Live Broadcast (ESPN+) - Thursday  |  Live Stats  |  Game Notes

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky host Ohio Valley Conference leader Jacksonville State for a three-game series starting Thursday.
 
The series opener will begin at 6 p.m. and air live on ESPN+.  Game two is now scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m.  The series will conclude on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Thursday is the "It's On Us" game.  Come out early to the game and take the pledge to intervene, and create a campus climate where sexual assault/violence is not acceptable and survivors are supported.  On Friday, FREE Coca-Cola tumblers will be given away.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
-  The Gamecocks lead the all-time series 30-16.
 
-  Eastern Kentucky beat Jacksonville State, 11-8 in 14 innings, in the 2018 OVC Tournament in Oxford, Alabama.  At five hours and 33 minutes, the game set a new record for the longest game in OVC Tournament history and broke the previous tournament game record of 13 innings.
 
-  EKU won two of three during the regular season series last year in Jacksonville. 
 
THE COLONELS
-  Eastern Kentucky is 22-15 overall and 9-6 against OVC teams.  EKU is one game out of first place in the conference standings.  The Colonels have won four straight conference series, including two of three at Eastern Illinois last weekend.
 
-  In his last 10 games, senior outfielder Will Johnson is hitting .400 with four home runs, five doubles, 11 RBIs and 13 runs scored.
 
-  As a team, EKU is 11th in the nation in stolen bases (84), 12th in home runs (48), 13th in runs (296) and 13th in scoring (8.0 runs per game).  The Colonels have scored 10 or more runs in a game 11 times this season.
 
-  Johnson leads the conference in stolen bases (21) and walks (36).  Nick Howie is tied for third in the OVC with 26 walks and tied for fourth with nine home runs.  Ryland Kerr is second in the OVC with 44 runs.  A.J. Lewis is fifth in RBIs (35) and fifth in stolen bases (12).
 
-  The trio of Logan Teague, Kaven Brown and Brennan Kelly will start on the mound for the Colonels.  Teague, a senior right-hander, is 2-2 with a 6.04 ERA.  Brown, a senior right-hander, is 8-1 and sporting a 2.61 ERA.  Kelly, a junior left-hander, is 2-3 with a 5.11 ERA.
 
-  With eight wins this season, Brown leads the OVC and is tied with two others for the most in the nation.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
-  Jacksonville State is 19-16 this season and 10-5 in the OVC.  The Gamecocks are tied with Murray State for first place.  
 
-  JSU won two of three at home against Belmont last weekend.
 
-  Nic Gaddis leads the team in hitting (.338), runs (26) and home runs (7).  Alex Webb is batting .293 and has a team-high 27 RBIs.

-  Redshirt junior Garrett Farmer will start for JSU on Thursday.  The right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA and 57 strikeouts over 59 and one third innings.  Trey Fortner, a redshirt freshman right-hander, will start game two of the series.  He is 1-5 with a 5.87 ERA.  Dylan Hathcock will get the ball in the finale.  The redshirt sophomore lefty is 0-0 this season with a 4.06 ERA.