HICKORY, N.C. -- The 2022 Lenoir-Rhyne Baseball Team has re-written the record book with a 40-10 season and 19-game winning streak. However, there is one more distinction this LR Baseball team would like to accomplish and that is to put an end to a 16-year drought without a win in the SAC Tournament. LR has lost nine straight SAC Tournament games with the last victory in the league tournament coming over Newberry on April 21, 2006. 

The Bears look to end the drought on Friday night when they take on Queens at 6:30 p.m. at Smokies Stadium in Kodak, Tennessee. The Bears and Royals met 10 days ago when Queens used a 10-run eighth inning to come away with an 18-5 mid-week victory. The Bears were coming off an emotional upset over #3 North Greenville hours before taking on Queens at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday and ran out of steam in the final innings but look to avenge that loss tomorrow night. 

All-league pitcher Josh Lanham will take the mound looking to tie the program record with his 10th victory. Only two other pitchers in LR history have won 10 games in a season and they were Israel Campbell (2001) and Thomas St. Clair (2017). Lanham takes the bump with a 9-1 mark and 86 strikeouts in 72 innings pitched. Lanham allows opponents to hit just .237 and has tossed a pair of complete games to go with a 2.50 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. Lanham does have experience pitching in the SAC Tournament as he came out of the bullpen against Coker last year and dominated with six shutout innings and 11 strikeouts. 

Supporting Lanham is one of the best offenses in the nation.The Bears lead the SAC in home runs (71), hits (546), RBI (386) and slugging percentage (.515). Five LR hitters were selected to the All-Conference team led by First Teamer Drew Yniesta who hit .381 with 13 HR and 49 RBI to go with a .479 OBP. Yniesta finished the regular season with 26 multi-hit games in just 50 total contests this year. 

Catcher Nick Clarno is riding a 15-game hitting streak and was named Second Team All-Conference. Wade Cuda (14 HR, 44 RBI) and Cole Laskowski (.310 AVG, 44 R, 36 RBI) round out the all-conference hitters for the Bears and All-Conference snub Anthony Porrino has 10 HR, 57 RBI and hit .384 with a 1.114 OPS. 

Queens will counter with the SAC leader in HR and RBI in Nick Brassington who hit .371 with 16 bombs and 47 RBI to go with a .678 slugging percentage. On top of his power, Brassington has struck out just 20 times in 202 at bats. The LF went 4-for-6 with three runs and three RBI against the Bears on April 19 and C MJ Sasapan went 3-for-4 with four runs and five RBI. 

The probable starter for the Royals is Nick Charleston who is 7-7 with a 4.24 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in a team-best 76.1 innings pitched. As a staff, Queens has a 4.90 ERA but the offense overcomes that with 7.9 runs scored per game. 

First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.