The Games: Towson (2-7, 0-0 CAA) @ UNC Greensboro (3-5, 0-0 SoCon)
When: March 4 – 4 p.m. | March 5 – 2 p.m. | March 6 – 1 p.m.
Where: UNCG Baseball Stadium – Greensboro, N.C.
Broadcast: ESPN+ ($)
Series: UNCW leads 6-1
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Towson University baseball team will play one more road weekend before a long homestand, heading to North Carolina for a three-game series against UNCG from March 4-6.
The games will be broadcast online on ESPN+, available via subscription.
CAA member Towson played its first mid-week game of the season on Tuesday, a 8-7 10th inning defeat at George Washington, to stand at 2-7 overall. From the SoCon, UNCG also played during the mid-week, a 7-5 loss at North Carolina A&T, to go to 3-5 overall.
After this weekend, Towson will play its next eight games at home, including two weekends.
This will be the first meeting between these two programs since March 25, 1998, a 12-6 UNCG victory to take a 12-6 lead in the series. Towson's won the last game at home in the series, an 18-7 victory on Apr. 9, 1995.
TWO TIGERS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-CAA
A pair of Tigers were honored on preseason all-conference teams by different publications.
Nick Janowicz was selected as Preseason Honorable Mention All-CAA by the league's head coaches. Janowicz was second on the team last season in each strikeouts with 53 and innings pitched with 66.2.
Danny Becerra was named Preseason CAA All-Conference by Perfect Game USA at shortstop. He earned 19 multi-hit contests last year, finishing with 12 doubles, 24 RBI and 11 stolen bases.
COMING OFF CAA TOURNAMENT YEAR
Towson earned an important feat last season, making the CAA Tournament for the first time since 2013. The Tigers finished second in the CAA North at 11-12, including two series victories over Delaware. Towson picked up the 5-seed in the CAA Tournament.
LAST TIME: TOWSON FALLS IN EXTRAS AT GW
Towson's 7-1 lead after three-and-a-half innings did not hold up as the Tigers fell at George Washington 8-7 in 10 innings in Arlington.
Key stat:
--Scored three runs each in third, fourth innings
Top Towson batter:
--#12
Elijah Dickerson: 3-for-5, 2B, R, RBI
Top Towson pitcher:
--#38
Nolan Bolt: 4.1 IP, 0 R, 1 K
WELCOME NEW STAFF
Two new coaches join the team for the 2022 season.
Blake Nation is the new pitching coach after three years at Hofstra, coaching Jim Joyce, a 16th round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.
Also joining is volunteer assistant coach
Paul Benoit, who coached four all-league players at Ottawa University.
In addition, head coach
Matt Tyner elevated
Tanner Biagini to interim associate head coach in his fifth year with the team.
NEW LOOK OUTFIELD
Needing three new starting outfielders this season, Towson restocked the ranks past the infield. Anderson transfer
Chandler Castleberry locks down center while La Salle transfer
Elijah Dickerson is in right. Radford transfer
Bryce Frederick takes up left field in his second season.
FEAR THE FRESHMAN
Freshman
Doug Marose won his first college start on Feb. 26, going six innings with an unearned run vs. Southern in an 11-1 victory. He is the first Tiger to earn a victory in his first-ever college start since 2014.
TIGERS IN THE PROS
Towson has two players in the minor leagues.
Richie Palacios, a third-round pick by Cleveland in 2018, is the #9 rated-prospect in the Guardians system, hitting .297 with 33 doubles in the minors. Brady Policelli, a 13th round draft pick by the Detroit Tigers in 2016, was a spring training invite in 2019 and 2020 having spent five years in the minors.
Gavin Weyman has pitched in independent league ball the past three years, throwing for the Ogden Raptors in the Pioneer League in 2021.
TOWSON PICKED SEVENTH IN CAA PRESEASON POLL
Towson has been predicted to finish seventh in the CAA preseason coaches poll as the league returns to a round robin format. Reigning champion Northeastern is predicted to finish first followed by last year's southern division winner UNCW. The rest of the poll is filled out by Charleston, Elon, James Madison, W&M, Towson, Delaware and Hofstra.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS:
As a team, UNCG hits .287, with three players above .310 hitting. Junior infielder Hogan Windish is hitting .412 with a home run and 10 RBI while freshman Kennedy Jones has a homer and four doubles, hitting .405 with 13 RBI. Right-handed starting pitcher Austin Parsley does not have a run allowed in 13.1 innings, striking out 13.