Live Stats I OVC Standings

RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team will look to continue its winning ways this weekend in a crucial three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at UT Martin.

First pitch on Friday is set for 7:00 p.m., while Saturday’s game will begin at 4:00 p.m. and Sunday’s finale will get underway at 2:00 p.m.

EKU (22-19, 12-6 OVC), which has won 15 of its last 19 games, was named an honorable mention national Team of the Week by the website collegebaseballinsider.com on Tuesday following a week in which they crushed Ohio and Marshall before sweeping a three-game set at Morehead State to move to within a half-game of first place in the OVC.

The Colonels, who lead the county in home runs per game (1.34), batted .343 as a team during the week and slugged .549, pounding out 15 doubles, three triples and seven home runs. The EKU pitching staff was just as impressive, compiling a 1.40 ERA and stifling opponents to a .220 batting average.

It was also a historic weekend for EKU, as head coach Jason Stein earned his 100th career win on Saturday, and senior Richie Rodriguez became the all-time hits (280) and runs (191) leader in EKU history during the sweep of MSU.

Rodriguez enters this weekend leading EKU with a .365 batting average, 12 home runs and 41 runs. Seniors #A.J. Jamison# (.329 batting average, seven home runs) and Jacob Daniel (.303 batting average, 38 RBI) and junior Austin Grisham (.322 batting average, 10 stolen bases) have also been hitting well for an EKU offense that ranks first in the league in slugging percentage (.482), home runs (55), triples (16) and doubles (94).

UTM (11-32, 5-13 OVC) comes into this weekend in last place in the OVC. The Skyhawks have dropped 11 of their last 13 games, including two-of-three games at Southeast Missouri last weekend.

The Skyhawks are led offensively by Jordan Owen, who is carrying a .335 batting average with seven home runs and a team-best 25 RBI.

EKU will stay with the same rotation that swept MSU last weekend: senior right-hander Matt Harris (4-4, 5.23 ERA) on Friday, senior right-hander Matt Fyffe (6-0, 1.90 ERA), who was impressive in his first start of the season last weekend, on Saturday and junior left-hander Shane Grimm (5-4, 3.23 ERA), who is a perfect 4-0 with a conference-best two complete game wins during OVC play, on Sunday.

UTM will counter with right-hander Alec Mills (2-5, 4.04 ERA) on Friday, right-hander Alex Boshers (0-3, 8.88 ERA) on Saturday and right-hander Willie Frederick (3-6, 5.68 ERA) on Sunday.

EKU leads the all-time series between the two schools, 35-14, although UTM beat the Colonels four times last year, sweeping them at Turkey Hughes Field during the regular season before eliminating them from the OVC Tournament a few weeks later.