LEADING OFF
Austin Peay State University's baseball team will look to jump back on the winning track when it meets Morehead State in a three-game Ohio Valley Conference set at Allen Field. Due to rain in the forecast, the weekend schedule has been modified. The series will start with a 1:30 p.m. (CT), Friday doubleheader with a 1 p.m. (CT), Saturday contest currently scheduled for the finale.
The Governors (25-14, 15-6 OVC) have won five straight OVC series and moved back within sight of the top two spots in the OVC regular-season race. Austin Peay, which has nine OVC games left, is just one-half game behind second-place Jacksonville State. The Govs also own a 2½ game lead over fourth-place Belmont.
Austin Peay has enjoyed a power resurgence in the past seven games, thanks largely to the junior duo of Logan Gray and Chase Hamilton. The Govs have 15 home runs in the last seven games, Gray and Hamilton accounting for five each. They also have sparked an uptick in team batting average, with APSU hitting .314 in the last seven games.
The additional offensive output has been helpful to the Govs pitching staff, with the team posting a 6-1 record. However, the pitchers have done an admirable job on their own, posting a 4.00 ERA in that span. They also have combined for 62 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .257 batting average in 63 innings pitched.
FIRST HACKS
The Govs are ranked among the nation's Top 30 in slugging percentage (3rd, .506), batting average (18th, .312), on-base percentage (22nd, .399), doubles per game (7th, 2.36), home runs per game (8th, 1.26) and scoring (13th, 8.0 runs per game)… Entering the weekend, two APSU hitters have reached safely in 20 or more consecutive games… Junior right fielder Chase Hamilton's 26-game reached-base safely streak (.360 BA, .466 OBP) is the longest by a Govs hitter this season… Junior second baseman Garrett Copeland has reached safely in 23 consecutive games (.373 BA, .495 OBP)… Eight different Govs hitters have pieced together a reached-base safely streak of 10 or more games at some point this season… Junior first baseman Dre Gleason has four hits (.667 BA) and three RBI in his last two games, ending a seven-game stretch that saw him go 2-for-22 (.091)… Senior shortstop Clayton Smithson had four hits (.500 BA) and two doubles in his last two games, ending a 13-game stretch that saw him go 7-for-38 (.184)… Juniors Ridge Smith and Alex Robles split time at third base during last weekend's series against EKU… Smith went 3-for-5 with a double to wrap up the EKU series, Sunday, it was his third three-hit outing this season (1st since March 29)… Robles avoided his first three-game hitless streak with a 1-for-4, RBI performance at Vanderbilt… Senior center fielder Patrick Massoni has six hits (.353 BA) in his last five games… Junior left fielder Logan Gray has a hit in every game since his return to the starting lineup, April 10; he is batting .462 with five home runs and 16 RBI during his career-best 10-game hit streak… Behind the plate, freshman Alex Sala has started 13 of the last 15 games and went 4-for-6 with a double and a triple against Eastern Kentucky… For the first time since 1988 a new face is guiding the Governors with first-year head coach Travis Janssen coming to Austin Peay after four seasons at Division II Northeastern State (Oklahoma)… Austin Peay has won 16 of its last 21 after starting the season with a 9-9 mark… The Governors have won seven of their last 11 road contests after starting 2016 with a 1-6 road record.
TOEING THE RUBBER
Junior right-hander Alex Robles will look to close out a solid April performance: 3-1 record and 3.90 ERA in four starts… His win against Eastern Kentucky was his career-best seventh this season (6 wins in both '14 and '15)… Sophomore left-hander Michael Costanzo has not allowed more than three earned runs in his last three outings (3.68 ERA)… Costanzo enters the weekend seeking his season's first road win (0-2, 11.66 ERA)… Junior right-hander Caleb Powell has gone at least five innings in his last three starts, allowing no more than four earned runs in those outings… He owns an 1-1 record and 4.79 ERA in four OVC starts.
OPPONENT OFFERINGS
MOREHEAD STATE (24-18, 108-8 OVC) has been a tough team to beat at home, posting a 12-2 record at Allen Field this season… The Eagles are 7-2 at home in OVC play with losses to Belmont and UT Martin… MSU's starting rotation features senior right-hander Matt Anderson and sophomore left-hander Aaron Leasher, who have both been awarded OVC Pitcher of the Week honors this season… Anderson, the Week 4 winner, ranks third among OVC pitchers with a 2.65 ERA in league play… Leasher, the reigning Pitcher of the Week and Week 6 winner, is fourth among OVC pitchers with a 2.72 ERA in OVC action… That duo ranks second and third in league strikeouts, respectively… Morehead State's offense boasts three hitters among the league's Top 10 in conference only batting average: freshman designated hitter Trevor Snyder (.400), freshman shortstop Reid Leonard (.390) and sophomore utility man Tyler Niemann (.389).
