EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball team starts a nine-game homestand this weekend when its hosts the University of Wisconsin-Parkside for a four-game series. The Screaming Eagles and the Rangers are scheduled to play a 3 p.m. doubleheader Friday and a noon twinbill Saturday.

 

Game coverage can be accessed at gousieagles.com. Fans also can listen to all of the Saturday's action on WSWI 820AM.

 

USI continues to be ranked in all three of the national polls. The Eagles were ranked 15^th by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 25; 10^th in the College Baseball Lineup Top 30; and 20^th in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Top 30.

 

The Eagles (25-11, 17-5 GLVC) were 4-2 on the six-game road trip, playing six games in three days at Lewis University and Kentucky Wesleyan College. USI took three-of-four from Lewis and split a doubleheader at KWC after averaging 9.2 runs in the six games.

 

Senior designated hitter Tyler Choate (Carmi, Illinois) led the offensive charge, hitting .619 with five home runs, 15 RBIs, and 11 runs scored. The GLVC Player of the Week also had a 1.381 slugging percentage in the six games.

 

For the season, Choate has a team-best .358 batting, 32 runs scored, 11 doubles, two triples, six home runs, and 37 RBIs. Senior centerfielder Justin Blinn (Vincennes, Indiana) follows Choate with a .343 batting average and has a team-best 18 stolen bases.

 

Junior shortstop Brad Vance (Louisville, Kentucky) is second to Choate with 36 RBIs and three home runs.

 

USI's bulldog on the mound continues to be senior right-hander Trevor Leach (Danville, Indiana). Leach has accrued a 7-2 mark in 10 games and 77.2 innings of work, posting a 3.01 ERA.

 

The Eagles also got a clutch performance on the mound at Lewis by senior right-hander Dan Marcacci (Jupiter, Florida). Marcacci, who is 2-1 with a 1.72 ERA in 13 appearances this year, threw a nine-inning complete game in his first start of the year to help the Eagles bounce back from a opening game loss to Lewis on Monday.

 

The Rangers of UW-Parkside (10-18, 8-10 GLVC) are above .500 in the last seven games, going 4-3 against the University of Indianapolis, Edgewood College, and KWC. This is the Rangers' second trip of the year to the USI Baseball Field after recording a 1-5 mark in the Dunn Hospitality Tournament in March.

 

USI leads the all-time series with UW-Parkside, 23-22, after splitting a two-game non-conference series with the Rangers last season. The Eagles also have won eight of the last 10 with the Rangers.