GAME NOTES (PDF) | LIVE STATS (FRI. | SAT. - GM 1 | SAT. - GM 2 | SUN.) | LIVE AUDIO (FRI. | SAT. - GM 1 | SAT. - GM 2 | SUN.)MOREHEAD, Ky. -- The Morehead State baseballl team will hit the road again this weekend, this time traveling to just north of Atlanta, Ga., for a four-game weekend.
The Eagles will face Arkansas State (Friday at 3 p.m. ET), Omaha (doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m.) and Saint Louis (Sunday at noon) at the Perfect Game Complex in Emerson, Ga. The baseball program has never faced Omaha and has not faced Arkansas State or Saint Louis since the 1970s and 80s. All four games will feature live stats on MSUEagles.com and free live audio on MSUEagles.com and the Eagle Empire app.
Last season, MSU made a last-minute schedule change due to winter weather and trekked to Emerson where it defeated Dayton twice in three tries. The complex features multiple all-turf fields with several Division I, II, III and NAIA teams contesting games each weekend.
"I like the way our club performed on opening week," said Head Coach
Mike McGuire. "We got to see a lot of new guys get their first action, and I was very happy with our pitching staff. We try to put our team in many different scenarios throughout the non-conference season, and we'll be facing three solid teams this coming weekend."
Morehead State (3-1) battled No. 8 North Carolina State tough in its last outing before falling 7-5. The Eagles swept their opening weekend at North Carolina Central.
Junior righty
Luke Humphreys (Friday), senior righthander
Matt Anderson (Saturday Game 1), junior college transfer and lefty
Curtis Wilson (Saturday Game 2) and sophomore southpaw
Aaron Leasher (Sunday) are slated for starting pitching roles this weekend.
10 NOTES HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND• Morehead State is tabbed to finish fourth in the OVC in a preseason vote by the leagues head coaches and media relations contacts.
•
Luke Humphreys, along with junior outfielder
Ryan Kent, were named to the Preseason All-OVC Team by College Sports Madness. Kent is expected to return this weekend after missing the last three games with an injury.
• Collegiate Baseball Magazine predicted MSU to finish second in the OVC, while D1Baseball.com predicted Morehead State will finish third in the league this season.
Anderson is a "top pro prospect" by D1Baseball.com, while freshman shortstop
Reid Leonard was tabbed the league's second highest-rated freshman prospect.
• Junior third baseman
Alex Stephens hit for the cycle in his only four at-bats last Saturday vs. N.C. Central. Even more impressive was that Stephens accomplished the rare feat in the first four innings and then sat out the remainder of the game.
• In two of the four games, opposing pitchers failed to get
Stephens out. He went 3-for-3 with a walk at N.C. State to go along with his "cycle" versus N.C. Central.
• The Eagles rank fourth in the nation in doubles (14) after leading all Division I teams with 172 doubles last season.
• MSU ranks third nationally in home runs with nine in 2016. In the 24-4 victory over N.C. Central, the Eagles blasted six round-trippers.
• Juniors
Jesus Carrera and
Will Schneider, along with freshman
Trevor Snyder, carry four-game hitting streaks into the weekend. Schneider had multiple hits in three of the first four games.
• Senior pitcher
Tyler Keele, projected as a primary closer for the pitching staff this year, has racked up two saves so far and is tied for the lead in Division I.
• Morehead State's bullpen has only given up two earned runs in the first 36 innings. The nine relievers who have made appearances have combined for 10 strikeouts.
