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HomeSportsAPSU Baseball travels to UT Martin this weekend

APSU Baseball travels to UT Martin this weekend

Austin Peay (18-20, 9-11 OVC) at UT Martin (18-21, 7-11 OVC)

Friday-Sunday, April 28th-30th, 2017
Martin, TN | Skyhawk Field

APSU BaseballClarksville, TN – Austin Peay’s baseball team begins the regular season’s final month with a three-game Ohio Valley Conference road series against UT Martin, Friday-Sunday, at Skyhawk Field.

Austin Peay Baseball heads to Martin Tennessee to take on the Skyhawks Friday through Sunday at Skyhawk Field. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Baseball heads to Martin Tennessee to take on the Skyhawks Friday through Sunday at Skyhawk Field. (APSU Sports Information)

Due to forecast rain this weekend, the Govs and Skyhawks will begin the series with a 2:00pm, Friday contest.

They then will play an 11:00am, Saturday doubleheader with Sunday available if weather intervenes during the series.

Austin Peay moved up to fifth in the OVC regular season-race with its split against second-place Morehead State, last weekend. UT Martin has swept its last two OVC series and has jumped into a tie for eighth place, one game behind the Governors.

Series Analysis

Austin Peay has won 23 of the 24 OVC series played since UT Martin joined the league in 1993.

However, the Skyhawks lone series victory in that time came the last time the two teams played in Martin, as the Skyhawks won the final two games of the 2015 set. In terms of games played, the Govs own an 83-31-2 series edge, including a 35-17-1 advantage at Skyhawk Field.

Probable Starters

APSU: LHP Josh Rye | TBA | TBA
UTM: RHP Winston Cannon | RHP Dalton Westfall | RHP Peyton Cain

First Hacks

APSU Baseball - Cayce Bredlau
APSU Baseball – Cayce Bredlau

Redshirt junior Cayce Bredlau has reached safely in nine consecutive games (.429 OBP) but is currently day-to-day after suffering an upper body injury during the Eastern Kentucky series finale.

Junior second baseman Garrett Giovannelli has a 10-game hit streak (21-for-43, .488 BA, 9 BB, .577 OBP) since moving into the leadoff spot against Belmont.

Senior first baseman Dre Gleason was one of 40 players named to USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award Watch List, April 12th. Gleason is battling through a mini-slump over the past seven games (9-for-40, .225) that has dropped his average below .400 for the first time this season.

APSU Baseball - Chase HamiltonSenior right fielder Chase Hamilton has had a multi-hit outing in six of his last 10 games (13-for-42, .309, 3 2B, 3 HR), but missed the Govs contest against Western Kentucky due to an upper body injury. Sophomore Brett Newberg has started three of the Govs last four games at designated hitter and has reached base six times in 13 plate appearances (.462).

Redshirt freshman Parker Phillips was hit by a pitch three times against Morehead State and now has an APSU record-tying and OVC-leading 16 HBPs this season (8th in Division I). Senior utility man Alex Robles has a multi-hit outing in three of the Govs last five games (.411, 7-for-17, 5 RBI) and has a .565 on-base percentage (6 BB). 

Freshman Malcolm Tipler has started the last four games in left field for the injured Bredlau and is 5-for-16 (.313) with four RBI in those contests. Junior center fielder Imani Willis brings a five-game hit streak (8-for-18, .444, 2 2B, HR) into the weekend.

Junior shortstop Kyle Wilson had four hits and four RBI against Western Kentucky, Tuesday, and has eight hits in his last seven games.

Home Run Hearsay

APSU Baseball - Garrett GiovannelliThe Govs enter the weekend ranked No. 5 in home runs per game (1.50) among Division I teams, after hitting just two home runs during their recently concluded three-game homestand. They also remain ranked seventh in total home runs (57), 12th in slugging percentage (.489) and are now ranked 17th in doubles per game (2.21).

Junior Garrett Giovannelli became the 14th different Govs batter to hit a home run in 2017, extending the program record for most players with a home run in a season. Austin Peay’s 57 home runs ranks ninth most in program history with 15 regular-season games remaining. The next spots up the list are: 59 (2000), 60 (1998) and 61 (1992 and 2012).

The Govs record pace is 1.25 home runs per game set in 1999 (70 HR/56 GP). APSU hit a Raymond C. Hand Park record six home runs against Tennessee Tech, March 25th.

Toeing The Rubber

Staff Notes
APSU pitchers continue their torrid strikeout pace, racking up 321 Ks through 343.1 innings this season. Their 8.41 strikeout rate currently ranks 72nd nationally (6th in OVC). It would be just the third time in program history a Govs pitching staff has averaged more than eight strikeouts per nine innings.

Starters
Redshirt sophomore left-hander Josh Rye will make his third straight start as the Govs No. 1 and his fourth OVC weekend start this season. The Govs midweek starter to begin the year, he is tied for fifth among OVC pitchers in victories and is ranked fifth in ERA (3.77) entering the weekend. Austin Peay’s Game 2 & 3 starters will be game-time decisions.

Next Up For APSU Baseball

Austin Peay will finish its four-game road trip with a Tuesday contest against Vanderbilt. The Govs then return to Raymond C. Hand Park for their final home weekend series, May 5th-7th, against SIU Edwardsville.

Follow APSU Baseball

For additional coverage of Austin Peay’s baseball team, follow the Govs on Twitter @AustinPeayBSB. Austin Peay’s athletics department also maintains several social media accounts @LetsGoPeay (Twitter), /LetsGoPeay (Facebook) and /LetsGoPeay (Instagram).

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