University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Baseball Entertains Nationally Ranked UCF for Three-Game Set
4/12/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 12, 2012
Game 1 vs. UCF | Friday, April 13 | 6:00 p.m. CT | Hattiesburg, Mississippi
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Game 2 vs. UCF | Saturday, April 14 | 3:00 p.m. CT | Hattiesburg, Mississippi
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Game 3 vs. UCF | Sunday, April 15 | 11:30 a.m. CT | Hattiesburg, Mississippi
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USM Game Notes 
| UCF Game Notes | Promotions
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss baseball team returns home this weekend to face nationally ranked UCF in a Conference USA series at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field.
Game times are 6 p.m., Friday, 3 p.m., on Saturday and 11:30 a.m., on Sunday.
The Golden Eagles (19-13 overall, 3-3 C-USA) look to rebound from an 8-3 loss to LSU Wednesday night in Metairie, La. The squad faces a UCF team that is ranked as high as No.13 in the polls.
The two teams have met on the diamond 22 times with Southern Miss holding a 16-6 advantage in the series which dates back to the 1988 season. Southern Miss captured all three games in the series last season in Orlando for their third series sweep there since joining C-USA. In Hattiesburg, Southern Miss holds a 7-5 advantage.
Freshman Mason Robbins continues to lead the Golden Eagles with a .358 batting average, while junior Dillon Day is next at .348. Senior Ashley Graeter currently holds a .328 hitting mark, while freshman Connor Barron is at a .301 average.
Southern Miss will send junior righthander Andrew Pierce to the mound against the Knights (28-7, 7-2) in the opener as the Stringer, Miss., product has produced a 4-2 record with a 2.22 earned run average. He has fanned 52 over 48 2/3 innings and allowed just six walks. He will be countered junior lefthander Brian Adkins, who has posted a 2-1 record with a 4.23 ERA.
On Saturday, redshirt freshman lefthander Jake Drehoff pitches for the Golden Eagles as he has posted a 5-0 record with a 3.31 ERA. He will be pitted against junior southpaw Chris Matulis who has put together a 4-0 mark with a 2.36 ERA. Following the game the Adam Doleac Band will perform at the baseball stadium. There is also free tailgate on Pride Field prior to the baseball game and after the Black and Gold Football spring game.
The Golden Eagles are undecided on a Sunday starter, while the Knights are expected to throw senior righty Ray Hanson who is 2-1 with a 2.79 ERA in the finale.
