Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University baseball begins a five-game Tennessee stand when it meets former conference foes Belmont and UT Martin in separate midweek offerings.
The APSU Govs host Belmont on Tuesday at 6:00pm home game on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Austin Peay State University then heads west to complete a home-and-home set with UT Martin with a Wednesday 6:00pm contest in Martin, Tennessee.
Austin Peay State University returns to Tennessee after winning its first ASUN road series at Kennesaw State, 2-1, Thursday-Friday. APSU extended its win streak to five games with victories in the series’ first two games, 6-2 and 15-3, before dropping the series finale to the Owls.
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+ (Tuesday only)
LIVE STATS: PeayStats.com
Series History
The Belmont Series: 121 previous meetings. Austin Peay State University leads, 78-43.
Notably: Belmont visits Clarksville for the first time since March 2021. The Govs and Bruins split the previous four meetings, all played in Nashville. Prior to that, APSU hosted Belmont for six consecutive games, winning four.
The UT Martin Series: 134 previous meetings. Austin Peay State University leads, 97-35-2.
Notably: APSU looks to sweep the home-and-home set after claiming an 18-17 victory in Clarksville, last Tuesday. It was the APSU Govs’ fourth-straight win in the series and it has won nine of the last 10 games against the Skyhawks.
First Hacks
Austin Peay State University utility man Matt Aribal started at second base in the Kennesaw State series finale, walking and scoring in the outing. It was his third start in the Govs’ seven April contests.
Outfielder Nathan Barksdale has started in the last 15 games and is batting .310 (13-42) with three doubles, 11 RBI, and 11 walks. He posted his first career four-RBI outing against Bellarmine, on April 2nd.
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, February 17th.
Outfielder/first baseman Harrison Brown extended his ASUN Conference hit streak to six games, batting .333 (4-12) with a double, home run, and four RBI during the Kennesaw State series.
Catcher Trevor Conley has pushed his batting average up 102 points since March 11, batting .500 (14-28) over the nine games with 11 RBI. That includes a 3-for-5, two RBI performance in Game 2 of the Kennesaw state series.
Catcher Gus Freeman saw action in Games 3 of the weekend series for the third-straight week. He was held without a hit but walked once in the series finale against the Owls.
Austin Peay State University infielder Jon Jon Gazdar saw his hit streak end at eight games in Game 2 of the Kennesaw State series, though he reached base and scored twice. He went 1-for-4 with an RBI double in Game 3 of the series.
Infielder Conner Gore had six hits in his first two games since his return from injury, April 2 against Bellarmine. He did not record a hit at Kennesaw State, but had a sac hit, sac fly, and scored once in the series’ second game.
Outfielder Clayton Gray extended his hit streak to 10 games while batting .533 (8-15) at Kennesaw State with two doubles, his first APSU home run, and four RBI in the series.
APSU outfielder Garrett Martin is batting .435 (20-46) in his last 14 games, with six doubles, seven home runs, and 24 RBI. He has reached safely in 21 consecutive games since the Oklahoma State series finale.
Third baseman Ambren Voitik hit his first home run as a Governor against Bellarmine, on April 2nd. He is batting .370 (10-27) with six RBI and eight runs scored over his last seven games.
Next Up For APSU Baseball
The Austin Peay State University baseball team’s busy week concludes when it hosts Queens University in a three-game ASUN Conference set, Friday-Sunday, on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park. The series marks the halfway point of the 10-week ASUN conference regular season schedule.
