Post by The Cats on Apr 3, 2024 17:05:05 GMT -5
Who: Akron Zips
When: Friday, April 5 thru Sunday, April 7, 2024
Time: Friday 4:05 pm; Saturday 4:05 pm; Sunday 1:05 pm
Where: Prasco Park | Mason, Ohio
TV/video: Chatter Box Sports
Live Stats: Akron Live Stats
Nickname: Zips
Mascot: Zippy the Kangaroo
Colors: Blue and Gold
Students: 12,000
Conference: Mid-America Conference (MAC)
Head Coach: Bryan Faulds was named head baseball coach on June 20, 2023, and will lead the Zips in his first season in 2023-24. Faulds comes to Akron with two decades of coaching experience at the collegiate level. He spent the last two seasons as head coach at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, where he led the Hilltoppers to a 72-43 overall record and 34-13 mark in the Lone Star Conference, advancing to the NCAA DII South Central Regional in both campaigns.
The Series: The Cats own an 3-2 overall record vs. the Zips, in a series that started in 2011.
Current record: 5-21 overall, 1-8 home, 2-12 away, 2-1 neutral, 1-11 MAC
Akron is coming off a 21-34 season where they went 12-18 in the MAC. The Zips posted a 7-12 home record and a 12-18 road record. The Zips will be under the direction of Brian Faulds, who is in his first season leading the Akron Baseball program after leading St. Edwards (Lone Star, Div. II) for the past two seasons. Akron was picked to finish 11th in the MAC coaches preseason poll.
Nick Poist led the Blue and Gold with a .298 batting average that saw 59 hits, 13 doubles, one triple, three home runs, and 28 RBI. Nick Arrivo and Nick Firestone were second and third in hits while Firestone led the way with 17 home runs, which set a program record for single-season home runs. Akron is batting .217 (187-of-861) with 53 extra-base hits including 38 doubles, five triples, and 10 home runs divided between seven different players. The Zips are averaging 4.3 runs on 6.9 hits per game.
The Zips were swept by The Citadel in Charleston in late February. The three-game series with the Cats opens Friday with an amended 4:05 p.m. start with a matching first pitch time on Saturday afternoon. Friday's game was bumped up earlier based on the forecasted temperatures in Ohio. The series concludes Sunday with a 1:05 pm start time. Each game will be streamed live through Chatterbox Sports with live stats also available through dedicated links online at CatamountSports.com.
2024 Catamount Baseball – Western Carolina vs. Akron – Prasco Park (Mason, Ohio)
Friday, April 5 | 4:05 p.m. (updated time) | Prasco Park | Coverage: ChatterBoxSports Stream
Akron: RHP Jared Schaeffer (6 app., 6 GS – 0-4, 5.81 ERA, 31.0 IP, 21 K, 9 BB)
WCU: RHP Gavin Mortenson (10 app. 4 GS – 1-1, 3.28 ERA, 24.2 IP, 28 K, 16 BB)
Saturday, April 6 | 4:05 p.m. | Prasco Park | Coverage: ChatterBoxSports Stream
Akron: RHP Spencer Atkins (7 app., 7 GS – 0-4, 6.89 ERA, 31.1 IP, 28 K, 15 BB)
WCU: RHP Davis Budd (7 app., 2 GS – 0-0, 4.91 ERA, 14.2 IP, 16 K, 8 BB)
Sunday, April 7 | 1:05 p.m. | Prasco Park | Coverage: ChatterBoxSports Stream
Akron: TBA
WCU: TBA
