Friday, April 09, 2010

MACON, Ga. - After opening conference play, red hot ETSU has dropped six of its last seven and looks to get back on track against second-place Jacksonville in the A-Sun Series of the Week in Jacksonville.

The series opens at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Sessions Stadium with a doubleheader set for Friday beginning at 1 p.m. Jacksonville enters the weekend in second place in the conference with an 8-4 mark in league play. ETSU sits right on the Dolphins’ heels with a 6-3 mark in conference play and in a tie for third in the league. 

The Dolphins have had a rollercoaster season, which opened with injuries and started with a 1-3 record. Jacksonville then posted wins in 10 of its next 15 games before losing six of seven. Most recently, JU saw wins in four of its last five including a weekend sweep at USC Upstate seven days ago.

ETSU opened the year on torrent pace, going 16-5 with wins against ranked foes Kansas State and St. John’s. Since the hot start, the Bucs have just one win in their last seven games from a 20-19 slug fest with UNF.

Jamaal Hawkins leads the Dolphins offensively with a .390 batting average. Hawkins also holds 16 extra base hits, including a team leading 11 doubles on the season. Adam Brett Walker holds a majority of the power in the lineup with 17 extra base hits on the year, including 11 home runs and a .735 slugging percentage.

Paul Hoilman leads the ETSU offense and rates as one of the top sluggers in the nation. The junior entered the week ranked second in the nation in home runs and first in home runs per game. Hoilman also holds a .452 batting average with 13 home runs and 45 RBIs, giving him a chance to win the Atlantic Sun triple crown.

Chris Kaminski leads the Dolphins in ERA with a 2.37 mark on the year in 16 appearances. Kaminski has helped Jacksonville in several ways, spending time as a starter and reliever and he holds a six saves on the campaign with 35 strikeouts in 38 innings pitched. 

The Bucs also feature Bo Reeder, who stands as one of the top two-way players in the conference. He holds a .362 batting average with .a 638 slugging percentage and a 4.91 ERA in seven appearances. Reeder holds the lowest ERA on the team among players with 10 or more innings pitched and boasts a 2-1 record on the year.  

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.