CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – A resurgent Austin Peay State University baseball team makes a quick stop at home between Atlantic Sun Conference road trips to host in-state foe Belmont in a 1 p.m. Tuesday nonconference tilt on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park. The second half of this season's home-and-home series saw its start time moved up to avoid the inclement weather forecast for Middle Tennessee Tuesday night.

TUESDAY SCENE SETTER

Austin Peay: For the second time this season, Austin Peay has won nine games in a 10-game stretch. Its current 9-in-10 game stretch matches its season-opening pace that saw it start the season 9-1. The Govs claimed sole possession of first place in the ASUN Conference with its 2-1 series win at Stetson last weekend. Since April 6, Austin Peay is 14-4 thanks to an offense averaging 13.8 runs per game with 66 home runs while batting .408. The governors also returned to the teams that received votes in the NCBWA Top 25 poll this week.

Belmont: Last weekend, the Bruins ran into an Indiana State buzzsaw in Missouri Valley Conference play, dropping all three games to the nationally ranked Sycamores. Since defeating Lipscomb on April 3, Belmont is 6-12. Belmont took its last Tuesday outing into extra innings, dropping a 4-3 decision in 11 innings at Southern Indiana on April 23.

GOVS TOP NOTES AND NOTABLES

THESE GOVS ABSOLUTELY RAKE

Entering this week's action, Austin Peay's offense is producing at a historic pace. Austin Peay enters the weekend leading all Division I teams in total home runs (130) and total doubles (130). In addition, the Govs lead the ASUN, rank among the NCAA Top 2, and are on pace to set program records in each of the following averages:

BEWARE THE K

Meanwhile, Austin Peay's pitching staff continues to strike out opponents at a near-record pace, averaging 9.67 strikeouts per nine innings. That rate is among the best in program history, narrowly behind out the 2019 staff's 9.92 strikeout rate (556 Ks/504.1 IP). This season's strikeout rate ranks 37th among Division I teams and leads all ASUN squads.

FIRST HACKS

• Center fielder John Bay set an APSU record with two grand slams and was 4-for-4 with 9 RBI against Alabama A&M last Tuesday. He had a relatively quiet stay at Stetson, going 2-for-11 at the plate, but had five RBI.
• First baseman/right fielder Harrison Brown is the reigning ASUN Player of the Week after posting 17 RBI over four games last week, including a program-record 11 RBI against Alabama A&M last Tuesday. Harrison has 22 RBI over his previous five games.
• Utility man Jaden Brown hit home runs in the first two games at Stetson after hitting a homer against Alabama A&M earlier in the week. He has hit five of his seven home runs since April 21.
• Catcher Keaton Cottam went 3-for-5 with an RBI, and four runs scored against AAMU last Tuesday. He is batting .306 with four RBI in his nine starts this season.
• Catcher Gus Freeman saw his six-game hit streak snapped Sunday. Still, he is batting .560 (14-25) over his last seven games with 14 runs scored, four doubles, a home run, and six RBI.
• Shortstop Jon Jon Gazdar led the Govs with a .727 (8-11) batting average at Stetson last weekend, notching two doubles, five RBI, and four runs scored. He reached base safely in 17 of 20 plate appearances last week (.850 OBP).
• Infielder Conner Gore broke out with a 4-for-5 outing against Alabama A&M, including a double, two RBI, and three runs scored. He is batting .429 (9-21) in his last five starts, with two doubles, two home runs, and seven RBI.
• Right fielder Clayton Gray had two doubles in a seven-hit weekend at Stetson, which was only second to Gazdar in total hits. He now has 21 doubles in 2024 and is the first Govs batter with two 20-double campaigns during their career.
• Two-way man Lyle Miller-Green, the ASUN Preseason Player of the Year, also had a relatively quiet weekend at Stetson, batting .231 (3-for-13). However, he had an RBI triple in the series finale, walked three times, and scored five runs. LMG now has 82 runs scored this season, extending his own record.
• First baseman Justin Olson walked three times, was hit by a pitch, and scored twice in five plate appearances during the EKU series finale on April 28. He has reached safely in seven straight games.
• Third baseman Brody Szako is batting .439 (18-41) with five doubles, four home runs, and 18 RBI during his 10-game hit streak. He has nine multi-hit games during the streak.    
• Second baseman Ambren Voitik had three hits during the Stetson series but scored three runs and had a bunt single to key the Govs' game-winning nine-run rally in the series finale, which also saw him provide an RBI single.
• Infielder Mateo Hernandez and outfielder Nathan Barksdale have been part of the Govs' "Hands Team," each entering the game defensively when the Govs are leading late.

FOLLOW ALONG

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