RICHMOND, Ky. – Atlantic Sun Conference play begins this weekend for the baseball team when in-state rival Bellarmine visits Earle Combs Stadium for a 3-game series.
 
The schedule has been changed due to the threat of strong storms on Saturday.  The two teams will play a doubleheader on Friday starting at 2 p.m.  There will not be a game on Saturday.  The series finale is on Sunday at 1 p.m.  Sunday's contest will air live on ESPN+.
 
Baseball Bingo returns on Friday with the first three winners winning a team signed mini-bat.  Friday is also National Pie (3.14) Day with mini-pies being given away at the game.  Sunday will be Kids Day.  All kids 12 and under receive FREE admission and get to run the bases after the game.  One child in attendance will be chosen to make the "play ball" announcement and another will be chosen to serve as the guest public address announcer.
 
THE COLONELS
-  EKU (0-16) lost in a midweek game at Northern Kentucky on Tuesday.
 
-  Newcomer Diego Alana hit .636 (7-for-11) in three games against Rhode Island last weekend.
 
-  Freshman AJ Groeneveld hit his first collegiate home run in the series opener against Rhode Island.

-  Nazir Mendez hit his third home run of the season on Tuesday against the Norse, giving EKU an early 2-0 lead.
 
-  Ryker Walton will get the ball on Friday afternoon.  The senior has 21 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings on the mound.  Redshirt sophomore Bradley Gagen will start game two of the doubleheader.  The left-hander is 0-2 with a 4.91 ERA.  Freshman right-hander Carson van Haaren will start the series finale on Sunday.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
-  Bellarmine moved to 3-13 on the season after defeating Southern Indiana, 10-8, at home on Wednesday.
 
-  Eli Watson leads the team with a .379 batting average.  The redshirt junior outfielder also has 15 RBIs and 14 runs scored.  Seth Sweet-Chick, a senior infielder, is batting .351 and leads the squad in home runs (4) and RBIs (17).
 
-  Cooper Hellman has made seven appearances out of the bullpen.  The senior right-hander is 0-1 with one save, a 4.66 ERA and has struck out 10 in 9 2/3 innings.
 
-  Chase Carver, a sophomore right-hander, is scheduled to start game one on Friday.  He is 0-3 with a 10.13 ERA.  Zach Horwith will start the second game of the doubleheader.  The redshirt sophomore right-hander is 0-1 with an 11.12 ERA.  The starter for Sunday has not been determined.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
-  EKU is 25-9-1 against Bellarmine all-time and has won four in a row in the series.  The Colonels have a 17-3 edge in games played in Richmond.  The teams first met for a doubleheader on April 1, 1981 in Richmond.
 
-  Last season, the Colonels swept the series – winning 8-7, 17-7 and 4-3 in Richmond.