LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – After enjoying two days away from the diamond, the Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team returns to action at the Avista NAIA World Series on Monday, May 27, against top-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan University in a winner’s bracket contest at Lewiston, Idaho.
The No. 5-seeded Grizzlies (47-11) earned a 6-3 victory against No. 4-seeded Faulkner University (Ala.) on Friday. Tennessee Wesleyan defeated No. 8 Indiana Tech 11-3 on Saturday to advance through the winner’s bracket.
Monday’s meeting will be the third game this season between the two teams, with the Bulldogs winning both encounters.
In Friday’s first-round victory, senior Brody Wofford connected on a grand slam in the fifth inning to give GGC a 4-1 lead over Faulkner. Senior Onassis Matos added a two-run single in the important frame. Senior Alex Garland collected four hits in the game.
That offense supported junior starting pitcher Pedro Garcia, who registered 11 strikeouts over the first 6.2 innings to pick up the victory. Senior reliever Matthew Swain recorded the final four outs to pick up the save.
For the season, sophomore Cam Coursey has anchored the team’s offensive attack with a .462 batting average, 98 hits, nine triples and 61 RBI. The preseason All-American and Golden Spikes Preseason List nominee also has scored 63 runs and been successful on 19 stolen base attempts.
Senior C.J. Ballard is batting .365, and leads the team with 67 runs and 33 stolen bases. Junior Gabe Austin (.364), Matos (.362) and sophomore Cord Johnson (.351) round out leaders of the team’s balanced offensive attack.
Joining Garcia and Swain on the pitching staff are senior Gregory Loukinen, who has won a team-high nine games. Then, senior Jonathan McKinney stands 8-2 with a 2.99 ERA in 12 starts, and junior Hunter Caudelle has won all six of his decisions on the mound and has a staff best 2.15 ERA.
MEET THE COACHES
Georgia Gwinnett College: Brad Stromdahl is in his seventh season leading the Grizzlies. He has compiled a 327-102 record in Lawrenceville and has guided the program to three Avista NAIA World Series appearances. The Grizzlies have advanced to postseason play in all six seasons of eligibility under Stromdahl’s guidance.
Tennessee Wesleyan: Billy Berry is in his second stint as the Bulldogs’ head coach. The 2018 season marked his first season back in the dugout for the Athens, Tenn., team. Overall, he has led Tennessee Wesleyan to a 525-196-1 record over 12 seasons.
GRAND SLAMS IN LEWISTON
Georgia Gwinnett College has hit a grand slam during its three appearances at the Avista NAIA World Series. Senior Brody Wofford gave the Grizzlies a 4-1 lead with a grand slam on Friday against Faulkner University (Ala.). In 2018, Kade Carrigan hit a round tripper against Faulkner, while John Fadanza connected on a grand slam during the program’s first trip to the World Series in 2014.
WORLD SERIES GEM
Junior Pedro Garcia struck out 11 batters across 6.2 innings in his World Series debut. The right hander recorded two strikeouts in three different innings during the outing.
NATIONAL RANKING
The Grizzlies were ranked No. 4 in the final NAIA Top 25 poll of the regular season. The team was ranked in the top 10 of every poll during the 2019 regular.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Tennessee Wesleyan is the tournament’s No. 1 seed in the Avista World Series bracket and picked up an 11-3 victory against No. 8-seeded Indiana Tech on Saturday. The Bulldogs won the Kingsport (Tenn.) Bracket of the NAIA Opening Round to secure its spot in Lewiston, Idaho. The team stands 53-9 on the season. Braden Mosley is batting .404 with 16 home runs and 58 RBI. Tyler Reichenborn has connected on 14 home runs and legged out 17 doubles.
SERIES HISTORY
GGC leads the series with Tennessee Wesleyan by a 6-to-5 margin. The Bulldogs have won two games between the two programs already in 2019.
FOLLOW THE GRIZZLIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA
GGCAthletics.com will be home for the latest news and information regarding the baseball season. Video updates and highlights of the team’s World Series trip will be provided through the Grizzly Digital Network. Keep track of GGC Athletics through the following social media: Twitter (@GGCAthletics), Facebook (GGCAthletics) and Instagram (GGCAthletics).