MOUNT BERRY, Ga. - For the Berry College Baseball team, one weekend remains in the regular season and for the second straight year, the fate of the Southern Athletic Association comes down to a series between the Vikings and No. 4 Birmingham-Southern. Hot off their series victory over Rhodes, the Vikings will need to execute a three-game road sweep of the Panthers to secure their second-straight SAA regular season title.

What's at Stake?
While a clean sweep of the Panthers would guarantee the Vikings (25-12, 13-5) the number one seed in the SAA tournament, taking just one game against BSC (28-7, 15-3) would solidify a second-place finish and grant Berry home-field advantage in the opening round of the tournament. Should the Vikings drop three games to the Panthers this weekend, a Rhodes sweep of Hendrix would be the only scenario in which Berry would not place at least second in conference.

Berry by the Numbers
The Vikings are 18-4 within the confines of William R. Bowdoin Field, and just 7-8 when on the road. Midweek games have been the Achilles heel of this team, as the Vikings are a respectable 25-7 when playing on the weekend. In association play, the Berry lineup is hitting at a .368 clip and paces the conference in doubles (45), triples (12), RBIs (158), and runs scored (182).

On the mound, the Berry pitching staff has a combined 4.64 ERA in conference play. Freshman Jackson Halla owns a 1.78 ERA in 25.1 innings pitched against conference foes. Senior Andrew Norred has been the first option out of the bullpen, enjoying a 2.18 ERA over 13.1 innings pitches in SAA play this Spring.

Scouting Birmingham-Southern
The Panthers rank third in the country in hits (401) and second in the country in homeruns (54). Seven BSC starters are currently hitting about the .350 mark: Will Lantis (.396), Andrew Dutton (.385), Cole Steadman (.384), Ian Hancock (.378), Brian Williams (.352), Noah Best (.350), and Camden McNearney (.386). In conference play, Southern is hitting .337 as a team, second to only the Berry Vikings.

Sophomore Josh Leerssen has been the game one starter for the Panthers all season, posting a 6.38 ERA over 42.1 innings pitched. Leerssen ranks second in the SAA in batting average against with opponents hitting just .202 against the right hander. Freshman Davis Williams leads the Panthers in appearances out of the pen with 16 on the year. Williams currently sports a 3.03 ERA over 32.2 innings pitched and has recorded six saves on the year. Pitchers Joey White and Ricky Harrison are the anticipated game two and three starters this weekend.

Schedule
Game One: Friday, April 22nd – 6:00p.m. CDT | Live Stats/Video
Game Two: Saturday, April 23rd – 2:00p.m. CDT | Live Stats/Video
Game Three: Saturday, April 23rd – 5:00p.m. CDT | Live Stats/Video