LEADING OFF

• Needing two wins to assure its spot in next week's ASUN Conference Baseball Championship, Austin Peay closes the regular season against a North Alabama team seeking to play spoiler. The Govs and Lions open the series with 6 p.m. games Thursday and Friday before concluding the regular season with a 1 p.m., Saturday game.
• GOVS RECENT FORM: Austin Peay won its fourth-consecutive ASUN series and climbed into first place in the ASUN with its April 22 victory at Jacksonville.   However, they lost starting first baseman Harrison Brown in that game and six days later starting outfielder Garrett Martin left a game against Florida Gulf Coast for precautionary reasons. Since April 22 the Govs have lost three series and are 2-7 in ASUN play, but have faced the ASUN's top two teams (FGCU and Lipscomb) and played a road series at Central Arkansas.  
• TOURNEY RUSH: Austin Peay enters this week's series as one of four teams tied for fifth place at 14-13. That group is one game ahead of ninth place and two games ahead of a two-team tie for 10th. The 16-win mark is a safe harbor for teams wanting to make the trip to DeLand, Florida for next week's ASUN Conference Tournament.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

ipTV: ESPN+ / ESPN App
RADIO: ESPN Clarksville (104.1 FM or via the TuneIn Radio App)
    TALENT: Brian Rives (PxP)
LIVE STATS: PeayStats.com

SERIES HISTORY

THE SERIES: 51 previous meetings. UNA leads, 26-25.
CURRENT STREAK: Austin Peay, one win.
NOTABLY: Austin Peay and North Alabama first met in 1935 but the series went into hibernation for 30 seasons (1991-20) before resuming in 2021. The Govs won the series renewal, 16-15 in Clarksville. The home team has won the three games since the series resumed. Austin Peay dropped a 7-5 decision in Florence last season.

FIRST HACKS

• Infielder Matt Aribal made three starts at second base in a seven-day span, May 7-13. He made the most of his first start at Central Arkansas – his first start since April 29 – hitting his first two home runs as a Governor in a 2-for-4, three-RBI effort.  
• Outfielder Nathan Barksdale returned to the lineup April 30 against FGCU and immediately pieced together a six-game hit streak. He is batting .333 (11-33) with eight runs scored since his return and has scored in six-straight games.
• Outfielder John Bay had a home run in each of the first two games against Lipscomb and finished the series 3-for-11 (.273) with five RBI and four runs scored, including the game-winning run in Sunday's victory.
• Utility man Jaden Brown extended his reached-safely streak to 25 games during the Lipscomb series. He closed the series with an 11th-inning walk-off double to drive in Bay for the 6-5 victory.
• Catcher Trevor Conley went 1-for-2 with a double in his Saturday start against Lipscomb. He is batting .333 (9-27) with a double and a home run in his last eight starts.
• Catcher Jacob Curtis started Sunday's series finale against Lipscomb and was 1-for-3 with a game-tying RBI single in the seventh inning. He has a hit in each of his last three starts (.400, 4-10, 4 RBI).
• Catcher Gus Freeman is batting .364 (8-22) with two doubles and a home run in his last five starts. He hit a three-run home run in the Lipscomb series opener and later walked and scored.
• Shortstop Jon Jon Gazdar had two hits in the Lipscomb series (.167 BA). He enters the weekend with 22 doubles, ranking second in the ASUN and seventh nationally.
• Infielder Conner Gore had a pair of three RBI days against Lipscomb, including a 3-for-5, two homer, three RBI outing in the series finale. He has four three-RBI games and is batting .400 (8-20) with 13 RBI in his last six games.
• Outfielder Clayton Gray has pieced together a six-game hit streak (.370, 10-27). Gray continues to lead the ASUN with 23 doubles and is second among Division I hitters.
• Outfielder Garrett Martin has missed nine games (injury) but is tied for the team lead with 15 home runs and leads the team with 55 runs scored and a .709 slugging percentage.
• Lyle Miller-Green roared throughout April, finishing the month batting .446 (41-92) with eight home runs and 25 RBI. It's been a quieter start to May, with the Govs' designated hitter batting .241 (7-29) with a home run and three RBI.
• Third baseman Ambren Voitik has a hit in 13 of his last 15 games, including a 3-for-5 effort against Lipscomb, Sunday, that included his third home run. He is batting .343 (23-67) with four doubles, three home runs, and nine RBI over his last 15 games.