Baseball | February 14, 2023

This week, USC Aiken hosts Francis Marion on Wednesday, Feb. 15 before making the trip to North Georgia for games on Friday, Feb. 17, Saturday, Feb. 18 and Sunday, Feb. 19.

Recapping Last Week

Last week, USC Aiken's schedule was adjusted due to the weather. The team ended up playing a doubleheader at Newberry on Sunday before playing the final game of the three-game series Monday afternoon at Roberto Hernandez Stadium. After dropping a pair to the Wolves on the road, USC Aiken picked up a hard-fought 5-3 win at home. Jacob Fletcher was brilliant, going 7.2 frames for the win. Dylan Wilhelm tossed the final 1.1 innings to pick up the save.

Justin Byrd and Nick Tripp belted solo round-trippers in the second inning to get things started. The Pacers were in control the rest of the way. It wasn't until the visitors plated a pair of runs in the eighth did the score get closer. However, Wilhelm shut the door on the Wolves. 

Continuing To Battle

Trailing 15-1 in the final inning at Newberry, head coach Michael Holder's team continued to battle. The squad registered four runs in the seventh, including three off singles and another from a bases loaded walk. 

Sharp Is Solid

Josh Sharp had a solid doubleheader at Newberry. In the opener against the Wolves, he registered a hit and scored a run. In the nightcap, Sharp pounded out two hits, swiped a base and scored another run for the Pacers. In the doubleheader, Sharp went three-for-seven with two runs scored.

Byrd Can Do It All

Head coach Michael Holder has called on rookie Justin Byrd in multiple situations. The newcomer has started games in the field and has closed another out on the mound. In the first two weeks of the season, Byrd has played in every game while throwing a pair of innings with a save. He has yet to surrender a run. 

Terrific Tandem

The tandem of Jacob Fletcher and Dylan Wilhelm proved to be an outstanding pair Monday afternoon. Fletcher worked 7.2 innings and was masterful throughout against Newberry. Wilhelm came in when Fletcher reached the 100-pitch mark and closed the cage door on the Wolves. Wilhelm struck out two batters and registered four outs for his first save of the season. 

Inside The Numbers

This week, USC Aiken hosts Francis Marion on Wednesday, Feb. 15 before making the trip to North Georgia for games on Friday, Feb. 17, Saturday, Feb. 18 and Sunday, Feb. 19. Since moving to Division II, the Pacers are 135-60 (69.2 percent) in Wednesday games, 152-105 (59.2 percent) in Friday contests, 347-237 (59.4 percent) in Saturday affairs and 209-154 (57.6 percent) in Sunday matchups. During that same time, the team is 7-5 on Feb. 15, 13-6 on Feb. 17, 9-6 on Feb. 18 and 11-4 on Feb. 19.  

Against The Opponents 

This week, USC Aiken hosts Francis Marion on Wednesday, Feb. 15 before making the trip to North Georgia for games on Friday, Feb. 17, Saturday, Feb. 18 and Sunday, Feb. 19. The Pacers lead the all-time series against the Patriots 63-36. The squad maintains a 24-19 edge in the all-time series against the Nighthawks.