Sports Editor

The TSU baseball team will play host to the Troy State University Classic 2000 beginning this Friday with four dates scheduled for the Trojans throughout the event.

Vanderbilt and the University of Connecticut will be on hand at Riddle-Pace Field on the TSU campus that will offer up a 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. game against the Trojans (7-4) on Friday against Vandy and UConn respectively, a Vandy Huskie matchup on Saturday at 2 p.m. and two more against TSU Sunday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The Commodores (5-4) will be the second straight Southeastern Conference foe the Trojans have faced after falling to Auburn Tuesday 14-7.

Vandy comes in on a mild hot streak as winners of four of their last five and sweeping a three-game set with Louisville last weekend. The lost to Samford 13-7 Wednesday to end their streak, but the Commodore bats have been hot as of late.

Center fielder Karl Nonemaker leads VU with a .366 batting average in 41 at bats so far. Nonemaker went 6-for-14 (.429) in the series with Louisville and belted two homers over that weekend.

The Vandy pitching staff sports a 3.87 ERA overall and teams are hitting .250 against them.

As for the Connecticut Huskies (2-1), their game Friday will only be their fourth of the year after playing three in three-straight days and taking two wins from Rider and Monmouth before losing to Northwestern 3-1 Monday.

The Huskies are led by Kevin Wissner at the plate with a .455 batting average in 11 at bats so far with two doubles and two RBI’s. Gorrie Jonathan has also been hitting well with a .500 average in eight at bats with three RBI’s.

The UConn pitching staff has a 2.77 ERA and teams are hitting .213 against them.

The game against Vandy Friday will be Troy State head coach John Mayotte’s 500th game as the Trojans’ skipper.