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HomeSportsAPSU Baseball plays Southern Illinois for first home game, Tuesday

APSU Baseball plays Southern Illinois for first home game, Tuesday

Austin Peay vs. Southern Illinois

Tuesday, February 20th, 2018 | 3:00pm
Clarksville, TN | Raymond C. Hand Park

APSU BaseballClarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University’s baseball team will open its 2018 home schedule when it hosts Southern Illinois in a 3:00pm, Tuesday contest at Raymond C. Hand Park.

Austin Peay (3-0) opened its season with a last-minute excursion to St. Louis where it swept through two games against South Dakota State before closing the weekend by downing Illinois.

Austin Peay Baseball plays first home game of the season, Tuesday, when it faces Southern Illinois at Raymond C. Hand Park. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Baseball plays first home game of the season, Tuesday, when it faces Southern Illinois at Raymond C. Hand Park. (APSU Sports Information)

Meanwhile, Southern Illinois (0-3) was swept in its opening weekend action at Jacksonville State.

Single-game, flex, season and boxLife Suite tickets for Austin Peay baseball are available by calling the Governors Athletics Ticket office at 931.221.PEAY [7329] or online at LetsGoPeay.com/SportTix

Tuesday’s contest can be heard in its entirety on the Governors Sports Network and live video will be available on the OVC Digital Network.

At The Plate

Catcher David Martinez was held without a hit during the opening weekend but still did damage with a game-securing sacrifice fly and two RBI against South Dakota State, Saturday. First baseman Parker Phillips reached base in all three games of opening weekend, finishing with two hits and three walks.

Second baseman Garrett Giovannelli posted two hits in each of the weekend’s final two games, but his 2-for-4 outing with three runs scored and two stolen bases against SDSU Saturday stood out. Shortstop Garrett Kueber opened his APSU career with a hit in all three games and was responsible for five (3 RBI, 2 runs scored) of the Govs 15 runs.

Third baseman Bobby Head started two of the three games on the weekend, walking twice and scoring once in the season opener Left fielder. Brandon Kelley opened his APSU career by reaching base in his first four plate appearances and reached base safely in six of nine appearances on the weekend.

Center fielder Imani Willis will look to rebound from a rough opening weekend that saw him leave Saint Louis hitless. Right fielder Nick Walker also had a hit in each of the first three games of his APSU career and leads the Govs with a .444 batting average after opening weekend.

Designated hitter Andrew Flaherty started all three games, finishing the weekend with two hits and a team-best three RBI. Austin Peay utilized three different starting lineups during opening weekend with 14 players seeing action . While the Governors were held to a .253 team batting average, they waited out an impressive 19 walks in the three-game opening weekend to finish with a .400 on-base percentage.

Toeing The Rubber

Austin Peay will send sophomore right-hander Tyler Thompson to the mound against the Saukis. He will be making his second collegiate start after making one start during his rookie campaign Southern Illinois will counter with sophomore left-hander Brad Harrison, who also will make his second collegiate start after making one start in his rookie season.

Austin Peay pitchers enjoyed the opening weekend, posting a 1.00 ERA while striking out 30 batters in 27 innings. The Governors held batters to a .161 batting average and a .208 on-base percentage, limiting them to 15 hits and six walks. Austin Peay used eight pitchers during opening weekend.

Brett Newberg made two relief appearances and picked up the win in the season opener. Greg Leban, who made his first APSU pitching appearance, notched the win in the week’s second game, a day after his brother posted a save for Kansas against Murray State. Ross Walker and Kyle Wilson each posted saves in the first APSU pitching appearances.

Suites Available

Three Austin Peay-themed boxGATE suites, which debuted during the football season at Fortera Stadium, are available on the third base side of the main concourse. They feature space for serving food and beverages, including a refrigerator and microwave, a flat-screen television, leather sofa, a grill and even an eight-foot by 20-foot observation deck. Pricing for each suite includes 20 tickets.

Fans interested in more information or purchasing a suite for the season should complete the online form available at LetsGoPeay.com or contact Mike Minyard, Associate Athletics Director at minyardm@apsu.edu.

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