Austin Peay State University’s baseball team begins an eight-game homestand when it hosts No. 19 Western Kentucky in a 6 p.m., Tuesday contest at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Tuesday’s contest will be the second game of the home-and-home series between the Govs and Hilltoppers. Western Kentucky won the season’s first meeting, 14-7, March 2, after coming back from deficits of 5-0 and 7-2.
Austin Peay (17-15) returns home following an up-and-down eight game road trip which it finished with a 3-5 record following a three-game sweep at Eastern Kentucky last weekend. The Govs have won their last four midweek contests.
Freshman first baseman John Hogan will look to continue his seven-game hit streak during which he has batted .464 (13-of-28). Senior designated hitter Matt Kole, the Ohio Valley Conference’s “Player of the Week,” had 14 RBI in the Govs last five games and batted .500 (9-of-18).
Junior right-hander Eric Davis (2-0) will make Tuesday’s start after winning his last start, April 6, at Memphis. He is 1-0 with a 3.94 ERA in three appearances as a starter.
Western Kentucky (26-8) saw a four-game win streak stopped with a 7-5 loss to South Alabama, Sunday. The Hilltoppers won their Sun Belt series against South Alabama, 2-1, and improved to 9-3 in league play. WKU is ranked No. 19 in the Baseball America poll this week and are ranked in five polls overall.
Senior infielder Matt Payton leads the Hilltoppers offense with a .393 average, including 10 doubles, nine triples, six home runs and 41 RBI. Junior catcher Matt Rice leads WKU with 46 RBI and seven home runs.
Freshman right-hander Andrew Zimmerman (0-0) will make his season’s first start – and third appearance overall – while bringing a 4.50 ERA into Tuesday’s contest.
