Fourth-ranked LaGrange and N.C. Wesleyan square off this weekend for the USA South Tournament championship. The best-of-three series starts Friday at 6 p.m. at Cleaveland Field in Williamson Stadium. Game 2 is Saturday at 2 p.m. with the if necessary third game at 5:30 p.m.
The Panthers (35-6) are going for their fifth straight conference tournament championship and the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. LC and N.C. Wesleyan are facing each other in the championship series for the second year in a row. The Panthers won in three games at N.C. Wesleyan last season.
The Panthers swept through last weekend's Bracket #2 tournament. The Panthers won the three games by a combined score of 50-9. They set a conference tournament scoring game record in a 27-1 win over William Peace.
N.C. Wesleyan (28-15) also went unbeaten in the Bracket #1 tournament. The Bishops defeated Huntingdon 5-1 to clinch a spot in the championship series. They enter the series on a five-game winning streak.
LaGrange is led by junior third baseman Joe Ruth, the USA South Baseball Player of the Year. Ruth leads the team and conference in several batting categories. He is batting .449 with 10 home runs and 78 RBIs. He has a .719 slugging percentage and a .469 on-base percentage. Senior outfielder McKinley Erves is batting .449 with four home runs and 40 RBIs. He has a .574 on-base percentage and .674 slugging percentage. Senior first baseman Jack Layrisson is batting .383 with five home runs and 55 RBIs to go with a .636 slugging percentage. This trio were all selected to the USA South All-Conference first team. Junior shortstop Cael Chatham was a USA South West Division first team selection. Chatham is batting .393 with four home runs and 49 RBIs.
N.C. Wesleyan is led by All-Conference first team selection junior second baseman Davie Morgan. Morgan is batting .413 with eight home runs and 45 RBIs. He has a slugging percentage of .680 and on-base percentage of .513. Sophomore shortstop Tyson Bass leads the Bishops with 11 home runs and he has 45 RBIs also. Sophomore third baseman Jackson Hobbs is batting .337 with eight home runs and 42 RBIs.
Possible Pitching Matchups
Game 1- N.C. Wesleyan- Derrick Carter, Sr. (8-2, 2.58 ERA) vs. LaGrange- Baley Coleman, Jr. (8-1, 3.94 ERA). Carter was the USA South Baseball Pitcher of the Year and has 96 strikeouts in 87-1/3 innings. Coleman was a USA South West Division first team selection.
Game 2- N.C. Wesleyan- Danny Thompson, So. (5-2, 4.11 ERA) vs. LaGrange- Dalton Brooks, So. (6-1, 3.82 ERA). Brooks was a USA South West Division first team selection.
Game 3- N.C. Wesleyan- Kevin Williams, Sr. (3-1, 3.00 ERA) vs. LaGrange- Stephen Bartolotta, Fr. (2-0, 6.46 ERA).
Admission (Cash Only)
General Admission Single Day- $10.00
Children 3-12, Seniors 65+, Faculty, Staff, and Students
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