Eagles travel to AASU for season-opener
 
EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- The University of Southern Indiana baseball team is set for the first pitch of the 2012 regular season when it travels to Armstrong Atlantic State University for a three game series in Savannah, Georgia. Start time Friday is 1 p.m. (CST), while Saturday and Sunday are set for noon.
 
Game coverage for series, including live stats and/or audio/video broadcasts, is available at gousieagles.com.
 
The Screaming Eagles start the 2012 regular season after posting a 37-19 overall record in 2011. The 2011 campaign also included a GLVC East Division championship and a third straight appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
 
Despite not playing yet, USI has risen to 18^th in the Collegiate Baseball /NCAA Division II Top 30 poll after starting the year 21^st in the preseason poll. The Eagles also were preseason 17^th in the College Baseball Lineup web poll.
 
Leading the Eagles into this season are Collegiate Baseball preseason All-American Brad Vance, a senior shortstop, and preseason Player to Watch Dylan Mooney, a senior catcher.
 
Vance hit a career-high .314 with a team-best 54 RBIs and 44 runs scored last year. The 2010 Midwest Regional Most Valuable Player earned a Gold Glove from the ABCA, while being named first-team All-GLVC and NCBWA All-Midwest Region.
 
After redshirting with injuries last season, Mooney hopes to return to the same All-America form he displayed in the 2010 national championship run. He batted .369 with 68 RBIs and 14 home runs two years ago.
 
The Eagles start the season against a tested AASU squad that already has six-straight victories under its belt. The Pirates have averaged 11.5 runs per game through the first six outings, while allowing four runs a contest.
 
USI trails the all-time series with AASU, 16-5, after dropping two of three to start last season's schedule.
 
The 2012 home schedule starts for the Eagles February 25-26 when they host Lake Erie College for a three-game series at the USI Baseball Field.

  1. Central Missouri
  2. West Florida
  3. Tampa
  4. Grand Valley St.
  5. Columbus St.
  6. Mount Olive
  7.  Francis Marion
  8.  Emporia St.
  9. Millersville
10.  Cal. St. Chico
11. St. Cloud St.
12. St. Mary's (TX)
13. N.C. Pembroke
14. Southern Conn. St.
15. Franklin Pierce
16. Delta St.
17. Western Oregon
18. Southern Indiana
19. Winona St.
20. Mercyhurst
21. Armstrong Atlantic
22. Southern Arkansas
23. Florida Southern
24. Cal. Poly Pomona
25. Minnesota St.-Mankato
26. North Alabama
27. LeMoyne
28. Harding
29. Mesa St.
       Wayne St. (MI)

Also Receiving Votes: Limestone (12), Wingate (12), S.C. Aiken (12), S.E. Oklahoma St. (10), Barry (8), Northern Kentucky (6), Ashland (4), Angelo St. (4), Indianapolis (2), Abilene Christian (2), Tarleton St. (2), Catawba (1), Tusculum (1), Georgia College (1), Cameron (1), Incarnate Word (1), Nova Southeastern (1), Florida Tech. (1), Cal. St.-Monterey Bay (1), U.C. San Diego (1), California, PA (1), Seton Hill (1), Kutztown (1), Slippery Rock (1), West Virginia St. (1), East Stroudsburg (1), Drury (1), Missouri S&T (1), Quincy (1), Nebraska-Kearney (1), Wayne St., NE (1), Augustana (1), New Mexico Highlands (1), Mass.-Lowell (1), Wilmington (1), Adelphi (1).