APSU Sports Information
Clarksville, TN – A tough five-game, six-day stretch awaits Austin Peay State University’s baseball team as April comes to a close. First up, the Governors will face nationally-ranked Vanderbilt in a 1:00pm, Tuesday contest in Nashville.
APSU then hosts a red-hot Evansville squad in a 6:00pm, Wednesday affair at Raymond C. Hand Park.
It is part of a recent stretch that has seen APSU win 16 of its last 20 games after starting the season with a 9-9 mark.
Junior Logan Gray enjoyed the weekend against the Colonels and was named the adidas®/OVC Player of the Week after batting .615 with three home runs and 11 RBI in the three-game set. He paced an APSU offense that posted a .380 batting average with 16 extra-base hits (six home runs).
Sophomore left-hander John Sparks is Tuesday’s scheduled starting pitcher and will make his fourth consecutive midweek start. He picked up the win in the Govs’ April 19th victory against Lipscomb. Austin Peay has not named a starter for Wednesday’s contest against Evansville.
First Hacks
The Govs are ranked among the nation’s Top 30 in slugging percentage (3rd, .509), batting average (12th, .315), on-base percentage (24th, .402), doubles per game (6th, 2.39), home runs per game (8th, 1.24) and scoring (11th, 8.1 runs per game). Entering the week, two APSU hitters have reached safely in 20 or more consecutive games.
Junior right fielder Chase Hamilton‘s 25-game reached-base safely streak (.360 BA, .466 OBP) is the longest by a Govs hitter this season. Junior second baseman Garrett Copeland has reached safely in 22 consecutive games (.373 BA, .495 OBP).
Eight different Govs hitters have pieced together a reached-base safely streak of 10 or more games at some point this season.
Junior first baseman Dre Gleason had three hits and three RBI in Sunday’s finale, ending a seven-game stretch that saw him go 2-for-22 (.091). Senior shortstop Clayton Smithson had three hits and two RBI in Sunday’s finale, ending a 13-game stretch that saw him go 7-for-38 (.184).
Juniors Ridge Smith and Alex Robles split time at third base during the weekend. Smith went 3-for-5 with a double to wrap up the EKU series, Sunday, it was his third three-hit outing this season (1st since March 29th). Robles was held hitless in the final two games against EKU – only the third time this season he’s been held hitless in consecutive games.
Senior center fielder Patrick Massoni has six hits (.428 batting aveage) in his last four games. Junior Logan Gray returned to the field April 16 and has batted .519 (14-for-27) with 16 RBI and five home runs in six games; he moved to left field for the first time in his career during the EKU series.
For the first time since 1988 a new face is guiding the Governors with first-year head coach Travis Janssen coming to Austin Peay after four seasons at Division II Northeastern State (Oklahoma). APSU owns a 17-4 record, including an 11-1 mark in OVC play, at Raymond C. Hand Park this season.
The Governors have won seven of their last 10 road contests after starting 2016 with a 1-6 road record.
Opponents
Vanderbilt Commodores
Vanderbilt (30-10, 10-8 SEC) returns home after losing a three-game conference set at Tennessee last weekend. The Commodores have won their last four midweek outings, including an 8-6 come-from-behind victory against Central Arkansas, last Tuesday.
Vanderbilt also owns a 3-0 record against OVC teams this season, with wins against Eastern Illinois, UT Martin and Belmont.
Outfielder Bryan Reynolds leads the team with nine home runs and has 41 RBI. Outfielder Jeren Kendall is the Commodores leader in batting average (.338) and RBI (42). Vanderbilt will turn to Clarksville product Donny Everett for Tuesday’s start.
Evansville Purple Aces
Evansville (23-15, 6-3 MVC) continued its recent hot streak by winning a three-game Missouri Valley Conference set at nationally-ranked Missouri State last weekend. The Purple Aces have won eight of their last 10 games and have won each of their three MVC series.
Outfielder Korbin Williams and designated hitter Jonathan Ramon each have nine home runs to pace the Evansville offense. Second baseman Trey Hair leads the team with a .370 batting average. Right-hander Austin Allinger is scheduled to start Wednesday’s contest and owns wins against SIU Edwardsville and Murray State this season.
Broadcast Information
Digital Audio: Audio for all baseball contests available free online at www.LetsGoPeay.com/listen
Live Statistics: www.PeayStats.com
Twitter: @AustinPeayBSB
