Hennon Preview
GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES (17-5, 1-2 SoCon)
APPALACHIAN STATE MOUNTAINEERS (5-14, 0-0 SoCon)
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Friday-Sunday, March 21-23
Time: 6 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m.
Site: Statesboro, Ga./J.I. Clements Stadium
Rankings: None
Coaches: GSU -
Rodney Hennon (598-385-1), APP - Billy Jones (77-72)
TV/Video Stream: gseagles.com/showcase
Radio: Georgia Southern Radio Network/GS All-Access
Twitter: @GSAthletics, @GSAthletics_BSB
Facebook: facebook.com/GSAthletics
Live Stats: http://gseagles.com/coverage.aspx?
Last 10: Ga. Southern 7-3; Appalachian State 5-5
Series Record: Ga. Southern leads 55-18
Storylines: Georgia Southern remains at home after a mid-week split with #13 Clemson. The Eagles are 14-2 at home this season and welcome in Appalachian State for a three-game series. This weekend will be the final Southern Conference series between the two schools. Both schools are joining the Sun Belt Conference next year. GSU is averaging 8.8 runs per game and scored 14 runs on Tuesday, their seventh game with 10 or more runs this season. The Eagles tallied 10 or more runs just eight times all of last season. GSU is also just one home run away from equaling their output from a year ago of 32 long balls. The Mountaineers opened the season 0-9 but have played .500 ball in their last 10 contests. First pitch in the series is Friday at 6 p.m. The series concludes with a 2:30 p.m. contest on Saturday and a 1:30 p.m. game on Sunday.
Promotions: Georgia Southern Athletics is hosting the 2014 Spring All Sports GATA Club Reunion this weekend. All former student-athletes will receive two free tickets to the weekend series. Friday fans are encouraged to wear blue and participate in the #TrueBlue Out. Saturday is "Kids Take Over the Game" Day and children ages 5-12 can help the marketing staff run the game. Sunday is Junior Eagle Club Sunday Funday and all JEC members get free admission to the game and bounce houses, free popcorn and can run the bases after the game.
Series History: Georgia Southern holds a 55-18 record in the all-time series with Appalachian State, but the Mountaineers have won six out of the last 10 meetings. ASU took the series in Boone, N.C. a year ago with a 9-5 win in the opener and a 2-0 complete game shutout from Sam Agnew-Wieland in game two. The Eagles salvaged a game in the series finale after scoring three runs in the ninth inning to win 8-7. GSU is 22-7 in Statesboro all-time against the Mountaineers and won the 2012 meeting at J.I. Clements Stadium 1-5, 13-3, 7-6.
Team Scope
Ga. Southern: Georgia Southern is 17-5 after 22 games, the same record the 2009 NCAA Regional team held through the same number of games, and is looking to bounce back from a SoCon opening-weekend loss at Elon. Tuesday's 14-5 win over Clemson inched Head Coach
Rodney Hennon closer to his 600th career victory. Hennon is now two wins away from reaching the milestone and could do so this weekend with a series victory.
Aaron Mizell hit his 9th homer of the season and is three ahead of Victor Roache's school record setting pace in 2011. The Eagles are hitting a SoCon best .322 with a 2.68 this season.
Appalachian State: Appalachian State opened the season with eight games against the likes of Arkansas, Tennessee, N.C. State and North Carolina. Seven of those eight contests came against ranked foes. The Mountaineers are 5-5 in their last 10 games and swept UNC Asheville on March 8-9 before losing three-straight to Notre Dame, Clemson and Michigan. APP won in their last outing on March 15 against Kent State 8-0. Friday's game will be the first for the Mountaineers in six days and the first conference game of the season. APP is hitting .210 as a squad with a 4.15 ERA.
Who's Hot: Ben Morgan has eight hits in his last 20 at-bats and hit his second home run of the season at Elon last weekend. Morgan is hitting .288 with a team-best 12 stolen bases this season. ... Tyler Zupcic went three for eight over the weekend at College of Charleston Tournament. Zupcic is hitting .254 with a team-high six doubles.
On The Bump
Friday, March 21
LHP
Sam Howard (3-2, 1.13) vs. RHP
Jamie Nunn (1-4, 5.40)
Saturday, March 22
RHP
Josh Wirsu (4-1, 3.55) vs. RHP
Tyler Moore (3-2, 2.25)
Sunday, March 23
RHP
Will Middour (1-0, 4.38) vs. LHP
Jeffrey Springs (1-0, 3.27)
APPALACHIAN STATE SERIES AT A GLANCE
Overall: 55-18
Home: 22-7
Away: 23-10
Neutral: 2-0
Unknown: 8-1
Hennon vs Opponent: 36-16
Streak: W1
First Meeting: 1967, Statesboro, W 7-1
Last Meeting: 4/7/13, Boone, W 8-7
Last 10 Meetings: 4-6
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics and twitter.com/GSAthletics.