SALISBURY, N.C. -- The league-leading Railsplitters (16-6, 7-2 SAC) aim to win their fourth straight South Atlantic Conference series this weekend when they venture to Salisbury, N.C. for a three-game set against league-powerhouse Catawba (13-10, 5-4 SAC). Here's everything you need to know:
 
Schedule/Game Day Links:
 
Friday, March 18 at Catawba - 6 p.m. Live Stats | Video
Saturday, March 19 at Catawba - Doubleheader at 1 p.m. Live Stats | Video
 
Quick Hits:
-The Railsplitters grinded out a 14-9 win over the King Tornado on Tuesday at Lamar Hennon Field in an absolute slugfest that saw the two teams combine for 34 hits and six home runs. Lincoln Memorial scored in seven of its eight plate appearances, hanging up three runs in the third and four in the fourth, to avenge a 13-11 loss at King earlier this season. It marked the sixth time this season that the Railsplitters have piled up at least 15 hits in a game.
-Freshman designated hitter HD Dillard (Woodstock, Ga.) has multiple hits in six of his last nine games, highlighted by his 4-for-5 performance against King that included his second home run in three games. Dillard - batting .363 with 26 RBI and three homers - is tied for second on the team with 10 multi-hit games this season.
-Junior right-hander Brandon Jean (Franklin, Tenn.) will look to build off of an impressive start last weekend against Wingate, when he matched a career-high 11 strikeouts in a 7-4 win over the Bulldogs. He allowed just five hits and two earned runs over 6 1/3 innings to improve to 3-1 on the season. Freshman left-hander Ethan Elliott (Knoxville, Tenn.), meanwhile, aims to move to 6-0. He enters the weekend as one of only four SAC pitchers with at least five wins without a loss.
-Senior infielder Jean Rodriguez (Caguas, Puerto Rico) has also been in a groove at the plate for the Railsplitters with multiple hits in four of his last five games. Rodriguez was moved into the lead-off spot in the lineup for the game against King and went 2-for-6 at the plate with a double and a run scored. He is hitting .373 with two home runs, 22 RBI, 30 runs scored and eight stolen bases this season.
-Catawba ended the Railsplitters' 2015 season with a 9-7 win in the second game of the SAC Tournament in Forest City, N.C. Lincoln Memorial was leading 3-1 after four innings, but the Indians scored five in the fifth and three more in the sixth to power the victory.
 
Notes on the Indians:
-Catawba - the defending SAC regular-season champions and 2015 National Runners-Up - have had an up and down start to the 2016 campaign. The Indians lost two of three at home against Newberry in the SAC-opening series, but bounced back by taking two of three from both Tusculum and Anderson. Catawba most recently suffered a 9-3 loss at UNC Pembroke on Wednesday afternoon.
-The Indians have a reputation as an outstanding offensive team, but they haven't quite lived up to that so far this season. Catawba is ranked last in the South Atlantic Conference in batting average with a .286 mark, and is also near the bottom of the league in on-base percentage (.391) and slugging percentage (.448). The Indians have struck out a SAC-high 200 times.
-Despite the team-wide offensive struggles, the Indians are still led by one of the most dangerous hitters in the nation in senior utility player Will Albertson, the 2015 NCBWA National Player of the Year. While his numbers aren't quite on par with last season, Albertson is batting .400 with a .678 slugging percentage, four doubles, seven homers and 28 RBI. Dylan Richardson is also having a solid season with a .347 average, five doubles, three triples, four home runs and 25 RBI. Malachi Hanes is hitting .344 with two doubles, two triples and two home runs, while Luke Setzer is the final everyday player hitting over .300 for the Indians with a .308 clip. He has three doubles, three round trippers and 18 RBI.
-Catawba has been pretty solid on the mound despite seeing last year's ace Craig Brooks drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the seventh round of the MLB draft. The Indians are ranked fourth in the SAC in earned run average (4.70) and batting average against (.277). The Railsplitters are likely to see both Russ Weiker and Shaefer Shepard toe the rubber for the Indians. Weiker is 5-2 this season with a 3.72 ERA and 25 strikeouts over 38 2/3 innings, while Shepard is 3-2 with a 5.40 ERA and 43 K's in 36 2/3 innings.
-The Indians have won three straight South Atlantic Conference regular-season titles. Catawba is led by seven-time SAC Coach of the Year Jim Gantt, who entered the 2016 season with a lifetime record of 683-346.
 
Series History:
-Catawba has completely dominated the all-time series with Lincoln Memorial with a 31-5 record against the Railsplitters. LMU enters the weekend having lost 18 of the last 20 meetings, including six straight.
-The Railsplitters have been swept in their last three trips to Salisbury, with their last win on Catawba's home field coming on March 7, 2009. Lincoln Memorial lost three close ones at Catawba last season, falling by scores of 6-1, 3-2 and 8-7.