LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team plays its first road weekend series of the season with games at Thomas University (Ga.) on Friday, March 8, and Saturday, March 9, in Thomasville, Ga.
The series begins with a single nine-inning game on Friday at 6 p.m. before a doubleheader is scheduled Saturday, starting with a seven-inning contest at 2 p.m. The second game will be a regular nine-inning game.
GGC is ranked No. 4 in the first regular season NAIA Top 25 poll after posting a 14-4 record through the first five weeks of the season. The team is coming off a three-game sweep against Saint Xavier University (Ill.) last weekend.
The Grizzlies will be seeking their first road win of 2019 after dropping a 5-4 contest in 11 innings at No. 17-ranked Middle Georgia State University on Feb. 27.
Georgia Gwinnett College’s offense has a .341 batting average, featuring five players hitting .340 or higher for the season. Sophomore Cam Coursey leads the team with a .541 batting average, 28 RBI, 27 runs scored and five triples, which leads all NAIA players nationally. Senior Brandon Frazier is hitting at a .432 clip, while classmate Brenton Burgess is batting .415 through 17 games this spring.
Seniors Brody Wofford and Alex Garland round out the team’s balanced lineup, both having .340 batting averages.
GGC’s pitching staff has compiled a 3.32 earned run average, led by senior Gregory Loukinen with a 4-1 record and 2.61 ERA. The left hander leads the staff with 35 strikeouts. Senior Jonathan McKinney stands 3-0 with a 3.08 ERA and junior Hunter Dollander is unbeaten in four decisions and has a 1.98 ERA.
MEET THE COACHES
Georgia Gwinnett College: Brad Stromdahl is in his seventh season leading the Grizzlies. He has compiled a 294-95 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.
Thomas: Randy Adams is in his second season leading the Night Hawks after spending the 2013-17 seasons as the program’s top assistant coach. He has compiled a 39-34 record in Thomasville, Ga.
NEW NATIONAL RANKING
Georgia Gwinnett College stands No. 4 in the first NAIA Top 25 poll of the 2019 regular season. The Grizzlies are 14-4 on the season and were ranked No. 3 in the preseason poll.
AUSTIN HONORED
Junior catcher Gabe Austin is the current Association of Independent Institutions’ Baseball Hitter of the Week. He batted .545 (6 for 11) and had seven RBI during the team’s six games. Austin connected on three home runs – his first homers of the season. Defensively, the Summerville, S.C., native threw out three of four opposing baserunners in steal attempts.
STEALING BASES
The Grizzlies have successfully recorded 44 stolen bases in 2019. Senior C.J. Ballard is 11-for-12 in stolen base attempts, while senior Alex Garland and sophomores Cam Coursey and Nick Barnes have each recorded six steals. GGC has held the opposition to 16 stolen bases and thrown out 40 percent of baserunners this spring.
INSIDE THE GRIZZLIES
- GGC hit home runs in three consecutive at bats during the second game of a doubleheader sweep against Saint Xavier University (Ill.) on March 2. Senior Brody Wofford connected on a two-run home run before seniors Alex Garland and Brenton Burgess followed with fly balls that cleared the stadium’s outfield fences
- The Grizzlies have outscored the opposition by a 166-to-76 margin this spring
- Eleven GGC players are batting over .300 for the season
- GGC has played all of its games in Georgia so far this season
SCOUTING THE NIGHT HAWKS
Thomas has won 10 of its last 11 games, including four consecutive victories, to stand 11-8 on the season. The team is coming off a doubleheader sweep against Rochester College (Mich.) on Sunday. The Night Hawks are 2-4 in The Sun Conference, winning one game from each series against Florida Memorial University and Keiser University (Fla.) in February.
SERIES HISTORY
The Grizzlies have won three of the five meetings against Thomas, but are 1-2 in Thomasville. The teams have not played since the 2015 season, when GGC swept a doubleheader at a neutral site field.
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).