have three players, who have at least 50 at-bats that maintain a batting average of .300 or better. The team hits a whopping .289 from the plate with an on-base percentage of .403. The pitching rotation has been keeping the base paths vacant this season as they have allowed a respectable 6.00 earned runs per contest and have struck out 201 batters while walking just 120. Nicholas Woolfolk and Grayson "Cole" Spain are proven to be a two-headed monster on the mound as Woolfolk leads the team with five wins while maintaining an impressive 3.13 ERA in 60.1 innings while Spain leads with 67 strikeouts which, ranks him within the top-40 in the country. Against CAU, Woolfolk earned a career-high nine strikeouts as Spain earned a season-high 14 strikeouts against Davis & Elkins. On five separate occasions, Woolfolk has given up just two earned runs while pitching five innings or more this season. Woolfolk is ranked within the top-20 in the country in innings pitched. Spain has his name all over the country's pitching statistics as he ranks within the top-30 in the country in innings pitched with 49.2 and ranks 14th 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 maintaining a 2.91 ERA. Avante Banks leads the infield with 96 put outs so far this season while also maintaining a .288 batting average, which ranks him fourth on the team. Ricky Jones is a vacuum in the outfield as well with 73 put outs on the season with no errors. Tahraun Hammond has assisted on the most outs on the team this season with 56 making amazing diving stops and throws fom his knees from his shortstop position. 

 
 
Weekend Schedule
Tuesday, April 19
Virginia State at Univ. of Mount Olive
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. *Mount Olive, North Carolina *Scarborough Field
 
 
 
About The University of Mount Olive
The University of Mount Olive Trojans are 24-16 overall after winning four of their last five games against UNC Pembroke, Queens of University of Charlotte and Francis Marion. They look to improve upon their 17-6 home record. The Trojans do their winning in bunches going on winning streaks of four games, five games and a pair of three game winning streaks. Offensively, the Trojans put the bat on the ball quite a bit hitting .289 with a .392 on-base percentage and boast 28 home runs. The Trojans has driven 257 runs home with a .419 slugging percentage. The squad has struck out 248 times while drawing 179 walks. Jack Casbarro and Alden Cattle are the sluggers of the squad as the two bat an identical .350. Casbarro leads his squad in at-bats (163), runs (54), hits (57), homeruns (10), total bases (99), stolen bases (21), slugging percentage (.607) and on-base slugging percentage (1.033). The Trojans pitching rotation gives away 5.06 earned runs per contest while allowing 234 runs with 344 strikeouts this season. Teams have accumulated 353 hits against the rotation this season and collectively bat .272 against them. Caleb Irwin is the ace as he leads the team in innings pitched (54.1). Irwin leads with 49 strikeouts with only 29 walks. He leads maintains a crazy 3.31 ERA with a 4-3 record. His best game this season came against Emmanuel when struck out 10 and only allowed three hits.


 
Series History
The Trojans are 0-7 against UMO in matchups dating back to 2012. VSU has allowed more than 15 runs on three separate occasions and have been shut out twice. That being said, the Trojans lost just 9-7 in the most recent matchup back in 2019. The Trojans average just 3.86 runs against UMO.  


 
Next Five Matchups

• Apr. 19 at Univ. of Mount Olive
• Apr. 23-24 vs. Bluefield State
• Apr. 30-May 1 vs. Salem