MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Riding a 2-game winning streak, Eastern Kentucky University is scheduled for a pair of midweek games at Middle Tennessee on Tuesday and Western Kentucky on Wednesday.
The game against MTSU is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET. Wednesday's contest against the Hilltoppers is scheduled to get underway at 4 p.m. ET.
THE COLONELS
- EKU improved to 5-11 after winning the final two games of a series at home against Illinois State. The Colonels picked up an 8-4 win on Saturday and earned a 10-6 victory in the finale on Sunday.
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Ricco Longo got the start at third base in the final two games of the series against Illinois State and helped the Colonels win both. He went a combined 6-for-8 (.750) with two runs and five RBIs. In the series finale he was 3-for-4 with a run and four RBIs.
- Sunday's victory was the 600th for head coach
Jan Weisberg in 20 seasons of coaching at four programs.
- In two games last week,
Griffin Howell made two appearances out of the bullpen and did not allow a run in three innings of work. He gave up two hits, did not walk a batter and struck out four, including two of the three batters he faced in a scoreless inning against No. 21 Kentucky.
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Dylan Littlefield leads the team in average (.345), slugging (.690), home runs (6) and RBIs (22).
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
- Middle Tennessee has fallen to 9-7 after a 4-game losing skid, including three straight this weekend at Alabama-Birmingham.
- Senior catcher Dean O'Neill leads the team in hitting (.369), runs (20), home runs (6) and RBIs (21). Senior right-hander Landen Burch has a team-high two saves in seven appearances out of the bullpen. He is 3-2 with a 3.65 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings.
- Western Kentucky is 9-8 this season. The Hilltoppers won two of three at home over the weekend against Indiana State.
- Lane Arroyos leads the team in average (.365), runs (16) and RBIs (19). He is tied for the lead with three home runs. Zach Lyles has made seven appearances out of the bullpen and has three saves. He is 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA and eight strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings.
INSIDE THE SERIES
- Middle Tennessee and EKU haven't played since the Blue Raiders left the Ohio Valley Conference in 2000. MTSU has a 43-27 edge in the series that first began in 1954. Middle Tennessee is 18-12 in games played in Murfreesboro.
- Western Kentucky is 69-62-2 in the series with the Colonels. The Hilltoppers are 41-23-1 in games played in Bowling Green. The two teams have split the last four meetings.
