Baseball Returns Home to Face Towson

STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Southern University baseball returns to J.I. Clements Stadium this weekend for a three-game series against Towson. Friday night’s (Feb. 29) game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. first pitch. Saturday is set for 2:30 p.m. with a 1:30 p.m. start on Sunday.

The Eagles (1-4 overall) are coming off a 1-0 loss in 10 innings at 22nd-ranked Georgia Tech. That contest ended a five-game streak against Atlantic Coast Competition to start the 2008 season. That was also the first 1-0 decision since the Eagles lost to Western Carolina by that score in the third round of the 2003 Southern Conference Tournament.

“I thought we had outstanding pitching, especially in Wednesday’s game. We got a pretty good effort from our bullpen Tuesday. Justin Davis (Pulaski/Metter) and Blake Nation (Brooks/Starr’s Mill) looked good Wednesday and I thought Kyle Kamppi (Savannah/Benedictine Academy) threw the ball well. Those are definitely positives to pull from those two games,” said head coach Rodney Hennon.

Junior Drew Murray (LaGrange/LaGrange), senior Aaron Eubanks (Moultrie/Colquitt County) and redshirt-freshman Andy Moye (Alpharetta/Alpharetta) will start on the mound. Murray did not factor into the season-opener decision against Boston College. He allowed five runs in five innings, struck out four and left the game with a two-run lead. Eubanks suffered the game two loss after allowing six runs in three innings. In his first collegiate appearance Moye handcuffed BC to two runs on two hits in five innings, striking out four.

Georgia Southern’s junior outfield combination continues to pace the offensive attack. Centerfielder Matt Miller (Canton/Woodstock) leads the squad with a .524 batting average (11-for-21), four doubles and seven RBI. Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) owns a .353 average with four runs scored and a team-leading six walks. He recorded a putout and assist from right field during an inning-ending double play in Wednesday’s game. Jonathan King (Athens, TN/McMinn County) brings a .348 average into this weekend with four runs scored and four RBI.

Sophomore designated hitter Kyle Blackburn (Marietta/Walton) leads the Eagles with two home runs but also ranks second posting a .368 clip at the plate.

“You cannot look back to what happened before, whether you are coming off a win or coming off a loss. It’s important that we focus on today,” said Hennon. “We need to get ready to compete, play hard and get after it Friday night against Towson. We have the opportunity to return home and get things back on track. We’re looking forward to that opportunity.”

Defensively the Eagles have committed two errors in five games (.989 fielding percentage) while recording a .311 team batting average. The extra-inning loss lowered the team ERA to 8.66.

Towson (2-1 overall) lost its opener at Saint Mary’s 14-3 in Moraga, California, but rebounded for a 4-2 win in game two. Tuesday the Tigers defeated in-state rival Maryland 11-6. Junior Josh Squatrito (0-1, 12.00 ERA) and sophomore Zach Umberger (0-0, 3.18) are set to start the first two games. Junior Nate Curd will make his first appearance of the year on Sunday.

Steve Yarsinsky and Chris Wychock are both hitting at a .400 clip, .444 and .429, respectively. Towson brings a .269 batting average, .951 fielding percentage and 6.92 ERA into the series.

There will be video streaming on the www.GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com website on Friday night and Sunday afternoon. All three games can be heard live on Eagle 102.9 and on the www.GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com website.

Category: Baseball

Published on Thursday, 28 February 2008 00:10