Boston College Athletics
Weekend Preview: Baseball Opens Season in South Carolina
February 13, 2015 | Baseball
THE FACTS
WHERE: Spartanburg, S.C.
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 13-Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015
OPPONENTS: Friday: Wofford | Saturday: Xavier & USC Upstate | Sunday: Xavier
RECORD vs. OPPONENTS: This is the first the Eagles will play all three teams
HOW TO FOLLOW
Twitter: @BCBirdball
Live Stats: Friday | Saturday Game 1 | Saturday Game 2 | Sunday
Live Video: Friday vs. Wofford
THE MATCHUPS
Pitching Matchups
Friday vs. Wofford: RHP John Gorman vs. RHP Matthew Milburn
Saturday vs. Xavier: RHP Jeff Burke vs. LHP Trent Astle
Saturday vs. USC Upstate: LHP Jesse Adams vs. RHP Tyler Jackson
Sunday vs. Xavier: LHP Nick Poore vs. RHP Adam Hall
Scouting the Teams
• Wofford finished the 2014 season 32-28, going 21-14 at home. The Eagles will face righty Matthew Milburn, who went 4-6 in 2014 with a 3.95 ERA and 77 strikeouts last year.
• Xavier made the 2014 NCAA Tournament Team, earning a bid by winning the BIG EAST Tournament. The Musketeers finished the season 30-29, including a 9-3 record on neutral territory. The Eagles will square off against lefty Trent Astle, who recorded a 5-4 record, a 4.46 ERA and 28 Ks last year. On Sunday they will see RHP Adam Hall, who was also 5-4 last year with a 7.71 ERA and 36 Ks.
• USC Upstate was 17-38 in 2014 with a 12-18 home record in 2014. Transfer RHP Tyler Jackson will throw against the Eagles. He tallied a 1.80 ERA and 70 strikeouts over 47 innings with USC Lancaster last year. He freshman ball at South Carolina.
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE EAGLES
• The Eagles return their top three hitters in junior OF Chris Shaw, a preseason All-American, junior INF Joe Cronin and senior INF Blake Butera. Actually, BC only lost two starters from last year's 22-33 team.
• Two weekend starters from last year's team return in senior RHP John Gorman and junior RHP Jeff Burke and most of the bullpen is back as only two relievers graduated.
• Cronin comes into the season with a six-game hitting streak, the longest of all the Eagles to start the year. He recorded a career-long, nine-game hit streak in April 2014.
• Butera, Shaw and sophomore C Nick Sciortino all start 2015 with a four-game hit streak. Butera recorded a 12-game hit streak in April of last season and a career-long 13-game hit streak as a freshman. Shaw put together a 16-game hit streak last year, which was not only the longest in his career, but also ranked third in BC history, dating back to 2005. Shaw finished the 2014 season with a hit in 22 of the final 24 games. Sciortino's four-game hit streak is the longest of his career.
• Sophomore RHP Bobby Skogsbergh led the BC bullpen with a 4-0 record in his freshman campaign. He finished the season by not allowing an earned run in his final nine appearances - 10.2 innings. In that time, he allowed just one earned run, 11 hits, six walks, two strikeouts and two extra-base hits - both doubles.
