LEADING OFF

Austin Peay makes a quick pit stop at home between road trips when it hosts Lipscomb in a 2 p.m., Tuesday contest on Joe and Cathi Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.

The Governors enter the midweek outing seeking to stop a two-game overall losing streak while continuing their two-game home win streak. Austin Peay saw its bats stifled in a weather-shortened series at Indiana State, dropping both contests in Indiana. However, the Govs won their last two games at home sweeping a Feb. 24 doubleheader against Northern Illinois.

Lipscomb makes the quick trip north for its first road game this season. The Bisons ended a nine-game season-opening homestand by suffering a three-game sweep at the hands of Xavier last weekend.

FIRST HACKS

• Entering this week's action, Austin Peay has played the nation's 45th toughest schedule -- and toughest among all OVC programs. The Govs have played a pair of teams with nine wins in the first three weekends – Vanderbilt and Indiana State – and an eight-win Kentucky squad.
• Senior catcher David Martinez is batting 11-for-23 (.478) during his current seven-game hit streak. He has pushed his season average to team-leading .462, which ranks fifth among Division I catchers.
• Center fielder Garrett Spain has a hit in eight games and a RBI in seven of his first nine. He has reached base safely in all nine games this season and is ranked 22nd among Division I freshmen in batting average (.382).
• Utility man Parker Phillips has reached base safely in all nine games this season and leads the Govs with nine runs scored and nine walks after three weekends.
• Freshman designated hitter Matt Joslin has reached base safely in each of his first four games, including a game-tying two-run single in the ninth inning at Vanderbilt, Feb. 27.
• Senior outfielder Aaron Campbell has reached base in each of his last four games and in six of his seven games played
• Junior utility man Malcolm Tipler has seen five of his first nine hits this season go for extra bases, including four doubles.
• Freshman Gino Avros made four consecutive starts at third base before coming off the bench in Saturday's series finale at Indiana State. He had a RBI in both contests against the Sycamores.
• Sophomore shortstop Bobby Head has seen two of his three hits leave the yard in 2019. Those two homers account for all of his five RBI this season.
• Redshirt senior second baseman Garrett Kueber was moved down in the order in Saturday's contest at Indiana State and broke a three-game hitless streak with a RBI single in the seventh inning.
• Sophomore transfer Griffin Rivers posted his first collegiate hit with a pinch-hit single in Friday's contest at Indiana State.
• Senior catcher Alex Sala started Game 2 of the 2019 season behind the plate and has seen action four times off the bench for the Govs.

TOEING THE RUBBER

• Right-hander Tyler Thompson will get the midweek nod for a second-straight week after starting the Govs victory at No. 1 Vanderbilt last Wednesday.
• Thompson did not factor into the decision against the Commodores but did not issue a walk in his 3.1-inning outing while striking out five batters.
• Austin Peay starting pitchers have combined for a 2-3 record and 4.14 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 45.2 innings pitched (10.25 K/9).
• The Governors bullpen has 37 strikeouts in 34.2 innings (9.61 K/9).
• Austin Peay pitchers have picked off seven baserunners in the season's first nine games.

GOVS vs. BISONS

• Austin Peay and Lipscomb have met annually since 1957 with 138 meetings dating back to 1931.
• The Govs own a narrow 71-66-1 margin in the series, but have won 23 of the last 29 meetings dating back to 2004.
• The teams split last season's home-and-home set with the home team winning each meeting.