Emory Baseball Heads to Memphis for the Rhodes College Classic

The Emory University baseball team will look to extend its six-game winning streak this weekend, as the Eagles will face Rhodes College, Maryville College (Tenn.) and Marietta College in Memphis, TN at the Rhodes College Classic.

Emory will open the tournament on Friday at 3:00 PM EST at Rhodes, the host school for the tournament.  On Saturday at 11:30 AM EST, the Eagles will face Maryville at Rhodes College.*  Emory will wrap up its play at the Classic on Sunday at 11:30 AM EST, facing 12^th-ranked Marietta at Rhodes College.

*This game time and location was changed due to poor conditions on the USA Stadium Field.

Coverage
Each of Emory's three games at the tournament is scheduled to be webcasted at http://www.rhodeslynx.com/sports/2010/10/20/GEN_1020102926.aspx?id=390.  The webcast will cost $7.99 for a one-day pass, or $9.99 for a monthly pass (all three games).  Sign up is available on the website.  Live statistics will be available for free for all three Emory games at http://www.sidearmstats.com/rhodes/baseball/index.htm.

Emory Eagles
The Eagles have won six-straight games, all at home, to improve to 7-1 in 2011.  Emory is coming off a pair of victories earlier in the week, defeating Washington & Lee University 11-10 on Tuesday, and LaGrange College 7-5 on Wednesday.  This season, Emory is batting .313 this season, while the team's pitching staff has recorded a 3.93 ERA.  The Eagles are led by head coach Mike Twardoski, whose 344-149-1 career record is good for a .697 winning percentage, the highest mark among active UAA coaches, 15^th-highest among all active NCAA Division III coaches, and 21^st-best mark among Division III coaches all time.  Assistant Coaches Bobby Perez, Brian Clark, and Greg McMichael will complete Coach Twardoski's staff for the 2011 season.

Rhodes Lynx
Rhodes will enter play on Friday with an overall record of 2-5 in 2011.  The Lynx are coming off a split of a weekend series against 15^th-ranked Mississippi College last weekend, losing the first game on Saturday 11-1, before winning a Sunday contest, 12-10.  This season, Rhodes is batting .302 as a team, while its pitchers have recorded an ERA of 6.46.  The Lynx are led by head coach Jeff Cleanthes, who has a 208-190 record over his 11-year career.

Emory is 7-4 all time against Rhodes, and has faced the Lynx at least once a season since the 2007 campaign.  Last year, the Eagles suffered a 5-3 loss at home to the Lynx, despite RBIs from Jonathan Reilly, Patrick Riebsame and J.B. Smith.

Maryville Scots
Maryville will enter Saturday's contest with a record of 6-3 this season, including wins in four-straight contests.  Most recently, the Scots defeated Oglethorpe University, 4-1, on Wednesday.  This season, the Scots are batting .289, while their pitchers have an ERA of 2.96.  Maryville is led by head coach Daniel Washburn, who has a record of 91-82 during his five seasons at the team's helm.    

Emory is 29-22 all time against Maryville, but the Eagles have dropped three-consecutive games to the Scots, dating back to the 2009 season.  Last year, Emory lost 4-3 at home to the Scots, and dropped an 8-6 decision on the road to Maryville.  During the two games last season, Ryan Jones was four-for-five with three runs scored, while Reilly was four-for-ten with two doubles and five runs batted in.

Marietta Pioneers
Marietta, ranked 12^th in the D3Baseball.com preseason poll, will open its 2011 season this weekend in Memphis, playing games against Maryville and Rhodes on Saturday before facing Emory on Sunday.  Last season, the Pioneers went 36-13, advancing to the Regional Finals of the NCAA Tournament.  Marietta hit .351 as a team last season, while pitching to a 3.72 ERA.  The Pioneers, who won the National Championship in 1981, 1983, 1986 and 2006, are led by eighth-year skipper Brian Brewer and his 231-99-1 career record with the team.

This will be the first-ever meeting between the Eagles and the Pioneers, despite the fact that both participated in the NCAA Division III World Series in 2007.

Emory Notes
Emory's current six-game winning streak is the team's longest since the squad won nine-straight games from April 21^st – May 18^th, 2007… The Eagles' 7-0 record at home this season puts the squad just two wins shy of their victory total at home all of last season, when the team went 9-10 at Chappell Park… Emory's starting pitchers have thrown at least five innings with four or less runs allowed in six of the team's eight games so far this season… Riebsame hit the first home run by an Eagle this season, a solo shot to help Emory to a win against LaGrange College on Wednesday… Emory has stolen four or more bases in three games this season, and has stolen at least one base in five of its eight games… The Eagles have won four games this season when they have been outhit by their opponent, going 4-0 in such contests.