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HomeSportsAPSU Baseball opens season at home hosting Iowa this weekend

APSU Baseball opens season at home hosting Iowa this weekend

APSU Sports Information

Austin Peay State University Governors Sports - APSUClarksville, TN – APSU will host Iowa in a three-game series beginning Friday at Raymond C. Hand Park.

The Govs return just two defensive starters from last season’s record-breaking squad, but they return four starting pitchers from that squad.

Austin Peay Baseball. (Lisa Kemmer - Clarksville Sports Network)
Austin Peay Baseball. (Lisa Kemmer – Clarksville Sports Network)

Austin Peay will add 17 newcomers to the mix, with six expected to be in Friday’s opening day lineup.

Iowa head coach Rick Heller, will bring a squad to Clarksville that returns eight defensive starters and eight pitchers from last year’s team.

Last season, Austin Peay posted a program and OVC record 47 victories. The Govs finished 2nd in the OVC regular-season race. APSU then won a 3rd-straight OVC tournament title, becoming the first to accomplish that feat since 1990-91.

P.J. TorresAustin Peay received the OVC’s first-ever No. 2 seed and concluded the 2013 season by reaching the NCAA Bloomington Regional Final after defeating Florida and Valparaiso.

This season, Austin Peay was picked to finish 2nd in the OVC’s preseason poll behind defending regular-season champion Tennessee Tech. The Govs did not have a player selected to the preseason All-OVC squad with only senior catcher P.J. Torres the only returnee to receive All-OVC honors (2nd team) last season.

Rolando GautierTorres and senior right fielder Rolando Gautier are the only returning defensive starters for the Govs this season. Gautier returns to the outfield after missing last season’s final five games due to injury.

Austin Peay will field an entire new infield in the opener with freshmen Alex Robles (3rd base), Logan Gray (shortstop) and Garrett Copeland (2nd base) joining senior Matt Wollenzin (1st base) in the probable lineup.

Gautier will be joined in the outfield by freshmen Cayce Bredlau (left field) and Chase Hamilton (center field).

The Govs designated hitter spot will again rotate between several players early on.

On the mound, senior Zach Hall will get the ball in Game 1, after ending 2013 as the Govs No. 1 for the season’s final four weeks.

Freshman Alex Robles will take the hill in Game 2 for his first collegiate start. Senior Ryan Quick will get the nod in Game 3, a spot he occupied for the final four weeks in 2013.

Sophomore Jared Carkuff will open the season as the Govs closer after serving as the team’s midweek starter last season.

Austin Peay enters 2014 with a 10-game winning streak at Raymond C. Hand Park where it went 27-6 last season.

Broadcast Info

Live Statistics: LetsGoPeay.com
Radio: Governors Sports Network (Sun. Only)
Online Audio: www.LetsGoPeay.com
Twitter: @APSUBaseball

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