LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – For the second straight weekend, the No. 4-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team will square off in a three-game series against Edward Waters College (Fla.). This time the action will take place at the Grizzly Baseball Complex during a special weekend, April 5-6.
The Grizzlies, which improved to No. 4 in the NAIA Top 25 poll announced Tuesday, will play a single nine-inning game Friday, April 5, at 3 p.m. Then, Military Appreciation Day is planned for Saturday’s doubleheader, with a ceremonial flyover planned prior to the 1 p.m. first pitch.
Current military and veterans, along with their families, will receive free admission to the game. Free food also will be available.
GGC stands 28-8 on the season and has won its last six games. Three of those triumphs came in a sweep by a combined 25-4 scoring margin last weekend at Edward Waters. The Grizzlies hit 10 home runs during that series.
Sophomore Cam Coursey leads Georgia Gwinnett College with a .423 batting average and 38 runs batted in. Senior Brody Wofford has connected on a team-high six home runs, including two last weekend at Edward Waters. The team is batting .319 as a team.
Senior pitcher Gregory Loukinen stands 7-1 and has a 2.39 earned run average in 10 starts. He leads the pitching staff with 66 strikeouts. Junior Hunter Caudelle has won his last two starts to stand 3-0 and has a 2.48 ERA. Senior Jonathan McKinney has tossed two complete games, including a one-hit shutout last Friday against Edward Waters.
MEET THE COACHES
Georgia Gwinnett College: Brad Stromdahl is in his seventh season leading the Grizzlies. He has compiled a 308-99 record in Lawrenceville and has guided the program to two Avista-NAIA World Series appearances. The Grizzlies have advanced to postseason play in all five seasons of eligibility under Stromdahl’s guidance.
Edward Waters: Reginald Johnson II is in his eighth season leading the Tigers to a 221-182-1 record. He has guided the program to winning seasons during six of his seven seasons as head coach.
RETURN ENGAGEMENT
GGC and Edward Waters will be playing for the second consecutive weekend after the Grizzlies swept a three-game series in Jacksonville. Georgia Gwinnett outscored the Tigers by a 25-to-4 margin and connected on 10 home runs over the course of the three games.
POWER SURGE
The Grizzlies have hit 16 of their 35 home runs since March 20. The team blasted six homers in the first game of last Saturday’s 11-3 win at Edward Waters. Senior Brody Wofford leads the team with six home runs, with two of them coming during the most recent Florida trip. Sophomore Nick Barnes has connected on five homers.
MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY
Georgia Gwinnett College’s Office of Athletics will honor present military personnel and military veterans, along with their families, during Saturday’s Military Appreciation Day doubleheader. A ceremonial flyover is planned prior to the start of the 1 p.m. first game. Free admission and food will be available for all military members, past and present, and their families.
MOVING UP IN THE POLL
Georgia Gwinnett College has regained a No. 4 ranking in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll, released Tuesday following voting by a nationwide panel of coaches. The team was No. 7 in the second poll of the regular season after being No. 4 in the inaugural poll and No. 3 in the preseason rankings. The Grizzlies have played eight teams in the current Top 25 poll, including No. 1 Southeastern University (Fla.).
NATIONALLY RANKED TEAM, PLAYERS
GGC is ranked among the top 10 teams nationally in the following statistical categories:
- Innings pitched per game – Second, 8.722
- Total doubles – Fifth, 86
- Doubles per game – Fifth, 2.389
- Total Caught Stealing – Fifth, 27
Meanwhile, the following players are nationally ranked for their performances this season:
- Cam Coursey – Fourth, total triples (5)
- Greg Loukinen – Fifth, pitching wins (7)
- C.J. Ballard – 11th, total stolen bases (19) and steal attempts (23)
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Edward Waters stands 18-27 on the season and has a 6-8 road record. Noah Leake leads the team’s offensive attack with a .444 batting average. Freedy Torres has hit six home runs and collected 32 RBI to lead the team. The Tigers might return to Lawrenceville in early May 4-7 when GGC hosts the Association of Independent Institutions’ championship tournament.
SERIES HISTORY
GGC has won all five games played between the two programs, including a three-game series sweep last weekend on the Tigers’ diamond in Jacksonville, Fla. The Grizzlies also defeated Edward Waters twice during the 2018 Association of Independent Institutions’ championship tournament at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.
FOLLOW THE GRIZZLIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA
GGCAthletics.com will be home for the latest news and information regarding the baseball season. Video broadcasts of all home games will be through the Grizzly Digital Network with Matt Mahony providing play-by-play commentary. Keep track of GGC Athletics through the following social media: Twitter (@GGCAthletics), Facebook (GGCAthletics) and Instagram (GGCAthletics).