UT Martin vs. Austin Peay Baseball
Friday-Sunday, March 30th-April 1st, 2012
Clarksville, TN | Raymond C. Hand Park (777)
Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay’s baseball team will put its four-game win streak on the line when it hosts UT Martin in a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series, Friday-Sunday, at Raymond C. Hand Park.
The three-game set will begin with a 6:00pm, Friday contest before continuing with a 2:00pm, Saturday affair. The series will conclude with a 1:00pm, Sunday outing.
The Govs have won six of their last eight contests. Austin Peay’s offense has scored eight or more runs in five of its last six games and is averaging 10.5 runs and batting .313 in those six contests.
Centerfielder Michael Blanchard is batting .600 (9-of-15) in his last five games with two doubles and three stolen bases.
Left fielder Cody Hudson is batting .421 (8-of-19) over the last six games with a team-best .538 on-base percentage during that span. Second baseman Jordan Hankins has a team-best 11 RBI in the six-game span and is batting .375 (9-of-24). Shortstop Reed Harper has a team best 10 hits (.323 batting average).
On the mound, the Govs will turn to sophomore Ryan Quick and junior Casey Delgado for Games 1 and 2. Quick has started 2012 with six consecutive quality starts and brings a 2.77 ERA into the weekend – the fourth best ERA among OVC starters this season.
Delgado will move into the No. 2 weekend role – senior Zach Toney will not pitch this week due to an injury – after pitching in relief, Sunday, against Southeast Missouri.
The Govs No. 3 starter will be determined during the weekend. Senior Lucas Anderson started last weekend at Southeast Missouri and he has a 1-1 record and 6.39 ERA as a starter. Austin Peay was picked to finish first in the OVC’s preseason poll. Four Governors were selected to the league’s preseason team – Toney, Harper, senior outfielder Michael Blanchard and sophomore second baseman Jordan Hankins. Austin Peay returns 7 of its 8 defensive starters from last season.
About UT Martin
The Skyhawks have won five of their last seven games and bring a two-game win streak into this weekends series. UT Martin, which made the 2011 OVC Tournament for the first time since 1996, was picked to finish eighth in the OVC’s preseason poll. The Skyhawks opened league play by stunning Tennessee Tech, winning the first (6-5) and final games (13-6) with an 11-1 Game 2 loss sandwiched between.
Senior outfielder Jordan Owen batted .455 (5-of-11) against Tennessee Tech with a home run and three RBI. Owen leads the Skyhawks this season in batting average (.413), home runs (6) and RBI (18). Junior outfielder Matt Milligan added a .444 (4-of-9) performance against TTU.
UTM’s Game 3 starter is to be announced at this time. Freshman Carter Smith was the Skyhawks Game 3 starter against TTU and picked up the win after allowing two runs over five innings and striking out five… junior reliever Dan Tobik ranks fourth among OVC pitchers in ERA (2.33) with 27 innings pitched over 13 appearances this season.
One Year Ago
Entering Weekend 7 of the 2011 season, Austin Peay was 10-12 overall with a 1-1 conference mark. It had just three wins in its 12 previous games and had opened a five-game homestand with a 9-6 loss to Middle Tennessee the Wednesday prior to its OVC home-opening series against Eastern Illinois.
The Govs were averaging 5.5 runs per game and batting .266 through 22 outings. On the mound, the pitching staff compiled a 5.44 ERA and was allowing 5.62 walks per nine innings.
Break Out The Brooms
Austin Peay swept a three-game series against Southeast Missouri for the first time in the 20-year history of the series between the two teams. In fact, Austin Peay’s longest win streak in the series was three games, a number it matched after winning Saturday’s contest and topped with Sunday’s win.
Govs Win Eighth Straight OVC Series
The Govs have a ways to go before they can approach the OVC record for consecutive series won, currently held by Jacksonville State which won 14 straight series from 2000-02.
Touching Mendoza
Center fielder Michael Blanchard briefly hit the famed “Mendoza Line” (a .200 batting average for the uninitiated) after an 0-for-4 outing at Lipscomb, March 20. It must have been a wake-up call for the senior as he bounced back with a 3-for-4 outing against Western Kentucky that included his season’s first RBI.
He kept things going at Southeast Missouri, going 4-for-9 with a RBI, two walks and a sacrifice hit. He enters this weekend’s series with a .267 batting average.
Quick Quality
Sophomore starter Ryan Quick pieced together his sixth consecutive quality start (6+ innings pitched and no more than three earned runs) against Southeast Missouri, March 23rd, as he allowed three earned runs over six innings in what was the least quality of his quality outings as he walked four and surrendered six hits.
Zippy Zach
Senior starter Zach Toney took advantage of a generous strike zone at Southeast Missouri, March 24th, racking up a career-high nine strikeouts while allowing two runs over six innings for his second straight quality start.
It is the second consecutive week the southpaw has set his career mark for strikeouts after sitting down a then-career high eight at Ohio State, March 20th.
Game Start Times and Statistics
| Date | Time (CT) | Austin Peay Starter | Opponent’s Starter | APSU Radio/Internet |
| Fri. | 6:00pm | RHP Ryan Quick | RHP Alec Mills | WVRY 105.1 FM |
| (RSo., 2-0, 2.77 ERA) | (Jr., 2-2, 3.53 ERA) | LetsGoPeay.com | ||
| Sat. | 2:00pm | RHP Casey Delgado | RHP Willie Frederick | WVRY 105.1 FM |
| (Jr., 2-2, 8.59 ERA) | (Sr., 1-3, 4.61 ERA) | LetsGoPeay.com | ||
| Sun. | 1:00pm | TBA | TBA | WVRY 105.1 FM |
| LetsGoPeay.com |
| Statistical Comparison: Govs vs. Skyhawks | ||||||||||||
| TEAM | BA | RPG | HR | RBI | SLG | OBP | SB-A | ERA | BB/9 | SO/9 | BAA | FLD |
| APSU | .275 | 6.3 | 21 | 137 | .404 | .386 | 32.47 | 4.79 | 4.91 | 8.18 | .263 | .967 |
| UTM | .268 | 5.1 | 18 | 111 | .381 | .342 | 17-20 | 6.34 | 4.15 | 6.73 | .311 | .953 |
