The University of Southern Indiana baseball team finishes its six-game homestand this weekend when it hosts 10th-ranked Ashland University for a three-game set Friday through Sunday. Game time Friday and Saturday is 2 p.m., while Sunday’s series finale is set for noon.
Coverage of the Screaming Eagles baseball games this season can be found on GoUSIEagles.com.
SCREAMING EAGLES BASEBALL NOTESÂ #3:
Eagles sweep home opening series. USI successfully opened the 2020 home campaign with a three-game sweep of Trevecca Nazarene Univeristy, posting a pair of walk-off wins, 5-4 and 7-6, and series clinching victory, 4-1. USI senior right-hander Tyler Hagedorn got the win in relief in the opener on a walk-off single by senior rightfielder Manny Lopez, while senior right-hand Jacob Bowles picked up both wins in relief in the doubleheader. Sophomore catcher/infielder Lucas McNew had the walk-off single in the first game of the Saturday doubleheader.
At the plate versus Trevecca. Senior shortstop Kobe Stephens was USI’s top hitter versus Trevecca with a .400 average (4-10), while senior outfielder Manny Lopez had a team-best five RBI and the team’s first home run of the season.
At the plate through 6 games. Freshman outfielder Austin Moody leads the USI hitters (minimum 15 AB) with a .368 average (7-19) and is second with five RBI. Senior outfielder Manny Lopez has a team-best six RBI to start the 2020 campaign.
On the mound to start the year. Senior right-handers Tyler Hagedorn and Jacob Bowles have collected all four USI wins to start the season out of the bullpen. Hagedorn was credited with the first two, while Bowles has the last two.
Archuleta at USI. USI Head Coach Tracy Archuleta is USI’s all-time winningest coach with a record of 480-259 in 13-plus seasons and is 628-383 in 18-plus seasons all-time as a head coach. He has been named the ABCA Division II Coach of the Year twice (2010 and 2014) after leading the Screaming Eagles to a pair of national championships and the ABCA Division II Midwest Region Coach of the Year after leading USI to the regional crown in 2007, 2016 and 2018. Archuleta also has earned a pair of GLVC Coach of the Year awards (2011 and 2014) at USI.
Eagles vs. Ashland Eagles. USI leads the all-time series with the Ashland Eagles, 15-8, and has won the last meeting in the 2018 Midwest Regional, 11-3, in Springfield, Illinois. The Screaming Eagles also hold a 3-2 lead in the last five games, going 2-0 in the Midwest Regional and 1-2 during the regular season at the USI Baseball Field.
Ashland in 2020. Ashland, currently ranked 10th nationally in both the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper/ABCA top 30 and the NCBWA Top 25 polls, are 2-1 to start the 2020 campaign after taking two of three on the road from the University of Charleston (WV).
National Championship always the goal for Eagles. The Eagles have made a habit of competing in the NCAA II Championship over the last 13 seasons. USI has made eight NCAA II Midwest Regional appearances; won five Midwest Region crowns (2007, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018); and captured the NCAA II National Championship twice (2010, 2014). The USI program tied for third in the 2007 NCAA II National Championship series, while finishing fifth in 2016 and eighth in 2018.
