DAYTON, Ohio. – Riding an early season 2-game winning streak, Eastern Kentucky University will play four games this weekend at Dayton.
The two teams will play a doubleheader on Friday starting at 12 p.m. ET. Saturday's game is scheduled for 9 a.m. ET. The series finale on Sunday is at 12 p.m. ET. The second game of the doubleheader on Friday and the Sunday tilt will air live on ESPN+.
THE COLONELS
- After dropping their first two games of the season, the Colonels (2-2) have won two straight, scoring a combined 30 runs in wins over Alabama State (14-7) and Northern Kentucky (16-11).
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Dylan Littlefield,
David Alvarez and
Khaleel Pratt hit their first home runs of the season against Northern Kentucky. It was the first collegiate career home run for Littlefield and Pratt, who are both redshirt freshmen. It was the first Division I home run for Alvarez.
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Jack Bell, a senior who spent the last two seasons at NCAA Division II Mississippi College, has made two appearances as the finisher for the Colonels. In 2 1/3 innings he has not allowed a hit, walk or run and has struck out three.
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Pedro Moreno finished with three hits, three runs and three RBIs in the win over Northern Kentucky. He was 3-for-4 with two walks.
- Redshirt junior
Bradley Gagen will start the series opener. He is 0-0 with a 2.25 ERA. The left-hander allowed one run on four hits, walked four and struck out seven in his first start of the season.
Carson van Haaren will get the ball for the second game of the series. He is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA. The starters for the final two games of the series have not been determined.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
- Dayton is 1-2 on the season after opening up 2026 with a series at Atlantic Sun Conference member Lipscomb. The Flyers won the middle game, 3-1.
- Sam Stem leads the Flyers with a .400 batting average and has a .538 on-base percentage. Colin Lynch has a team-best four RBIs.
- Michael Fortes earned the save in Dayton's win, pitching the final 2 2/3 innings without allowing a run. He gave up two hits, did not walk a batter and struck out two.
- Sawyer Jensen will start the first game of the series on the mound for the Flyers. The sophomore right-hander is 0-0 with a 4.15 ERA. He allowed five runs, two of which were earned, on six hits in 4 1/3 innings during his first start of the season. Niklas Pavia, a junior righty, will start game two. He is 0-0 with a 1.59 ERA after allowing just one run in 5 2/3 innings during his first start. John Delgado, a junior left-hander, and Jon Whiteside, a sophomore righty, will start games three and four of the series. Both are making their first starts of the season. Delgado picked up a win after pitching 2/3 of an inning without allowing a run. Whiteside is 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA.
INSIDE THE SERIES
- The Colonels lead the all-time series with Dayton 20-12-1. EKU is 10-5 in games played in Dayton. The Colonels have won three of the last four meetings overall.
- The Flyers won the most recent meeting, 7-6 on April 22, 2025.
Tait Nunnally finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored for the Colonels. Ryan MacDougall had a 3-for-4 game with a walk, two runs and an RBI for Dayton.
