Eagles hope to soar over Skyhawks this weekend

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — University of Southern Indiana Baseball hits the road for a three-game series in the Ohio Valley Conference when it visits the University of Tennessee at Martin in Martin, Tennessee. Game time for the opener Friday is set for 5 p.m., continues Saturday at 3 p.m., and concludes Sunday with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
 
Links to follow USI versus UT Martin this weekend can be found on the Eagles’ baseball schedule at USIScreamingEagles.com.
 

USI Baseball Notes:

Eagles out battled by Billikens to start the week: The USI Screaming Eagles were out battled by the Saint Louis University Billikens, 16-11, to start the week. SLU had 21 hits and capitalized on seven USI errors in its win. USI junior first baseman Tucker Ebest and senior designated hitter Daniel Lopez led the way with two RBI each.
 
Last week in USI Baseball: The Eagles lost the series with Southeast Missouri State University last week, dropping two of three. The Redhawks won games one (13-4) and three (14-2), while USI took the middle game (9-6).
 
Leading at the plate last week: Junior outfielder Gavin McLarty led USI last week at the plate, hitting .571 (4-7) with a run scored, a double, and five RBIs.
 
Leading hitters: Sophomore outfielder Drew Taylor leads USI this season with a .326 batting average (15-46). Sophomore shortstop Ricardo Van Grieken follows with a .324 average (23-71), while junior first baseman Tucker Ebest has a team-best 28 RBIs and five home runs. 
 
Eagles in the last 5: Junior outfielder Gavin McLarty is the hottest Eagles over the last five games, hitting .400 (4-10). McLarty also is tied with junior outfielder/infielder Jack Ellis for the top spot on the team with six RBI.
 
McNew climbing the USI All-Time charts: Senior catcher/infielder Lucas McNew is sixth all-time at USI in home runs (21); tied seventh in RBIs (147) and 10th in doubles (45).
 
In OVC Play: In the nine games of OVC action, junior infielder Jack Ellis leads USI with a .348 average (8-23) with three doubles, a triple, a home run, and five RBIs. Junior outfielder Gavin McLarty has knocked in a team-high eight RBIs.  
 
USI at UTM this weekend: USI leads the all-time series with the University of Tennessee at Martin, 6-4, and has won three of the last four meetings, winning 9-5 at the USI Baseball Field in 1999.
 
UTM this spring: UT Martin is, currently, 9-25 this year and has lost five-straight, while posting a 4-5 mark in the OVC. The Skyhawks started this week with a 14-9 loss at home to Austin Peay State University.