Game Notes

National Ranking Summary: USC Upstate

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SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The USC Upstate baseball team will put its 10-game win streak on the line tomorrow night when they battle Charlotte at 6 p.m. 

The Spartans will also battle Furman Wednesday (6 p.m.), before opening league play this weekend. 

First Pitch…

• The 2012 season marks the first season of full NCAA Division I eligibility for the Spartans... After a five-year transitional phase from D-II to D-I, Upstate is eligible for postseason play.

• Head Coach Matt Fincher is in his 15th season at the helm of the Spartan baseball program.

• The Spartans are ranked 25th in this week's College Baseball Daily Mid-Major Top-25 Poll... The Spartans also garnered votes in the NCBWA Top-25 poll.

• Upstate's first 11 games of the season took place at the friendly confines of Harley Park (10-1).

• The Spartans have scored 98 runs in their first 13 contests, compared to 34 for their opponents.

• Rookie starter David Palladino has tallied seven strikeouts in his last three appearances... On the year, the Emerson, N.J., native has 25 punch outs.

• In its first road game of the season, Trey Richardson delivered a RBI single in the top of the 9th at The Citadel to lift Upstate to a 6-5 win (Mar. 6)... A day later the Spartans scored eight runs in the final two innings to claim an 8-1 victory at Charleston Southern.

• Chad Sobotka picked up his first career win after pitching a scoreless ninth at The Citadel.

• David Palladino picked up his second victory after allowing just one run on five hits in seven innings vs. Georgia State... Palladino struck out seven batters for the second consecutive outing... Chad Sobotka tossed a perfect ninth to earn his third save in six days.

• The series sweep of Eastern Kentucky (Feb. 24-26) was the first for the Spartan baseball program since Feb. 27-28, 2010 (Courtyard by Marriott Baseball Classic).

• Brandon Lee was named the A-Sun Pitcher (Feb. 27) after firing a complete game shutout in the series finale against Eastern Kentucky (Feb. 26)... Lee, who tossed 105 pitches (73 strikes), struck out 12 Colonels while giving up just four hits and one walk... The junior also picked up National Guard Spartan of the Week honors.

• Gaither Bumgardner led the Spartans at the plate last week... In four games, the junior batted .588 (10-of-17; 1 2B, 1 3B) on the week with 9 runs and 6 RBI.  Bumgardner posted a .765 slugging %, a .611 on-base % and a perfect 1.000 fielding %.

• Tyler Miller hit his first home run of the season against Eastern Kentucky (Feb. 24), while rookie Greg Guers recorded his first collegiate homer against the Colonels (Feb. 25).

• Scott DeCecco improved to 2-0 on the season as he recorded a quality start against Eastern Kentucky (Feb. 25)... DeCecco allowed just one run on four hits with four strikeouts in the Spartans' victory over the Colonels.

• Ben Augenstein picked up his first win in a Spartan uniform in the series opener against Eastern Kentucky (Feb. 24)... Augenstein, who relieved David Roseboom, allowed one run on six hits in four innings of work.

• Luke Weber and Austin Liput tallied their first home runs of the 2012 campaign against the Paladins.

• David Palladino earned his first collegiate win against Furman... In the pre-determined short start, Palladino pitched four innings, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out seven... Palladino was a 13th-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft.