DELAND, Fla. – Eastern Kentucky University will begin play in the 2024 Atlantic Sun Conference Baseball Tournament against Jacksonville University on Tuesday at Conrad Park in DeLand, Florida.
 
The game will begin at 7 p.m. and air live on ESPN+.
 
The two teams will be meeting for the fourth time in six days, after concluding the regular season with a 3-game series in Richmond.
 
THE COLONELS
-  EKU (21-35, 14-16 ASUN) won the series over Jacksonville this past weekend, winning the final two games.  The Colonels are 9-4 in their last 13 games and finished seventh in the league standings.
 
-  Only four teams have qualified for each of the past three ASUN Tournaments – EKU, Florida Gulf Coast, Lipscomb and Jacksonville.  The Colonels are 4-3 all-time in the ASUN Tournament.  EKU won all three of its Pool B games in 2022 to advance to the ASUN semifinals.
 
-  In his last six appearances, Joe Clancy is 4-0 and hasn't allowed a run in 13 innings.  He has allowed just six hits, four walks and has struck out 11.  Opponents have hit .136 against him during that span.

-  Third baseman Conner Davis leads the team with a .365 average and is tied for the team lead with 39 runs scored.  Senior outfielder Ron Franklin Jr. leads EKU in home runs (17) and RBIs (52), while hitting .322.  Freshman outfielder Tait Nunnally is tied for the team lead with 39 runs scored, is second with 11 home runs and second with 46 RBIs.
 
-  Nathan Lawson is expected to start on the mound for EKU.  He is 4-4 with just 24 walks in 60 innings.  He pitched one inning on Saturday against Jacksonville, without allowing a run, a hit or a walk and striking out one.  Prior to Saturday's start, Lawson turned in a quality start at Florida Gulf Coast on May 11, allowing one earned run on two hits in six innings.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
-  Jacksonville is 25-29 overall and finished fifth in the ASUN with an 18-12 mark.
 
-  Justin Nadeau leads the team with a .395 batting average, but hasn't played since April 13 at Austin Peay.  Josh Steidl leads the Dolphins in home runs (8) and  RBIs (48) while hitting .294.
 
-  The Dolphins lead the league in walks (307) and stolen bases (94), and are fourth in runs scored (362).  Jacksonville had 26 walks and five stolen bases in the 3-game series at EKU.  The Colonels limited JU to a .262 team batting average in the series.
 
-  Isaac Williams has a team-high six saves and has made 22 relief appearances.  He is 3-2 with a 3.80 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings.

-  Richard Long will get the ball for the Dolphins.  He is 7-2 with a 3.97 ERA.  The junior right-hander has struck out 61 in 77 innings.  He started the series opener on Thursday in Richmond and earned the win after allowing just one run on three hits in five innings.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
-  Jacksonville holds a 6-5 lead in the all-time series.  The first meeting between the two programs was in March of 1972 in Jacksonville.  This will be the second meeting in the ASUN Tournament.  The Colonels beat the Dolphins, 5-2, in Fort Myers, Florida during the 2022 tournament.
 
-  In the most recent meeting, on Saturday, senior Santiago Peralta hit a 3-run home run on Senior Day to help EKU to a 13-8 series clinching victory.  Peralta finished 2-for-3 with a run and three RBIs.  Nunnally went 3-for-4 with three runs scored.  Clayton Hodges had a 2-for-3 day with five RBIs for Jacksonville.