Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) baseball team seeks its third-straight Ohio Valley Conference series victory when it hosts Morehead State in a three-game series, Thursday-Friday, on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Austin Peay State University picked up series victories against Belmont and Eastern Kentucky the past two weekends, moving to .500 in OVC play, and are tied for fifth place as the 10-week race nears its halfway point.
Center fielder Garrett Spain and designated hitter Ty DeLancey are pacing the Govs in league play. Spain has a team-best .351 batting average and is second in home runs (4) and RBI (12). DeLancey leads the team in home runs (6) and RBI (15).
Morehead State will play its first road OVC series this weekend after claiming home league sets from Eastern Kentucky and SIU Edwardsville and its March 28th-29th set at UT Martin was canceled. MSU leads the league in batting average (.332) and runs per game (8.8) but ranks last in ERA (7.62). Right fielder Ryan Layne leads MSU with a .409 batting average in OVC play (5th among OVC hitters) with catcher Jack Gardner leading the way with 13 RBI.
Inside The Series
The Series: 98 previous meetings, APSU leads 60-36
Previously: APSU won the 2019 series (9-1, 7-6, 3-4) in Clarksville.
Notably: APSU has won the last two series, last losing an OVC set against MSU in 2016. The Govs dominated a stretch from 2001-13, winning 10 of the 12 series and posting a 28-7 record. This will not be the first time the Govs have faced MSU head coach Mik Aoki, they met in 2017 when Aoki was head coach at Notre Dame – the Fighting Irish won a three-game series (2-5, 2-7, 5-3).
Probable Starters
- Game 1 • Luke Brown (RHP) vs. Jason Goe (RHP)
- Game 2 • Govs’ Starter TBA vs. Luke Helton (RHP)
- Game 3 • Govs’ Starter TBA vs. John Sherman (RHP)
First Hacks
Austin Peay has recorded five of its six double-digit hit outings this season in its last 10 games. The Govs are batting .304 (110-362) and averaging 7.6 runs over the 10-game stretch that has seen them win six games.
Catcher Jack Alexander saw his five-game hit streak (.434, 10-23) halted in the Belmont finale. After playing the first 22 games of the season, he has earned a rest in two of the APSU Govs last three games.
Third baseman Gino Avros is second on the team with a .340 batting average in OVC play and owns a team-leading .448 on-base percentage thanks to 10 walks in 12 league games.
Ty DeLancey brings a four-game hit streak into the weekend, batting .368 (7-19) with five RBI and two home runs. Twice this season he has hit two home runs in a game (3/20 at SEMO & 4/2 at EKU).
Outfielder TJ Foreman has a hit in each of his last three games and in five of his last six, batting .421 (8-19) during the six-game stretch. He hit home runs in back-to-back games during Austin Peay State University’s last OVC homestand versus Belmont.
Outfielder Knaje Guthrie has started the last 11 games after debuting off the bench at Southeast Missouri, March 19th. He has a .480 on-base percentage in OVC play.
Shortstop Bobby Head owns a four-game hit streak entering the weekend and is batting .444 (8-18) with two doubles and two RBI during the hit streak.
Designated hitter Matt Joslin delivered a two-run pinch-hit double at Bellarmine, March 23rd. He followed that with a two-run single in the Belmont series opener, March 26th.
Utility man Skyler Luna has three hits in his last two starts, including a 2-for-4 outing at Southern Illinois, Tuesday. It was his first multi-hit game this season.
First baseman John McDonald saw his nine-game reached safely streak end at Southern Illinois, Tuesday, going 0-for-2. He had nine hits and seven walks during the streak.
Second baseman Malcolm Tipler has two three RBI outings this season, both coming in OVC play (3/27 vs. BEL & 4/2 at EKU).
Outfielder Jeremy Wagner brings a four-game hit streak into the weekend series, dating back to March 30th. Coming off the bench in each of those games, he is batting .571 (4-7) with a double.
Raymond C. Hand Park Admission Policies
Purchase tickets online at www.LetsGoPeay.com/BuyTickets.
Guests must maintain proper social distancing while inside the facility.
Masks are required to cover both the mouth and nose at all times while in the facility.
Failure to wear masks or maintain proper social distancing may result in guests being asked to leave the facility.
No seating permitted in the upper two rows of the chairback seating.
Pets are not permitted inside Raymond C. Hand Park; however, service dogs (i.e., guide dogs for persons with disabilities) are allowed in the ballpark.
