RAIDERS LOOKING FOR TURNAROUND AGAINST MOTLOW

Roane State has dropped eight of its last nine games, but the Raiders are looking to turn that around this weekend against Motlow State. That could be a tall order against a Bucks team that has won five of its last seven heading into the weekend series.

"We're going to have to eliminate freebies, stay away from base on balls, errors, and giving up free bases," said head coach Cam Hamsley. "Most importantly for us going into this series is just building momentum because we're getting towards the end of the season."

Both teams have serious potential for offense, but pitching depth has also plagued both teams late in the season. In what may be a high scoring affair, bullpen pitching and closing out games could be the difference maker in all three games of the series.

"Our guys at the top the line up, John Pierce and Cade Martin, get things started for us, and then Zac Wilson has been the guy that stood out lately," Hamsley said of his team's scoring capability.

Wilson's ability to get on base has kept Roane State in contention recently. The sophomore catcher is batting .349 with three home runs and 20 RBIs so far this season.

"(Zac) is just a spark plug. He's been in our three hole. He's put some bunts for us. He's had some sacrifices, and had some big hits while playing catcher, playing first base and right field. So, he's been a guy that's kind of sparked plug for us," Hamsley said.

Ben Edwards role will be important in the series also. The sophomore has been one of the most consistent players in the Raiders lineup, batting .400 with an on base percentage of .522.

"Ben Edwards is playing first base for us, and he has kind of started to get hot lately. Mitch Victor has come in to catch, and he really was a spark plug for us in last weekend's conference games versus Volunteer State," Hamsley said.

The first pitch is scheduled for 3pm ET from Dave Hall Baseball Field on Friday, March 18. Fans can view the live stream from Columbia on Vimeo.