Wingate, N.C.----The defending Food Lion SAC Tournament champion Wingate University Bulldogs will host the Mountain Lions of Concord University (W.Va.) for a three game series this weekend. The teams will meet for a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m., while concluding the series with one game Sunday at 1 p.m. The Bulldogs and Mountain Lions both played in the NCAA Tournament in 2011.
 
Wingate went 34-22 in the 2011 season, while Concord was 27-26 overall. The Bulldogs have won 53 games in the last two seasons, while compiling a school-record 36 conference victories in the last two seasons. The Bulldogs return six of eight position players, along with two of their top three starters on the mound this year.
 
Wingate’s offense is anchored by the heart of the lineup. The Bulldogs feature a pair of All-Americans that combined for 33 homers and 146 RBI in 2011. Wingate’s potent offensive attack led the SAC in 2011 with a .326 average, 626 hits, 141 doubles, 16 triples and 60 homers.
 
Senior outfielder Dodson McPherson (Graham, N.C.) earned SAC and Region Player of the Year honors, while also being named the SAC Male Athlete of the Year. He earned first team All-American honors from the ABCA and NCBWA, while finishing fifth in the Tino Martinez Award voting for national Player of the Year. McPherson led the SAC in hits (92), runs (65), homers (17), RBI (78), triples (five) and slugging percentage (.748). He finished second in the league in batting average (.400), total bases (167) and on-base percentage (.466). He ranked in the top 10 nationally in hits (third), RBI (second), total bases (fourth), homers (fifth), runs (eighth) and slugging percentage (10th). He reached base safely in 50 consecutive games and 55 of 56 in the 2011 season. McPherson either scored a run or drove in a run in 50 games on the year.
 
Redshirt junior first baseman Brian Yeung (Raleigh, N.C.) earned first team All-SAC and All-Region accolades, while being named a second team All-American by the ABCA. He led the nation with 26 doubles in 2011, while also leading the league and ranking third nationally with 170 total bases. Yeung finished second in the conference with 16 homers and 68 RBI, while hitting .358 on the year. His .691 slugging percentage also ranked second in the conference, along with his four triples. Yeung’s 26 doubles rank third on the SAC single-season charts, while his 170 total bases are good for sixth-best in league history. He had a 20-game hitting streak during the 2011 season, while collecting an extra-base hit in 19 of those contests.
 
Three more seniors in the Wingate lineup will also play a key role in the 2012 season. Second baseman Chris Vazquez (Tyrone, Ga.) and outfielder Casey Allison (Horse Shoe, N.C.) both earned preseason All-SAC accolades. Third baseman Jacob Karr (Richmond, Va.) finished third on the team in 2011 with 19 doubles, while ranking fourth with a .330 batting average. Vazquez hit .301 with four homers, 12 doubles, 32 RBI and 46 runs scored last season. Allison had 10 homers, 23 doubles, 46 RBI and 48 runs scored last year. He had 61 hits on the season, compiling 110 total bases and a .516 slugging percentage on the season. Allison finished second in the SAC in doubles, fifth in total bases and ninth in homers. He also had a team-best 11 stolen bases in 12 attempts in 2011. 
 
Wingate’s weekend rotation will feature a junior, sophomore and freshman. Junior right-hander Justin Somers (Wilmington, N.C.) was an All-SAC selection in 2011, leading the league with a 2.60 ERA. He went 7-4 on the season, after starting the year as the team’s closer, as he also notched a team-best five saves. Somers piled up 77 strikeouts in 62.1 innings of work. He allowed only six extra-base hits all season. His best performance came in the SAC Tournament against LMU, going 7 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run, striking out 11 on 137 pitches in the 3-1 victory.
 
Sophomore right-hander Ben Currie (Clemmons, N.C.) is also in the weekend rotation. He had three wins and a 3.00 ERA in 17 appearances in 2011. Currie had 47 strikeouts, while notching Wingate’s only complete game of the year. Freshman left-hander Jordan Newsome (Matthews, N.C.) will round out the weekend rotation for the Bulldogs. The bullpen will be anchored by redshirt junior right-hander Josh Karr (Richmond, Va.). The pre-season All-SAC selection enters the year as Wingate’s closer. He went 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA in 12 appearances last season, striking out 20 in 16 1/3 innings while allowing only 10 hits, all of which were singles.
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a comprehensive university with more than 2,500 students on three campuses in Wingate, Matthews and Hendersonville, N.C. The university offers 34 undergraduate majors, 37 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, accounting, physician assistant studies and sports administration and doctorates in pharmacy and education.
 
Wingate students gain the tools and support they need to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. The campus community offers in-class learning, out-of-class experiences, strong mentors, a competitive yet caring environment and rewarding community service opportunities for a complete educational experience.
 
Bulldog student-athletes compete in 19 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past five years.
 
Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 42 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 51 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.
 
(Wingate University assistant sports information director Hugh Patton wrote this article. Patton is a 2006 Wingate graduate with a B.A. degree in Communication Studies.)