OXFORD, Ala. – After an early morning victory to open the OVC Baseball Championship, Austin Peay State University's baseball team continues its postseason run with a 7 p.m., Wednesday contest against No. 2 seed Morehead State at Choccolocco Park.

Wednesday begins the double elimination portion of the OVC Baseball Tournament after Tuesday's elimination contest. The winner of the Govs-Eagles contest punches its ticket for the quarterfinal round in the winner's bracket – a 4 p.m., Thursday matchup against the winner of the Belmont-Murray State contest. The loser falls into the elimination bracket to play either the 9 a.m. contest (APSU loss) or the 7:30 p.m. contest (MSU loss).

Tickets for the OVC Baseball Championship are $10 per day or $25 for the tournament all-session pass and may be purchased at the gate. All 14 games of the 2017 Championship can be seen free online through the OVC Digital Network.

GAME DETAILS
#7 Austin Peay (26-28, 13-16 OVC) vs. #2 Morehead State (25-29, 12-18 OVC)
7 p.m. (CT), Wednesday, May 24
Choccolocco Park | Oxford, Alabama

PROBABLE STARTERS
APSU: LHP Zach Neff (1-2, 5.50 ERA)
MSU: LHP Aaron Leasher (8-3, 4.22 ERA)

APSU-MOR SEASON SERIES
Austin Peay and Morehead State split their regular-season series, 1-1, after Mother Nature wiped out the series finale. The Governors won the opener, 3-1, as starting pitcher Josh Rye took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and allowed only a solo home run in the seventh inning. The Govs responded with three runs in the bottom of the seventh with designated hitter Brett Newberg hitting a game-tying home run. Morehead State dominated the doubleheader's nightcap, 12-3, as they jumped out to a 7-0 lead before the Govs were able to solve Eagles starter Dalton Stambaugh for two runs in the fifth inning.

Game 1: Rye cuffs Eagles as Govs claim series-opening win | PDF Box Score
Game 2: Govs stymied by slow start in loss to Eagles | PDF Box Score
Game 3: Rained out

GOVS-EAGLES TOURNEY HISTORY
Austin Peay and Morehead State have met in the OVC postseason tournament five times previously but have not done so since the 1996 event. The last meeting between the two was a momentous one for the Govs – their 4-3 victory helpoing them secure the 1996 tournament crown and their first-ever NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament appearance. Austin Peay holds a 3-2 advantage in the postseason series between the teams.

FIRST HACKS
Redshirt junior left fielder Cayce Bredlau has reached safely in 25 consecutive games dating back to April 1 and has posted a .319 batting average and .432 on-base percentage (19 BB) in that span… He saw his 13-game hit streak (.367, 18-for-49, 9 RBI) entering the tournament snapped after going 0-for-3 with a walk in the tourney opener… Junior infielder Garrett Giovannelli has started at shortstop in 10 of the Govs last 11 games; he led the Govs with a .339 batting average in the regular season's second half (started April 7)… Senior first baseman Dre Gleason has been held hitless in his last four games (13 AB) but has four walks in his last three games… Since April 29, senior right fielder Chase Hamilton has batted .357  (20-for-56) with four home runs and 14 RBI, boosting his season average 31 points over the last 15 games… Sophomore Brett Newberg is batting .375 (6-for-16) off the bench (as a pinch hitter or late defensive substitute) this season with three doubles and two home runs… Redshirt freshman infielder Parker Phillips hit his first collegiate grand slam in Tuesday's tourney opener, breaking APSU's freshman home record with his 12th homer this season… Phillips also was hit by a pitch twice in Tuesday's contest, and now has 22 HBPs in 2017, extending his own team record… Phillips also leads the Govs with a .405 batting average in May, including team bests in home runs (four) and RBI (13)… Redshirt freshman Max Remy was responsible for all three RBI in the Govs victory at Lipscomb, May 16, and his 3-for-5 outing kicked off a six-hit week (.400 BA) that included a pair of triples at Eastern Illinois… Senior utility man Alex Robles opened OVC tourney play with a 2-for-4 outing and now has four hits (.444 BA) during his current three-game hit streak… Sophomore catcher Alex Sala has started five of the Govs last seven games behind the plate… Freshman utility man Malcolm Tipler is batting .272 (12-for-44) with 10 walks (.407 OBP) in May, including batting .455 (5-for-11) with three walks against Eastern Illinois last weekend… Junior center fielder Imani Willis became the first Govs hitter to post two five-RBI outings this season after going 2-for-5 with five RBI against Eastern Illinois, including a game-winning three-run home run… Willis batted .322 with 22 runs scored in the regular season's second half.

POWER PERFORMANCE
After hitting two home runs in its tourney opener, Austin Peay has a program record 79 home runs in 2017, fifth most among Division I teams entering Wednesday's action… The Govs also are ranked No. 5 in home runs per game (1.44) among Division I teams… The Govs record average is 1.25 home runs per game set in 1999… APSU remains ranked 17th in slugging percentage (.781), 39th in doubles per game (2.02) and 37t in scoring (6.9 runs per game)…  Robles' walk-off grand slam, May 10 against Lipscomb, was the Govs 73rd home run this season, breaking the program's single-season record set in 2001… Phillips' 12th home run of 2017 was the Govs second grand slam of 2017; he broke APSU's freshman home run record set by Lance Wampler in 1997… Giovannelli's April 25 home run made him the 14th different batter to leave the park in 2017, extending the program record for most players with a home run in a season.

TOEING THE RUBBER
STAFF NOTES: APSU pitchers continue their torrid strikeout pace, racking up 445 Ks through 494.2 innings this season… It is only the fifth time in program history a Govs pitching staff has recorded 400 strikeouts in a season, all occurring since 2011, with the record of 466 strikeouts set during the 2013 season… Their 8.10 strikeout rate currently ranks 83rd nationally (7th in OVC)… It would be just the third time in program history a Govs pitching staff has averaged more than eight strikeouts per nine innings… With Kelly's start at Lipscomb, May 16, 11 of the Govs 14 pitchers have started a game this season.

FOLLOW ALONG
For additional coverage of Austin Peay's baseball team, follow the Govs on Twitter @AustinPeayBSB. Austin Peay's athletics department also maintains several social media accounts @LetsGoPeay (Twitter), /LetsGoPeay (Facebook) and /LetsGoPeay (Instagram).