Baseball 3/18/2021 10:28:00 PM Morris Wright

Claflin Baseball Visits Young Harris for PBC Series

Orangeburg, SC - The Claflin University baseball team will visit Young Harris College for a Peach Belt Conference (PBC) series.

Claflin will play three games in two days at Zell B. Miller Field in Young Harris, Ga. The action gets underway Saturday (Mar. 20) with a single game at 6 p.m. followed by Sunday's (Mar. 21) double-header beginning at 11 a.m. The games were originally scheduled for Friday and Saturday, March 19-20, but due to severe weather in the Young Harris area the games were rescheduled.

The Panthers will enter the series at 1-16 overall with the same record in the conference. Claflin dropped its last series at home against Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW), losing all three games.

As for Young Harris, the Mountain Lions swept a three-game league series from Flagler College the last time. The series win improved Young Harris' record to 7-5 against PBC competition and 7-6 overall.

In its first-ever series meeting with Young Harris, Claflin will be looking to get back on the offensive track. The Panthers managed only three runs on 13 hits against (GSW), the lowest series output this season.

Hoping to jump-start the Panthers' offense will be Quinten Kinard, Steve Joyner, Da'Avion Sumpter, and Keyon Smith. The foursome has generated 31 of the team's 54 runs (57%) and collected 57 of the 116 hits (49%) for a solid .264 batting average.

Kinard leads the group hitting at the plate with a .295 batting average and second on the team with 13 hits. Over the last seven games, Kinard is hitting .363 ( 8-for-22).

Joyner is the next top hitter for the Panthers at .274 with team-highs in 17 hits and 23 total bases. Joyner saw his six-game hitting streak ended last weekend, going hitless in 10 at-bats against GSW. For the season, Joyner has two three-hit games this season.

Sumpter is the top run-producer for Claflin with 10 RBIs to go with a .263 batting average. His best series of the season came against UNC Pembroke with four hits and 6 RBIs.

Smith is Claflin's long ball threat, accounting for two of the team's four home runs and four doubles along with a .415 (SLG%). He started his career at Claflin with a bang, collecting four hits and 7 RBIs in the season-opener against the University of North Georgia.

On the mound, the Panthers host three pitchers that combined for 16 of the team's 17 starts this season. The group consists of starters Charles Jackson, X'zavier Johnson, and Makai Holloway.

Talmon Hubbard leads the team in strikeouts at 18 followed closely by Jackson with 17.

The Claflin pitcher staff will face the league's top hitters in Tucker Greer, who is batting .474 at the plate. He also leads Young Harris in doubles with six, scored 19 runs, with 27 hits, five home runs, and 17 RBIs. Greer has hit safely in all the Mountain Lions 13 games this season.

The other two top hitters for Young Harris include Dahlton Cash at .393 and 15 RBIs followed by Noah Fitzgerald with a .339 batting average.

The top pitchers for Young Harris are McLain Harris (2-2) with a save, Cole Edwards (1-1), and Chad Brown (2-1).

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Players Mentioned

#4 Makai Holloway: P; 5' 10"; Senior; L/L

#13 Talmon "T.J." Hubbard: UTIL; 6' 2"; Senior; R/R

#8 Charles Jackson: UTIL; 6' 0"; Sophomore; S/R

#11 X'Zavier Johnson: P; 5' 8"; Junior; L/L

#2 Steve Joyner: OF/P; 6' 2"; Senior; R/R

#21 Keyon Smith: OF/1B; 6' 2"; Senior; L/L

#22 Quinten Kinard: 2B; 5' 9"; Junior; R/R

#32 Da'Avion Sumpter: INF; 6' 0"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#4 Makai Holloway
: 5' 10"; Senior; L/L
: P

#13 Talmon "T.J." Hubbard
: 6' 2"; Senior; R/R
: UTIL

#8 Charles Jackson
: 6' 0"; Sophomore; S/R
: UTIL

#11 X'Zavier Johnson
: 5' 8"; Junior; L/L
: P

#2 Steve Joyner
: 6' 2"; Senior; R/R
: OF/P

#21 Keyon Smith
: 6' 2"; Senior; L/L
: OF/1B

#22 Quinten Kinard
: 5' 9"; Junior; R/R
: 2B

#32 Da'Avion Sumpter
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: INF