Live Broadcast (ESPN+):  Game 1  |  Game 2  |  Game 3
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Game Notes

RICHMOND, Ky. – Three weeks into the ASUN Conference schedule the two West Division leaders will meet for the first time this weekend when Eastern Kentucky plays at Jacksonville State.
 
The Colonels are 5-1 in conference play.  The Gamecocks lead the division at 6-0.
 
Friday's series opener will begin at 7 p.m.  Game two is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m.  The series finale is set for Sunday at 2 p.m.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
-  Jacksonville State leads the all-time series 33-19.  The Colonels won two of three against the Gamecocks last season in Richmond.  EKU has won three of the last five series against Jacksonville State.
 
-  In a 1-0 victory in game one of the series last season, Santiago Peralta drove in the only run of the game in the bottom of the ninth inning.  Will Brian earned the win after striking out the final batter in the top of the ninth.  In a 9-5 game two win, Charlie Ludwick went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and two RBIs.  Brian pitched to one batter and got a double play to end the game and earn the save.
 
THE COLONELS
-  EKU is 18-8 overall.  The Colonels are riding a five-game winning streak, including a weekend sweep of Bellarmine last weekend and a midweek victory at Kentucky on Tuesday.
 
-  Eastern Kentucky is just three wins away from matching the 21 wins the 2021 team had all season.  The Colonels have six road wins so far this season.  They had five all of last year.
 
-  Shortstop Logan Thomason was 3-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, two runs and four RBIs in EKU's 6-3 win at Kentucky.  Thomason started slow, hitting .207 (6-for-29) with one extra-base hit, one RBI and five runs scored in his first eight games.  In 17 games since, he is hitting .371 (23-of-62) with five extra-base hits, 18 runs, 16 RBIs, 10 walks and a .459 on-base percentage.
 
-  Will King is the toughest player in the ASUN, and the 26th toughest in the country, to strike out.  He has struck out six times in 87 at bats.  That's one strike out every 14.5 at bats.
 
-  The pitching staff leads the ASUN with 254 strikeouts this season.  The Colonels are 47th in the nation with 10.21 strikeouts per nine innings.  Eastern Kentucky is third in the conference in home runs allowed (17), fifth in runs allowed (132) and fifth in ERA (4.74).
 
-  Michael Schuler will get the ball for game one, Rese Brown is scheduled to start game two and Niko Leontarakis will start game three against JSU.  Schuler is 3-1 with a 4.50 ERA on the season.  The sophomore right-hander nearly tossed a complete game against Bellarmine.  He pitched eight and two-thirds, giving up two of his three runs in the ninth.  Brown is 3-2 with a 4.23 ERA.  He pitched seven shutout innings and allowed two hits while striking out 10 against Bellarmine.  Leontarakis is 3-0 with a 3.28 ERA.  He's made eight appearances and three midweek starts.  In those starts, he is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 15 innings.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
-  Jacksonville State is 12-11 this season and has conference sweeps of Lipscomb and North Alabama.  The Gamecocks beat Auburn, 5-2, on Tuesday.
 
-  JSU's non-conference schedule included three games against Kentucky (17-9), three at Southern Miss (17-7), one against Troy (17-7), three against South Alabama (16-7) and one against Mercer (21-5).  The Gamecocks are 1-10 in those games and 11-1 against everyone else.
 
-  Right fielder Carson Crowe was 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the win at Auburn.
 
-  Center fielder TJ Reeves leads the team in hitting (.366), runs (22), home runs (4), stolen bases (6) and RBIs (17).
 
-  Jacksonville State is tied for the fewest walks (80) in the ASUN Conference and has the lowest on-base percentage (.339).  JSU has allowed the fourth fewest runs in the league (128).
 
-  Isaiah Magwood will start on Friday night.  The right-handed junior is 3-0 with a 2.36 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 26 and two-thirds innings.  Magwood struck out 11 in five innings last weekend against North Alabama.  Tanner Jones, a freshman righty who is 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA, is scheduled to get the ball for game two.  He has allowed 21 walks and 30 hits in 25 and two-third innings.  Camden Lovrich is 1-0 with a 4.28 ERA and will start the third game.  The sophomore right-hander has allowed 34 hits and struck out 15 in 27 and one-third innings.