MONTEVALLO, Ala. – Following four straight road contests, the University of Montevallo baseball team returns home for a series against West Georgia, Mar. 9-10.
 
In a weekend series that has been adjusted due to weather, the Falcons will host West Georgia on Saturday, Mar. 9, in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. with game three on Sunday, Mar. 10, at 12 p.m.
 
Montevallo enters the third series of the conference schedule with an 11-8 overall record and a 3-3 mark in conference play following a 2-1 series loss to Delta State and a midweek loss to Columbus State.

GAME INFORMATION
Game 1
WHO: Montevallo 11-8 (3-3 GSC) | West Georgia 10-8 (6-3 GSC)
WHEN: Saturday, March 9, 3 p.m.
WHERE: Montevallo, Ala. | Kermit A. Johnson Field at Bob Riesener Stadium
Game 2
WHO: Montevallo 11-8 (3-3 GSC) | West Georgia 10-8 (6-3 GSC)
WHEN: Saturday, March 9, 3 p.m.
WHERE: Montevallo, Ala. | Kermit A. Johnson Field at Bob Riesener Stadium
Game 3
WHO: Montevallo 11-8 (3-3 GSC) | West Georgia 10-8 (6-3 GSC)
WHEN: Saturday, March 9, 3 p.m.
WHERE: Montevallo, Ala. | Kermit A. Johnson Field at Bob Riesener Stadium

So Far This Season…
After an eight-game win streak early in the season, the Falcons are 3-8 since.
 
In the series against Delta State, senior hurler Gino Cozzi shined on the mound as he picked up his fourth win of the year to move to 4-1.

Looking back at the early stages of the season. During the eight-game win streak, Montevallo's sweep over a ranked Northwood squad marked the first sweep over a ranked opponent in seven seasons when the Falcons swept Columbus State back in 2017.
 
With 19 games gone in the 2024 season, Montevallo is one of the top offenses in the Gulf South Conference with 164 runs (fourth), 201 hits (fourth) and 25 homers, to go along with 62 extra-base hits.

The Falcons' pitching staff ranks second in the conference with 161 strikeouts on the season with a total of 32 strikeouts looking.
 
Scouting West Georgia:


West Georgia comes to Montevallo with a 10-8 on the year and a 6-3 mark in conference play. The Wolves are coming off a 2-1 series loss to Lee this past weekend but won four straight prior.
 
West Georgia is one of the top offenses in the league with a .310 batting average (third), 147 runs scored (fifth), 197 hits (fifth) and 22 homers (fifth). The Wolves also lead the league with a .425 on-base percentage.
 
On the mound, West Georgia's pitching staff has held its opponents to just a .265 batting average, the second lowest in the league. The Wolves also have 154 strikeouts this year.

Series History Against West Georgia:

Since 2014, Montevallo is 15-10 against the Wolves, including an 8-4 mark at home. In 2023, Montevallo took the series over West Georgia, in Carrollton, 2-1. The Falcons have won the series, 2-1, in each of the last three seasons. In 2020, West Georgia topped the Falcons in Carrollton, 2-1, in the series. Neither team has swept the other in the series' history. West Georgia has one just two series' against the Falcons since 2014.
 
Player Highlights Montevallo:


Junior Adiel Melendez, Senior Logan Samuels and Senior Gino Cozzi will take the mound for the three-game series this weekend.
 
Gino Cozzi is off to a hot start and leads the Falcons' starting rotation with a 4-1 record, 3.33 ERA, 29 strikeouts, and a .93 WHIP. He threw seven scoreless innings with five K's in the win over Delta State last week.

The duo of Chris Foster and Connor Phelan leads the Falcons' bullpen. Foster boasts a 1.35 ERA, 2-1 record, eight K's and a save while Phelan is 1-0 with a 2.19 ERA, 12 K's and two saves.

Connor Crowson leads the Falcons with a .379 batting average on the year and has a team-high 19 RBI. The third baseman is slugging .576 on the year with a .517 on-base percentage.
 
In a midweek matchup against Columbus State in which the Falcons fell 8-7, Logan Harbin went 5-of-5 from the plate with three RBI.  On the year he is batting .359 with 16 RBI and is tied for the team lead with four homers.
 
Player Highlights West Georgia:
 
Cooper Prince is batting .439 on the year to lead the Wolves. Luke Hatcher has driven in a team-high 19 runs and is tied for the team lead in homers with five.
 
Jonathan Hickman has a team-leading 2.39 ERA, is 2-0 on the year, and has 30 strikeouts on the year.