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RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team will host East Tennessee State in a two-game non-conference series at Turkey Hughes Field this week. First pitch on Tuesday is scheduled for 4:00 p.m., while first pitch on Wednesday is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

EKU (14-26) was swept over the weekend by UT Martin, but had won seven of its last 10 games before that. Freshman Bryan Soloman batted .500 (7-for-14) with three RBI last week, raising his season batting average 21 points to .296.

The Colonels will start freshman right-hander Blake Bottoms (0-0, 5.68 ERA), who pitched three scoreless innings in his first collegiate start against Marshall last week, on Tuesday. Senior left-hander Paul Duncan (0-2, 9.45 ERA), who has started four midweek games this season, will take the mound on Wednesday.

ETSU (23-15) has lost six of its last seven games, but the Buccaneers bring a potent offensive club to Richmond. Three Bucs – All-American Paul Hoilman (12), Bo Reeder (12) and Dylan Pratt (10) – have double-digit home runs this season, and, if that weren’t enough, the versatile Reeder has 13 saves and batters are hitting just .147 against him.

ETSU will send right-hander Scott McNally (5-0, 6.69 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday and southpaw Lee Hall (0-0, 5.62 ERA) on Wednesday.

EKU leads the all-time series between the two schools, 46-25-1, and the Colonels swept a two-game series from the Bucs last year in Johnson City, winning game one, 20-16, and game two, 7-6. Senior Ryan Faidley batted .571 with a home run and five RBI in that series, while junior Michael Garcia batted .500 with a home run and four RBI.

Following this week’s series, EKU hits the road to face Tennessee Tech in a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series in Cookeville.