EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- The University of Southern Indiana baseball team returns to the friendly surroundings of the USI Baseball Field this week for its final homestand of 2013, beginning Wednesday with a 6 p.m. non-conference contest against Oakland City University. The Screaming Eagles return to Great Lakes Valley Conference action this weekend when they hosts a four-game series with McKendree University.
The USI-McKendree series starts Friday at 6 p.m., continues with a Saturday doubleheader at 2 p.m., and concludes Sunday with a single game at 1 p.m. Coverage of the Eagles' games, including live stats and audio broadcasts, is available at gousieagles.com.
The Eagles (24-15, 14-14 GLVC) come home after successful 4-2 road trip that included a doubleheader sweep of Kentucky Wesleyan College and a four-game split with 16
th-ranked Lewis University. USI is currently two games out of the GLVC Tournament picture with eight games to play. The Eagles are trailing Missouri University of Science and Technology and Maryville University for the seventh or eighth spot in the tournament.
USI senior third baseman
Reece Rounder (Evansville, Indiana) was the Eagles' hottest hitter, batting .391 during the six games. Rounder was a blistering six-for-six with four RBIs in the nightcap of USI's doubleheader sweep of Lewis Sunday.
The top run producer was freshman first baseman
Andrew Cope (Evansville, Indiana), who batted .350 with 10 RBIs at KWC and Lewis. Cope clinched game one of the road trip at KWC with his first collegiate grand slam and propelled the Eagles with three RBIs in Sunday opening game win at Lewis.
For the season, Cope leads USI with 29 RBIs and is tied for fifth on the team with 22 runs scored. Freshman leftfielder
Hamilton Carr (Evansville, Indiana) has the team's top batting average at .379, while junior designated hitter
Brent Weinzapfel (Evansville, Indiana) is one point behind with a .378 mark. Weinzapfel also is second in RBIs with 25.
On the mound, junior right-hander
Brandon Shaw (Cuba, Illinois) produced two of the four wins on the road last week and saved a third game. Shaw won a start at KWC and Lewis, while saving the opener against the Flyers Sunday.
This season, junior right-hander/infielder
Matt Bowles (Mt. Washington, Kentucky) leads the staff with a 7-3 mark and 43 strikeouts in his 10 starts. Junior right-hander
Ben Wright (Newburgh, Indiana) has the staff's top ERA at 2.30.
The Mighty Oaks of Oakland City (13-25) have struggled the last two weeks in April, going 3-8. USI leads the all-time series with Oakland City, 82-10, after taking last year's meeting, 9-3.
The Bearcats of McKendree (18-18, 13-15 GLVC) fell below .500 in the GLVC last week after going 2-4 against the University of Indianapolis and Saint Joseph's College. USI has the advantage in the all-time series, 16-9. McKendree took the series the last time it played USI, winning all four meetings in 2001.
