Clarksville, TN – The season’s longest home stand comes to an end as the Austin Peay State University (APSU) baseball team hosts former conference foe UT Martin in a Tuesday 4:00pm nonconference tilt on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
The Governors are 2-2 during the homestand, which they opened with back-to-back losses against Murray State and ASUN Conference opponent Bellarmine. However, they bounced back with wins in their last two games, including a 25-run outburst against Bellarmine, their largest run output at home since 2008.
Austin Peay State University revamped its baseball program during the offseason, with head coach Roland Fanning hired in May. His hiring and a new staff sparked a near-complete flip of the Governors’ roster. The APSU Govs’ 2023 lineup includes 27 transfers – the most of any Division I program – with 17 transfers coming from a previous Division I roster.
Broadcast Information
ipTV: ESPN+ / ESPN App
LIVE STATS: PeayStats.com
Series History
THE SERIES: 133 previous meetings. APSU leads, 96-35-2.
NOTABLY: Austin Peay State University and UT Martin meet in Clarksville for the first time since the 2018 season – a series the APSU Govs won 2-1. In the three full seasons since that last affair at The Hand, the Govs have posted an 8-2 record against the Skyhawks
Climbing The Hill
RHP Paul Rector will make his second start this season against the Skyhawks. In his previous start, he went 2.2 innings at Murray State on March 22nd. Rector held the Racers to one run on two hits and no walks while striking out three.
Since that start, he has two relief appearances, one in the Liberty series finale and another in Game 2 of the Bellarmine series.
First Hacks
Austin Peay State University utility man Matt Aribal made three-straight starts at second base last week before coming off the bench in the Bellarmine series finale. He had a hit against Murray State and in the Bellarmine opener.
Outfielder Nathan Barksdale has started in the last 11 games and has reached safely in all 11. He is batting .355 (11-31) with three doubles, nine RBI, and nine walks. He posted his first career four-RBI outing against Bellarmine, Sunday.
APSU outfielder John Bay began his return from injury with two appearances as a pinch runner against Bellarmine. They were his first outings since suffering an injury in the season opener, Feb. 17.
Outfielder/first baseman Harrison Brown led the APSU Govs with a .615 batting average (8-13) against Bellarmine, with three doubles and a home run. He skewered the Knights for seven RBI in the finale, becoming the 13th Governors hitter since 1996 to post at least seven RBI in a game
Catcher Trevor Conley brings a three-game hit streak into this week’s action. He is batting .444 (4-9) with a double, two RBI, and two walks during the streak. He has nine RBI in seven games played since March 14.
For the second straight week, Austin Peay State University infielder/catcher Gus Freeman saw action in Games 2 & 3 of the weekend series. He had a sac fly in Game 2 and was 1-for-2 in Game 3 of the Bellarmine series.
Infielder Jon Jon Gazdar extended his hit streak to six games against Bellarmine. He is batting .478 (11-23) with four doubles and seven RBI during the streak. Gazdar went 5-for-10 against the Knights.
Infielder Conner Gore made his return from injury in Sunday’s finale against Bellarmine. In his first action since Feb. 25 he went 2-for-5 with an RBI – both hits coming in the Govs’ 14-run sixth inning.
APSU outfielder Clayton Gray also extended his hit streak to six games against Bellarmine. He has a .357 (10-28) batting average during his streak with three doubles. Gray was 2-for-5 with three RBI in Sunday’s finale, providing his first RBI of the hitting streak.
Outfielder Garrett Martin is batting .458 (11-24) with three doubles, four home runs, and 14 RBI in his last six games. He has reached safely in 17 consecutive games dating back to the Oklahoma State series finale.
Designated hitter Lyle Miller-Green notched his first four-hit game of the season against Bellarmine, Sunday, and extended his hit streak to six games. He is batting .417 (10-24) during the streak with two home runs and seven RBI.
Third baseman Ambren Voitik hit his first home run as a Governor in Sunday’s finale and finished the day with his first three-hit outing, going 3-for-4 with four runs scored.
Next Up For APSU Baseball
The Austin Peay State University baseball team heads to the Peach State for a three-game series against Kennesaw State in the first-ever meeting between the programs on the baseball diamond. The Easter Weekend series begins with contests on Thursday and Friday at 5:00pm CT before a Saturday noon finale.
Austin Peay State University and Kennesaw State enter the weekend tied for fifth place in the ASUN standings.
