15th-ranked USI hosts Maryville and UMSL
EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- The University of Southern Indiana baseball team starts its quest for a fifth-straight Great Lakes Valley Conference division title when it start the conference schedule Saturday and Sunday at the USI Baseball Field. USI is scheduled to play GLVC West Division's Maryville University Saturday and the University of Missouri-St. Louis Sunday.
The first pitch each day is scheduled for 1 p.m. Game coverage for the series, including live stats and/or audio broadcasts, is available at gousieagles.com.
The Screaming Eagles (9-4, 0-0 GLVC), won the 2011 GLVC East Division crown by five games last season after winning the GLVC West Division the previous three seasons (2008-10). USI was picked to win the GLVC East in the conference preseason poll of the leagues head coaches in February.
The Eagles are coming off a 3-1 week and have won nine of the last 11 after starting the year with a pair of losses. Leading the way in the early non-conference schedule is senior left-hander
Scott Cole (Patrick, Virginia) and junior third baseman
Reece Rounder (Evansville, Indiana).
Cole is 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA in his first four starts and has struck out 29 batters in 28 innings of work. He struck out 11 hitters over nine innings and 134 pitches to defeat the University of Illinois Springfield in his last outing.
Following Cole on the mound is freshman right-hander
Ben Wright (Newburgh, Indiana). Wright is 3-0 in the first four starts of his collegiate career, posting a 3.28 ERA.
At the plate, Rounder has become the USI leader in the line-up. The junior third baseman is hitting a team-best .396, 180 points better than his career average, while driving in a team-high 13 RBIs. He also has a team-best two home runs and two triples.
Rounder hit .400 in last week's four games, driving in five runs and scoring three times.
Nationally, USI rose 12 spots in the national poll to 15
th in the
Collegiate Baseball/Division II Top 30 poll. The Eagles also rose to 11
th in the College Baseball Lineup top 30 web poll.
Maryville (2-5, 0-0 GLVC), who plays Robert Morris College tonight before coming to visit USI this weekend, has been playing .500 baseball since starting the year with three-straight losses. The Eagles lead the all-time series with the Saints, 4-0, after sweeping a weekend series in 2010.
UMSL (6-4, 0-0 GLVC), who visits Kentucky Wesleyan College Saturday before visiting the Eagles, comes East on a four-game winning streak . The Tritons started the year with only two wins in the first six games, but have climbed above the .500 mark with their latest winning streak.
USI leads the all-time series with UMSL, 45-38, and has won the last six games against the Tritons. The last series between the Eagles and the Tritons was in 2010, ending with USI sweeping all four games.
Collegiate Baseball/Division II Top 30
1. Tampa
2. Central Missouri
3. Delta St.
4. Angelo St.
5. North Alabama
Cal. St. Chico
7. St. Mary's (TX)
8. West Florida
9. Columbus St.
10. St. Cloud St.
11. Missouri Southern
12.Tusculum
13. Seton Hill
14. S.C. Aiken
15. Southern Indiana
Catawba
17. Mercyhurst
18. LeMoyne
19. Minnesota St.-Mankato
20. Franklin Pierce
21. Emporia St.
22. Francis Marion
23. Lynn
24. Grand Valley St.
25. Armstrong Atlantic
26. Western Oregon
27. Southern Conn. St.
28. New Mexico Highlands
29. Mount Olive
30. Harding
Also Receiving Votes: Southern New Hampshire, Montevallo, Rockhurst, Georgia College, Cal. Poly Pomona, Nova S.E., Mesa, Rollins, Flagler, Newman, Texas A&M-Kingsville, West Texas A&M, Florida Southern, Florida Tech., Cal. St. Monterey Bay, Sonoma, East Stroudsburg, Shippensburg, Winona, Adelphi.
COLLEGE BASEBALL LINEUP DII BASEBALL TOP 30 RANKINGS
1. Tampa Spartans
2. St. Mary's (TX) Rattlers
3. North Alabama Lions
4. Central Missouri Mules
5. Delta St. Statesmen
6. Columbus St. Cougars
7. West Florida Argonauts
8. Franklin Pierce Ravens
Southern Connecticut St. Fighting Owls
10. St. Cloud State Huskies
11. Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles
12. Tusculum Pioneers
13. Minnesota State Mavericks
14. Winona St. Warriors
Lynn Fighting Knights
16. Emporia State Hornets
17. Grand Valley St. Lakers
18. Armstrong Atlantic Pirates
19. Seton Hill Griffins
20. Millersville Marauders
21. Incarnate Word Cardinals
22. Angelo St. Rams
23. Francis Marion Patriots
24. Cal Poly Pomona Broncos
25. Hawaii Pacific Sea Warriors
26. Le Moyne Dolphins
27. Mount Olive Trojans
28. Southern New Hampshire Penmen
29. UNC Pembroke Braves
30. West Chester Golden Rams
