Live Broadcast vs. UNCW
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Edwin Thompson - OVC Media Teleconference

WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Eastern Kentucky baseball team will open its 2018 season Friday on the road at University of North Carolina Wilmington.
 
Friday's game is scheduled for 4 p.m. The Colonels will take on Lehigh University at 10 a.m. on Saturday.  This is a change to the original schedule due to weather. They will finish the weekend road trip taking on Butler University at 10 a.m. on Sunday.
 
The EKU baseball team has six starters and have five pitchers returning from the 2017 team.
 
The Colonel offense will be led by senior outfielder Daniel McFarland and junior utility player Alex Holderbach. McFarland had a team high .363 batting average, with five home runs and 25 RBIs in 2017. Holderbach hit at a .355 clip with 11 home runs and 49 RBIs. All of which were good for second on the team.
 
The opening weekend staff will be juniors Aaron Oschenbein and Kaven Brown, along with senior Austin Perry. Oschenbein will get the nod Friday night against UNC Wilmington. He was 1-4 last year, while striking out 31 batters over 41 innings pitched. Perry will make his first Division I start against Lehigh on Saturday. Perry is a transfer from Milligan College. Brown is a transfer from Pensacola State College and will be making his Colonel debut Sunday when he steps on the hill against the Butler Bulldogs.
 
UNC Wilmington is coming off a 30-29 (16-8 CAA) record and lost in the finals of the Colonial Athletic Association conference tournament. The Seahawks are led by juniors Ryan Jeffers and Alex Royalty. Jeffers had a .328 batting average, to go with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs in 2017. His .328 batting average was tops on the team. Royalty is the top returning pitcher for the Seahawks after going 9-2 with a 3.21 ERA over 98 and one-third innings.
 
Lehigh went 21-29 (8-12 Patriot League). Lehigh is led by senior outfielder Chris Kersey and sophomore pitcher Levi Stoudt. Kersey had .315 batting average with four home runs and 21 RBIs. Stoudt was 4-5 on the campaign with a 2.34 ERA.
 
Butler was 31-20 (7-10 Big East) in 2017. The Bulldogs will be led by seniors Michael Hartnagel and Garrett Christman. Hartnagel had a team high .328 batting average to go with 28 RBIs. Christman went 3-2 on the year with a 2.60 ERA.