RICHMOND, Ky. – Entering this week's Atlantic Sun Conference baseball series on a 4-game winning streak and tied for first place in the league standings, Eastern Kentucky University will host Stetson starting Thursday. The Hatters are tied for third in the ASUN.
The series opener on Thursday is set to begin at 6 p.m. Game two of the series on Friday is also a 6 p.m. start. The finale on Saturday will get underway at 11 a.m. All three games will air live on ESPN+.
The Colonels will celebrate Major League Baseball opening day on Thursday. Fans who wear their favorite MLB team's apparel will receive FREE admission. The first EKU baseball trading card giveaway is scheduled for Friday. There will be a postgame Egg Hunt following the game on Saturday.
THE COLONELS
- EKU (8-18, 5-1 ASUN) is riding a 4-game winning streak after sweeping North Alabama last weekend and picking up a 20-15 victory over Northern Kentucky on Tuesday. The Colonels are tied with Jacksonville atop the conference standings.
- In his last eight games,
Max Williams is batting .429 with three home runs, 12 RBIs and seven runs scored. In the 3-game sweep of North Alabama, Williams hit .556 with a home run, a double, five RBIs and four runs scored. He went 2-for-3 with three walks, a run and five RBIs against Northern Kentucky. Williams is tied for fourth in the ASUN with nine doubles, tied for fifth in slugging (.648), sixth in total bases (59), tied for seventh in RBIs (24), tied for eighth in hits (32) and tied for ninth with six home runs.
- Sophomore right-hander
Nathan Lawson was chosen as the ASUN Pitcher of the Week on Monday. He pitched a 7-inning, complete game, 2-hit shutout in EKU's 10-0 win over North Alabama. He walked one and tied his career-high with six strikeouts. It was the longest outing of his career as well. He held the Lions to a 0.95 team batting average.
- Senior lefty
Bryce Travis hasn't allowed an earned run in his last nine innings of work, spanning five appearances. He leads the ASUN, and is sixth in the nation, with 14 appearances this season.
- Junior
Isaac Milburn will get the start on Thursday. He has struck out 16 batters in 18 2/3 innings this season. Lawson will start on Friday. He is 2-1 with a 5.46 ERA.
Ryker Walton, a junior right-hander, will get the ball for game three of the series. He is 2-1 with a 5.46 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 28 innings.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
- Stetson is 16-9 overall and tied with four other teams for third place in the ASUN with a 4-2 league mark. The Hatters are coming off a 3-game sweep at home of Lipscomb last weekend.
- Freshman center fielder Kyle Jones leads Stetson with a .378 batting average. Junior catcher Gio Cueto has a team-best 24 RBIs. Junior second baseman Yohann Dessureault has a team-high seven home runs to go along with a .310 average and 19 RBIs.
- The Hatters have a .277 team batting average, second-best in the conference. Stetson is also second in runs scored with 164 (6.6/game).
- Cole Stalllings, a senior right-hander, has been the most used arm out of the bullpen, leading the team with 10 appearances. He is 3-0 with a 3.78 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings.
- John Modugno, a senior right-hander is scheduled to start game one of the series for Stetson. He is 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA through 12 innings of work. Anthony DeFabbia, a senior lefty, will start on Friday. He is 4-0 with a 3.54 ERA. Saturday's starter is slated to be senior left-hander Daniel Paret. He is 3-1 with a 3.94 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings.
INSIDE THE SERIES
- Stetson holds a 4-0 edge in the all-time series. The only meeting between the two teams as ASUN Conference members was in the 2023 league tournament. The first three meetings in the series came in March of 2000 in DeLand, Florida.
- In the most recent meeting, EKU surrendered seven runs in the first three innings in an 8-3 loss to Stetson on May 23, 2023 in the 2023 ASUN Tournament. Williams hit a solo home run down the right field line in the top of the sixth. He had a 2-for-4 day with two runs and an RBI. Andrew Estrella finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs, and David Bermudez went 3-for-4 with a run and two driven in for the Hatters.
