Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) baseball team begins the second half of ASUN play with a pivotal road series against Jacksonville, Friday-Sunday, at John Sessions Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. The Governors and Dolphins are set to play Friday and Saturday 6:00pm games before wrapping the series with a Sunday game at noon.
Austin Peay State University’s road woes continued with a 9-8 loss at Southern Illinois Tuesday. The APSU Govs, who fell to 6-12 in true road games, led by four runs after half of the eighth inning. However, the Salukis charged back with the game’s final five runs and won on a walk-off single.
With its three-game sweep of Queens last weekend, Austin Peay moved into a tie for third place in the ASUN Conference standings. The Govs are one-game behind co-leaders Florida Gulf Coast and Lipscomb, who they will face at home in the season’s final month. APSU is also one game ahead of Jacksonville, this weekend’s foe, and Stetson.
Broadcast Information
LIVE STATS: SIUSalukis.com
Series History
THE SERIES: 11 previous meetings. JU leads 7-4, with a 6-2 home record.
NOTABLY: Austin Peay State University and Jacksonville met in both the 2019 and 2020 seasons. The Govs won the three-game set in Clarksville, 2-1, during the 2019 season. The Dolphins returned the favor in 2020, winning the three-game series, 2-1, in Jacksonville.
Climbing The Hill
Jacob Kush makes his third-straight start in Austin Peay State University’s No. 1 role, where he is 2-0 this season. He won his debut in the spot at Kennesaw State, April 6th, allowing one run over 5.0 innings. Kush followed that with the longest start by an APSU Govs’ pitcher this season, going 7.0 innings against Queens while striking out eight batters.
Lyle Miller-Green enters the Jacksonville weekend seeking to bounce back from a rough outing against Queens that saw him go 2.1 innings and allow six runs (four earned). He picked up his season’s first win at Kennesaw State, April 7th, allowing three runs over 5.0 innings in the Govs run-rule victory.
Jacob Weaver reprises his Game 3 starting role this weekend. He debuted in the No. 3 role last Sunday against Queens, allowing five runs (two earned) in 4.0 innings. Weaver has gone four innings in each of his four starts this season.
First Hacks
Austin Peay State University designated hitter/pitcher Lyle Miller-Green and shortstop Jon Jon Gazdar were named to national watch lists Tuesday. The College Baseball Foundation named Miller-Green to the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Watch List while it named Gazdar to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List recognizing the nation’s top shortstop.
Miller-Green is the reigning ASUN Conference Player of the Week. He batted .650 (13-20) with three doubles, a triple, two home runs, and five RBI. Miller-Green also scored 10 runs while posting a .731 on-base percentage.
APSU outfielder John Bay moved into the starting right field role during the Queens series, starting Games 1 & 3. He had a double in Game 3, his first as a Governor, walked twice, and scored a run.
Outfielder/first baseman Harrison Brown leads the APSU Govs in ASUN play with a .435 batting average (20-46). He also has 17 RBI (2nd on the team) and two home runs in league action.
Utility man Jaden Brown returned from injury against Belmont on April 11th and has started each of the past six games – three at second base and right field. He is batting .409 (9-22) with seven RBI during his five-game hit streak.
Catcher Trevor Conley hit his first collegiate home run in the APSU Govs’ victory against Queens Sunday. His average is up 95 points (to .304) since March 14th, when it hit .209 after the Purdue Fort Wayne finale.
Austin Peay State University catcher Gus Freeman did a little bit of everything in Saturday’s win against Queens. He hit the walk-off double to cap a 2-for-3, two-RBI day that included a sac hit and a sac fly.
Gazdar extended his reached-safely streak to 20 games with a walk and RBI double at Southern Illinois. He is Division I’s fifth-toughest hitter to strike out with a 4.1 K percentage (7 Ks in 169 PAs). Gazdar also ranks 10th nationally with 16 doubles.
Infielder Conner Gore had six hits in his first two games since his return from injury, April 2nd against Bellarmine. He is batting .333 (9-27) with a double and five RBI in six games since his return.
Outfielder Garrett Martin ranks fourth among Division I players in runs scored (50) and is 13th in the country with 15 home runs. He saw a four-game hit streak halted at Southern Illinois, but batted .381 (8-21) with a double in each game of the streak.
Austin Peay State University third baseman Ambren Voitik saw his streak of six consecutive games with a stolen base end Sunday against Queens. He moved to fifth among ASUN baserunners with 14 stolen bases this season.
Next Up For APSU Baseball
The Austin Peay State University baseball team hosts Western Kentucky in their final home midweek game of 2023 on Tuesday at 6:00pm on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
