LEADING OFF
Austin Peay's baseball team puts a four-game home win streak on the line when it hosts Belmont in a three-game Ohio Valley Conference, beginning with a 6 p.m., Friday contest at Raymond C. Hand Park. The series is scheduled to continue with a 2 p.m., Saturday contest before a 1 p.m., Sunday finale.

Raymond C. Hand Park has been a sanctuary for the Govs this season as they own a 12-4 record in the friendly confines, including a 7-2 record in OVC play. Austin Peay's offense is particularly fond of its home field, batting .319 and averaging 8.1 runs per game – 18 batting points and 1.5 runs above its overall averages.

Austin Peay enters its sixth OVC weekend with a 9-6 OVC record, tied for fourth place with Murray State. The Govs are two games behind league-leading Southeast Missouri and one game behind second-place Belmont – this weekend's opponent. Following this weekend's action, the Govs will play three consecutive weekends against teams behind it in the standings.

Belmont is possibly the hottest hitting team in the nation over the past two weeks. Since the Bruins 34-run outburst at UT Martin, March 29, they have posted a .397 batting average and averaged 15.1 runs in a seven-game span. Belmont has pounded out 27 doubles and 23 home runs during that stretch for an impressive .758 team slugging percentage.

FIRST HACKS
The Govs offense enters the weekend as one of the nation's top doubles-producing team, averaging 2.57 doubles per game (6th in Division I) and are among Division I's Top 50 in average (32nd, .298), slugging percentage (20th, .450), on-base percentage (28th, .390) and stolen bases per game (30th, 1.61)… Second baseman Garrett Copeland enters the weekend after a APSU record tying 6-hit performance against Middle Tennessee, Tuesday, that bumped his average 35 points in one night… Third baseman Logan Gray has hit 8 home runs this season, 7 of those coming in the last 9 games… Center fielder Craig Massoni is batting .364 with 8 RBI during his team-best 7-game hit streak… Right-fielder Josh Wilson has reached base in 14 consecutive games, the Govs longest active streak… Catcher Ridge Smith a 7-game hit streak ended in the Southeast Missouri series finale, but has a hit in 8 of his last 9 games… Designated hitter Alex Robles was held hitless at Southeast Missouri (8 ABs), a streak he broke with a 1-for-3 outing against Middle Tennessee… First baseman Dre Gleason has 1 hit in his last 4 games (13 ABs), his worst streak this season… Left fielder Cayce Bredlau has a hit in his last 2 games after starting the Southeast Missouri series without a hit in his first 6 at-bats… Imani Willis is batting .333 (8-for-24) since taking over starting shortstop duties against Tennessee Tech, March 27… Outfielder Chase Hamilton has 6 RBI in his last 5 games and is batting .333 (4-for-12, 4 BB) in that stretch.

TOEING THE RUBBER
Righty Alex Robles will make his fifth straight start as the Govs No. 1 this weekend; he is 2-2 with a 3.31 ERA in his 4 previous OVC starts, striking out 28 batters in 32.2 innings and holding opponents to a .195 batting average… Left-hander Zach Hall will move into the No. 2 spot for his second OVC start this season; he looks to bounce back from a short start (1.2 IP) against Southeast Missouri last weekend… Right-hander Caleb Powell suffered his season's first loss in the Govs 3-2 Game 2 loss last weekend and moves back to the No. 3 role against Belmont… A.J. Gaura is one of five Govs pitchers to record a save this season and has a team best four saves, two in OVC play.