THOMASVILLE, Ga. – The Thomas University baseball team will begin the second half of its the Sun Conference slate this weekend, hosting the USC-Beaufort Sand Sharks in a three-game series.  The doubleheader day will take place Friday as the single contest is set for Saturday.
 
The Night Hawks (15-18, 4-8 TSC) continued to push through its gauntlet schedule last week, defeating #25 Freed-Hardeman 6-4 before taking a game in its conference series against #14 St. Thomas that featured a 17-6 win fueled by a ten-run ninth inning.  Midway through its conference record, TU currently sits a half game out of TSC's annual tournament, but a series win over USCB (18-12, 5-7 TSC) could potentially propel the Night Hawks into the middle of the conference pack at the end of Saturday.
 
Thomas heads into the series coming off a week in which the team averaged .338 from the plate. Seven Night Hawks hold batting averages of .300 or better, with Freshman Turner Maddox leading the way (.386).  Freshman Andy Valdes had his best performance yet at the plate against the Bobcats, finishing the series 5-for-8 that included a two-run homer and three total RBIs.
 
The Hunter Green & White's pitching staff enters the series against the Sand Sharks averaging six earned runs a contest while posting 6.4 strikeouts.  Redshirt Senior Patrick Haley (1-5) leads the unit with 31 strikeouts.  Despite seeing just four innings on the mound, Freshman John Steward (2-1) holds a 4.50 ERA while allowing a season total 14 earned runs in 37 hits and 23 strikeouts.
 
Since its upset win over #11 Middle Georgia State, USC-Beaufort has ridden a six-game win streak, outscoring their opponents 52-30 in that span.  The Sand Sharks currently sit in fifth in The Sun Conference, coming off sweeps of Warner and Brewton-Parker.
 
USCB boasts the conference's fourth-best batting average (.319), led by the hitter with TSC's best batting average in Leandy Castro (.470).  The RBI leader (31) also holds a .806 Slugging Percentage.  The Sand Sharks' hitting has been a threat this season, averaging 2.23 doubles per contest (highest mark in the conference).
 
The base running is primarily led by Wesley Ambrose and Tavaris Terrell, who both combine for 15 of the team's 41 stolen bases.
 
Pitching has been a strong suit for USCB, as three of the Top 10 pitchers allowing the season's fewest runs currently reside in Bluffton, S.C.  Matt Malatesta (3-4) holds a 4.00 ERA and averages 3.6 hits and 5.25 strikeouts a game.  Payton MacPherson (3-2) has a 3.68 ERA on the season and averages just under five hits given up with 34 total strikeouts. 
 
USCB holds a slim 11-10 overall series lead, winning five of the last six games against the Night Hawks.
Both first pitches at Varnedoe Stadium Friday and Saturday are set for 1 p.m.  Live coverage will be provided for fans who are unable to attend the game.  Links to follow the live action can be found below:
 
Live Stats                                             Live Video
 
For up-to-date information on these games and other TU Athletics, visit www.TUNightHawks.com.  Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, and feature stories of your TU baseball team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksBaseba.