BASEBALL
Nate Conner, ETSU: Conner had one of his best batting games of the season in Sunday’s 15-8 win over UNC Greensboro, which also was the rubber game of the Southern Conference opening series for both teams. Conner left the yard twice, as part of a three-run, three-RBI game. The Johnson City native and product of Science Hill and Walters State also homered twice on Feb. 21 against Sacred Heart. For the season, Conner is now hitting .329 with a .458 on base percentage and a .729 slugging percentage. Conner ranks second on the team in home runs, RBIs and total bases, as well as second among regular position players in slugging. Through all games played March 22, Conner ranked fourth in the SoCon in homers, fifth in slugging, and sixth in OPS (1.187). Up Next: ETSU hosts Virginia Tech today, then begins a three-game set with VMI on Friday to open its SoCon home slate.
Brogan Jones, Longwood: The former standout at Daniel Boone had a very strong series at the plate for the Lancers, who took two of three against Big South Conference foe USC Upstate. Jones went 3-for-5 with a double in Saturday’s 5-4, 10-inning victory, then tallied a homer, a double, and three RBIs in Longwood’s back-and-forth 12-11 win over Upstate in the rubber game. For the season, Jones is now hitting .312 with a .925 OPS, four home runs, 20 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases in 13 chances. He ranks second in the Big South in runs scored (25) and fifth in steals. Up Next: Longwood plays at George Mason today, then travels to Radford for a three-game Big South series that starts Friday.
Gage Peterson, Appalachian State: The Jonesborough native and David Crockett alum did not have his best control Saturday against Old Dominion, issuing five walks, two wild pitches, and a base hit in 4 1-3 innings of work. Peterson limited the damage, though, only allowing a single earned run and striking out six. App State won the game 10-3 and took two of three in the series with PDU to improve to 2-4 in conference. Up Next: App State hosts High Point today, then heads to Hattiesburg for a three-game Sun Belt series that starts Friday.
Landon Smelser, Tennessee Tech: Smelser had a rough series in Little Rock, going a combined 1-for-11 as the Golden Eagles got swept in Ohio Valley Conference play. For the season, Smelser now has a batting line of .240/.295 OBP/.365 SLG. Up Next: Tennessee Tech plays at Vanderbilt today, then hosts SIUE this weekend for a three-game OVC series that starts Friday.
Kam Durnin, Missouri: It was a rough weekend in Knoxville for Durnin and the Tigers, who dropped two of three to Tennessee to fall to 1-5 in Southeastern Conference play. Durnin went 1-for-9, though he did play solid defense. After missing all of February, Durnin is now hitting .273 with a .396 on base percentage and .500 slugging, with two homers, four doubles, and seven RBIs. Up Next: Missouri hosts Illinois Tuesday, plays at Lindenwood on Wednesday, then plays at Texas A&M starting this Friday in a three-game SEC series.
Tyler Myatt, Tennessee: The former Claiborne County High, Walters State, and Kingsport Axmen player got in two of the three games with Missouri off the bench, went 2-for-3 in his two oplate appearances with a pair of RBIs. He’s hitting .240 in limited plate appearances, with two homers, 10 RBIs, and a ,796 OPS. Up Next: The Vols host USC Upstate today, then play at Vanderbilt this weekend for a three-game SEC series that starts Friday.
SOFTBALL
ETSU: The SoCon campaign got off to a rough start for the Bucs, who got swept by visiting UNC Greensboro, the preseason league favorite, in the opening conference series of the season. ETSU dropped both ends of Saturday’s doubleheader – 4-0 and 3-2 in extra innings – then fell 9-0 on Sunday. ETSU, which put together the best start in team history, now has lost six of its last seven to fall to 12-11 overall and 0-3 in the league. Up Next: The Bucs head to Furman for a three-game SoCon series that starts with a doubleheader on Saturday.
Payton Moore was the star of the weekend for ETSU, clouting a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning of Saturday’s second game that accounted for the only runs the Bucs would score in the entire series. Moore now has five homers, leading the team and more than the rest of the entire roster, which has four round-trippers. She’s hitting .333 with a .400 on base percentage and slugging .711, which ranks sixth in the SoCon.
Julianne Tipton, Louisiana: For the second straight weekend, Tipton made a single appearance in relief, this time throwing 2 2-3 innings of scoreless ball in a Saturday loss to Texas State. Tipton’s season numbers now stand at a 3-1 record and 3.13 ERA in 31 1-3 innings pitched, across 10 appearances including four starts. Opponents are hitting .242 against her. The Cajuns, meanwhile, are 19-13 overall and 3-3 in the Sun Belt. Up Next: Louisiana hosts McNeese Tuesday, then visits ULM for a three-game Sun Belt set that starts Friday night.
Addyson Fisher, Virginia Tech: The former Volunteer High standout had a quiet week in the circle. She threw one scoreless inning of relief in a 10-0 win on Wednesday against Longwood, part of a doubleheader. For the season, Fisher is 2-0 with a 3.82 ERA with 11 walks, 14 strikeouts, and four wild pitches. Tech is 28-4 overall and 4-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, riding a six-game win streak. Up Next: Tech visits Boston College for a three-game ACC series that starts Friday night.
Maci Masters, Western Kentucky: Masters was 1-for-9 at the plate overall as Western Kenucky swept its Conference USA series with Middle Tennessee. Her average has dipped to .274, with a .333 on base percentage, .595 slugging, nine home runs, and 23 RBIs. WKU is now 22-7 with a 6-3 league record. Up Next: Western Kentucky travels all the way across the country to New Mexico State for a three-game CUSA series that starts Friday.
Maddie Diamond, Delaware: Diamond swatted her sixth home run of the season, as part of a 3-for-8 effort at the plate during a CUSA series with Missouri State that saw the Blue Hens win two of three, improving to 14-17 overall and 4-5 in conference. Diamond has reached safely and scored a run in four straight games for Delaware. Her season line now stands at .230/.358 OBP/.517 SLG with 23 RBIs. Up Next: Delaware hosts Villanova Wednesday, then travels to Liberty for a three-game CUSA series that starts Friday.
Hannah Frye, Gardner Webb: Frye made appearances in both ends of a Big South doubleheader with Winthrop. She allowed one run on four hits in 4 1-3 innings in the opener, and gave up a hit in 1-3 inning in the second game. Gardner Webb lost both, and now stands at 23-12 overall with a 3-3 conference record. Up Next: Gardner-Webb is off until it travels to Clemson on March 31.