HARTSVILLE, S.C. -- A pivotal South Atlantic Conference series awaits the Railsplitters (24-16, 10-8 SAC) this weekend, as they make the 350-mile trip to Hartsville, South Carolina for a three-game set against the Coker Cobras (24-16, 9-9 SAC). Here's everything you need to know:
 
Schedule/Game Day Links:
 
Friday, April 15 at Coker - 3 p.m. Live Stats/Video
Saturday, April 16 at Coker - Doubleheader at Noon Live Stats (Game One), Live Stats (Game Two)/Video
 
Quick Hits:
-Lincoln Memorial fell to 3-8 in its last 11 games on Wednesday evening with a 5-4 loss in 10 innings to the Trevecca Nazarene Trojans at Lamar Hennon Field. The Railsplitters racked up 12 hits in that contest and were the beneficiaries of some solid pitching, but left 14 runners stranded on base, just one shy of a season-high mark. LMU went into the bottom of the ninth staring up at a 4-2 deficit, but Logan Augustine (Urbandale, Iowa) tied the game with a two-run double to send the game to extras. However, the Trojans scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the top of the 10th, while the Railsplitters left two stranded on base in the bottom of that inning.
-With the end of the regular season quickly approaching, each SAC series becomes even more important. This is unquestionably the most vital SAC series of the season for the Railsplitters, who are looking to snap a streak of three straight series losses in league play. By virtue of its strong start, Lincoln Memorial is tied with Carson-Newman for third place in the SAC, but there is no safety net, as there is only a two-game separation between third place and ninth place. The Railsplitters are a game behind second-place Tusculum (11-7) and just a half-game ahead of Mars Hill (11-10). Lenoir-Rhyne, Newberry and Coker are all just a game behind Lincoln Memorial at 9-9 in SAC play, while Wingate and Anderson are tied for ninth place at 8-10.
-Freshman Ethan Elliott (Knoxville, Tenn.) will attempt to earn his ninth win of the season and join Brad Reeder (1999) and Joe Workman (2006) in a tie for the second-most single-season wins in program history this weekend. Elliott, who has thrown back-to-back complete games, is one of only two pitchers in the SAC with eight wins this season along with Tusculum's Placido Torres. The left-hander ranks seventh in the SAC in innings pitched (61.2), strikeouts (54) and earned run average (3.21). Elliott has a decent shot of matching or breaking the program's single-season record for wins, currently held by former MLB relief pitcher Scot Shields, who went 11-4 in 1996.
-Hitting with runners in scoring position, or a lack thereof, is a major factor in the Railsplitters' recent struggles in SAC play. Against Lenoir-Rhyne this past weekend, LMU went 3 for 8 in game one and 2 for 8 in game two in RBI opportunities. Against Mars Hill, the Railsplitters were a combined 5 for 15 with runners in scoring position in their two losses. In all three games at Catawba, Lincoln Memorial was a combined 4 for 16 in RBI chances.
-Augustine has been on a tear for the Railsplitters of late, recording multiple hits in five of his last seven games to lift his batting average from .312 to .353. The Urbandale, Iowa native went 3 for 6 with two doubles and two RBI against Trevecca after going 3 for 5 in game three against Lenoir-Rhyne. Among qualified hitters, he ranks third for LMU with a .463 on-base percentage.
 
Notes on the Cobras:
-Coker lost two of three games in a home series against Mars Hill last weekend to slip to 9-9 in SAC play. The Cobras won game one 6-3 on Friday afternoon, but the Lions swept the Saturday doubleheader by scores of 5-4 and 11-7 to take the series. Prior to that, Coker took two of three at Lenoir-Rhyne, winning game one 5-0 and game three 15-6.
-The Cobras lack pop at the plate, ranking 10th in the SAC in home runs (23) and ninth in extra-base hits (116), but they keep constant pressure on opposing defenses with aggressive base running and a steady stream of hits. Coker leads the SAC in batting average (.324) and on-base percentage (.432) while ranking second in stolen bases (75). In SAC play, the Cobras are sporting a .323/.399/.457 slash line, ranking second, second and fourth in the league, respectively, in those categories.
-Junior Will Winslow and senior Miguel Frias front the Cobras' offensive attack. Winslow is batting .377 this season with a .500 on-base percentage, nine doubles, four home runs, 38 RBI, 10 steals and a team-leading 23 walks. Frias, meanwhile, also has a .377 average with 14 doubles, five home runs and 45 RBI. Sophomore infielder Thomas Lopez is hitting .351 this season with 12 doubles, two homers and 31 RBI, while Bryson Conner is carrying a .326 average into the weekend with 11 doubles, 19 RBI and nine steals. Junior AJ Strnad leads the Cobras with 21 stolen bases, while Ryan Wayne has contributed 31 RBI with three homers.
-Coker has not been very good as a whole on the mound this season, ranking eighth in the SAC in earned run average (5.81) and ninth in batting average against (.306). Senior Dallas Baldwin is likely to start in game one, as the right-hander is 4-3 this season with a 2.85 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 66 1/3 innings. Junior Forrest Arnold (4-3, 7.87 ERA, 35 K's, 50 1/3 innings) is another probable starter for the Cobras, as is Will Sutton (3-2, 4.04 ERA, 24 K's, 35 2/3 innings).
-The Cobras find a way to get on base, as evidence by their SAC-leading 75 hit-by-pitches and 185 walks, which ranks fourth in the SAC. Winslow leads Coker in hit-by-pitches with 16, while Lopez has been plunked 13 times.
 
Series History:
-The Railsplitters are 5-1 all-time against Coker with a streak of four straight wins. Lincoln Memorial swept last season's series in Hartsville, winning by scores of 8-2, 12-5 and 9-4. Lincoln Memorial took two of three from Coker in the first-ever meeting between the two teams in 2014, winning game one 6-5 and game three 7-3.