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RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team will travel to Alabama this weekend to face the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in a three-game conference series at Rudy Abbott Field. 

First pitch for Saturday’s doubleheader is 2:00 p.m. EST. Sunday’s single game will also begin at 2:00 p.m. EST.

If the OVC baseball tournament started today, EKU (20-17, 6-8 OVC) would be the last team in. The Colonels are alone in sixth place in the conference, but the road does not get any easier as their remaining league schedule looks like this: at Jacksonville State (third place, 7-5 OVC), vs. Southeast Missouri State (second place, 9-3 OVC) and at Eastern Illinois (first place, 10-3 OVC).

EKU was swept by JSU last year at Rudy Abbott Field. The Colonels are just 5-12 against the Gamecocks all time.

EKU has been paced by its offense in 2009. The Colonels are second in the league with a .354 team batting average and they score around 10 runs per game.

Senior Matt Davis is the catalyst of that explosive offense. The speedy leadoff man is batting an amazing .465 with 60 runs scored, 15 doubles, three triples, seven home runs and 17 stolen bases. His 1.89 runs per game are tops in the country.

Sophomore Jayson Langfels, meanwhile, will carry a .458 batting average into this weekend’s series. The hard-hitting third baseman also leads the Colonels with nine home runs and 49 RBI. His 1.74 RBI per game puts him among the national leaders in that category.

Davis and Langfels suffered injuries earlier in the month; however, both of them are back and neither is showing signs of rust. Since their returns, Davis is batting .600 (12-for-20) with seven runs scored, six RBI and five doubles while Langfels is batting .563 (9-for-16) with six RBI.

A slew of freshman position players have also contributed to the Colonels’ high-powered offense, including Jacob Daniel (.373 batting average), #A.J. Jamison# (.354 batting average), Alan Abreu (.324 batting average), Michael Garcia (.314 batting average), Richie Rodriguez (.307 batting average) and Dustin Dunlop (two home runs, 14 RBI).

Junior Jim Clancy (3-3) and sophomore Paul Duncan (4-5) are probable starters on the mound this weekend, although the rotation’s order remains to be seen. Reliable weekend starter Chris Hord (1-2) has been injured and his status for the series is up in the air. If Hord cannot go, sophomore Matt Fyffe (3-3) is his most probable replacement.

EKU defeated Xavier at home, 11-6, this Tuesday before falling on the road to in-state rival Western Kentucky on Wednesday, 11-9.

Jacksonville State is fresh off an upset over No. 1 Georgia on Wednesday

The Gamecocks (23-14, 9-5 OVC) are paced offensively by Sam Eberle (.341 batting average) and Daniel Adamson (.338 batting average).

JSU’s staff is anchored by preseason All-American Ben Tootle. The junior right-hander (3-1, 3.58 ERA) will more than likely start in Sunday’s game against the Colonels.