Live Stats | Game Notes
RICHMOND, Ky. – After playing its first eight games of the 2016 season away from home, the Eastern Kentucky baseball team will play host to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore this weekend at Turkey Hughes Field. The four-game series begins Friday at 4 p.m.
The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon. Fans will receive free EKU baseball posters and schedule cards at Saturday's games. The series concludes Sunday with a single game at noon.
Against tough competition, including six games against teams that made the NCAA tournament last season, the Colonels have begun the 2016 season with a 4-4 record. The early portion of the schedule included a game at No. 2 Louisville and a 12-2 victory over Virginia Commonwealth, a team that returned eight starters from an NCAA Super Regional appearance.
Senior outfielder and preseason All-American
Kyle Nowlin tied the EKU single game record with three home runs against South Dakota State on Sunday. It was the fourth time in his career that he has smacked three dingers in a game.
In EKU's 10-1 win over South Dakota State on Saturday,
Mandy Alvarez went 4-for-6 with two home runs, two runs scored and three RBIs. That was one day after a 4-for-5 performance with a home run, three runs scored and five RBIs against VCU.
As EKU went 3-1 over the weekend, several Colonels put up outstanding offensive numbers. Leadoff hitter
Doug Teegarden had a .500 batting average and a .667 on-base percentage. Alvarez batted .450 with three home runs, 10 RBIs and a .900 slugging percentage.
Shea Sullivan and
Matt Olive both hit .444. Nowlin posted a .368 batting average with four home runs, 21 total bases and a 1.105 slugging percentage.
In four games last weekend, EKU hit .322 as a team with nine home runs, 35 runs scored and a .572 slugging percentage.
On the mound, the pitching staff posted a 3.86 ERA in the four games. Four Colonels combined for six appearances, and 15 innings pitched without allowing an earned run. Sophomore right-hander
Hunter Dunn was solid on his way to earning a win over South Dakota State on Saturday. He allowed just three hits and one run in five innings while striking out six batters.
Junior right-hander
Eric Nerl is off to a strong start to the 2016 season. In two starts, he is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA. He has allowed just eight hits in 10 innings. Nerl picked up the win against VCU (Feb. 26). He did not allow an earned run and gave up just five hits over six innings.
Maryland Eastern Shore is 3-4 this season with two wins in its season-opening series against Fairleigh Dickinson and a 17-5 victory against Saint Peter's. While Eastern Shore's four expected starting pitchers have ERAs of 4.09 or higher, five relief pitchers have combined to allow just one earned run in nine appearances and 10 and two-thirds innings of work.
Jessey Valdez leads the team with a .429 batting average and 10 RBIs. UMES has hit just three home runs this season and has allowed 10. Eastern Kentucky has hit 12 homers and given up five.
