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 Steven Strausbaugh leads the nation in home runs and runs scored per game. |
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April 13, 2006
Cullowhee, N.C. - After hosting fifth-ranked Clemson on Tuesday, the Western Carolina baseball team will return to Childress Field/Hennon Stadium to host 17th-ranked College of Charleston in a key, three-game Southern Conference match-up. The Catamounts (19-14, 7-5 SoCon) and Cougars (28-6, 10-2 SoCon) will kickoff the weekend set with a 7 pm meeting Friday, followed by a 4 pm game Saturday and a 2 pm contest Sunday. Prior to the action on the diamond on Sunday afternoon, the WCU Athletics Department will host an Easter egg hunt for children at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium beginning at 1:30 pm.
This weekend's games will feature two of the top offenses in the nation. The Catamounts rank 12th in the NCAA in home runs, 21st in runs scored and 23rd in slugging percentage. Leading the way is sophomore Steven Strausbaugh. The Venice, Fla., native leads the nation in home runs, averaging 0.5 per contest, while his 14 total round-trippers rank second. He additionally leads the nation in runs scored per game (1.5), while ranking fifth nationally in slugging percentage (.825) and ninth in RBI per game (1.46). Trey McDaniel comes in at 33rd in home runs (0.29) and 44th in slugging percentage (.685). Blake Murphy ranks among the NCAA leaders in two categories, including 12th in RBI (1.43) and 25th in slugging percentage (.706). Barrett Shaft, Tim Hallam and Jason Haynes also make an appearance among the NCAA leaders. Shaft ranks 38th nationally in runs scored (1.22), while Hallam and Haynes rank ninth (0.48 per game) and 38th (0.37 per game), respectively, in hit by pitches.
The College of Charleston comes to Cullowhee ranking 11th in batting average (.303), 11th in stolen bases (2.42 per game), 17th in doubles (2.33) and 27th in slugging percentage (.473). Also, the Cougars own the nation's eight-best team ERA (2.89), including the nation's leader in the category, Josh McLaughlin (0.50).
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