MONTEVALLO, Ala. – With a 4-0 record last week, the Montevallo Baseball team is recieving votes in the NCBWA Top 25 poll released Wednesday.
Montevallo entered the week on a seven-game win streak but dropped a doubleheader to Carson-Newman, Wednesday. After nine striaght games on the road, the Falcons return to Kermit A. Johnson Field and Bob Riesener Stadium for a three game series with Valdosta State.
The Blazers and Falcons will square off in game one on Friday, Mar. 29, at 5 p.m. and close out the series on Saturday, Mar. 30, with a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.
Montevallo enters the weekend slate tied for first in the Gulf South Conference standings while the Blazers are currently in seventh.
Adiel Melendez will start game one of the series,
Gino Cozzi will take game two and
Logan Samuels will pitch the seven-inning game three.
GAME INFORMATION
Game 1
WHO: Montevallo 20-12 (11-4 GSC) | Valdosta State14-11 (8-7 GSC)
WHEN: Friday, Mar. 29, 5 p.m.
WHERE: Montevallo, Alabama
Game 2
WHO: Montevallo 20-12 (11-4 GSC) | Valdosta State14-11 (8-7 GSC)
WHEN: Saturday, Mar. 30, 12 p.m.
WHERE: Montevallo, Alabama
Game 3
WHO: Montevallo 20-12 (11-4 GSC) | Valdosta State14-11 (8-7 GSC)
WHEN: Saturday, Mar. 30, 3 p.m.
WHERE: Montevallo, Alabama
So Far This Season…
Montevallo returns to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers national poll this week with 31 votes. UM started the season off at No. 24 and after early sturggles fell out of the rankings. With a 4-0 record last week that extended the win streak to seven, UM received votes in this week's poll. However, on Wednesday, the Falcons dropped a doubleheader on the road to Carson-Newman to begin this week's five-game slate.
UM enters the series with Valdosta State at 20-12 overall and tied for first in the GSC at 11-4. Additionally, UM is ranked fourth in the NCBWA South Region poll.
The Falcons return home for the first time since Mar. 12 and are 10-4 at home on the year. In the past two GSC series, UM has swept Mississippi College and UAH.
Montevallo's offense remains top-five in the GSC with a .301 batting average, 240 runs scored, 215 RBI and 34 homers. UM leads the league in hit-by-pitch with 76.
The pitching staff's 5.02 ERA and 252 strikeouts are good enough third and second in the league, respectively.
Scouting VSU:
Valdosta State, who began the year receiving votes in the national poll, has had an up and down year. Midway through conference play, VSU in seventh in the league standings with an 8-7 record. Overall the Blazers are 14-11.
VSU leads the league with a .327 batting average but have just the 10th most hits on the year, 261.
Series History Against VSU:
Since 2018, VSU leads the series 8-3. This weekend's series marks the first meeting since 2022 and the first series in Montevallo since 2021. UM is just 1-5 at home against VSU.
Player Highlights Montevallo:
Junior
Adiel Melendez, Senior
Gino Cozzi , and Senior
Logan Samuels will take the mound for the three-game series this weekend.
Melendez threw 5.1 innings with five strikeouts in the win over UAH last week. Cozzi tossed 6.2 innings against UAH and allowed just two runs with six K's. He leads UM with a 2.78 ERA and a 5-1 record on the mound. Samuels threw five innings against UAH and added two K's. He leads UM with 44 strikeouts on the year and is 3-2. Samules' strikeout total in third in the league while Cozzi's ERA is fourth. In addition, Cozzi has a league best .177 bating average against.
In the bullpen, the duo of
Chris Foster and
Connor Phelan lead the Falcons. Foster boasts a 2.31 ERA, 3-1 record, 11 K's and four saves while Phelan is 2-2 with three saves and 21 K's.
Connor Crowson leads the Falcons with a .375 batting average on the year and has a team-high 29 RBI. The third baseman is slugging .542 on the year with a .490 on-base percentage.
Ethan Huddleston has surged for the Falcons lately as he hit his team-leading seventh homer against Carson-Newman.
Player Highlights VSU:
Ryan Romano leads the GSC with a .455 batting average.
