EVANSVILLE, Ind .— The University of Southern Indiana baseball team continues it 10-game homestand Friday at 2 p.m. when it starts the Dunn Hospitality Classic against Truman State University at USI Baseball Field. Following Friday's 2 p.m. first pitch, the Screaming Eagles play Ashland University Saturday at 4 p.m. and Truman State again on Sunday at 4 p.m.
Coverage of the Eagles-Lakers series, including live stats and audio, are available at GoUSIEagles.com.
In addition to USI, Truman State, and Ashland, the Dunn Hospitality Classic also includes Saint Joseph's College and the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Additional non-USI games are slated for 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
SCREAMING EAGLES BASEBALL NOTES: USI enters NCBWA Top 25 poll. The University of Southern Indiana entered the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 25 at number 21. The Screaming Eagles were ranked 33
rd in the
Collegiate Baseball Top 40 Preseason Poll and received votes for the February 22 top 25 ranking.
Eagles off to good start in 2016. USI is off to a 2-1 start after winning a three-game series with 18
th-ranked Grand Valley State University in the first weekend of the season. The Screaming Eagles dropped the opener, 4-3, in 11 innings, but bounced back to win 13-5 and 16-6 in the final two games of the season.
Bertram named GLVC Player of the Week. USI senior catcher
Ryan Bertram (Zionsville, Indiana) was named the GLVC Player of the Week for his efforts in the Eagles' series with Grand Valley State University. Bertram batted .462 with seven RBIs, five runs scored, two doubles, and a home run. The home run was a game-three first inning grand slam.
Gunn hitting streak ends in the season opener. USI senior third baseman
Trent Gunn (Tell City, Indiana) saw his 19-game hitting streak end in the Eagles' season opener. Gunn was two games short of the USI record (21 games) that was set by Josh Perkins (last two games of 2000 and the first 19 of 2001).
USI Baseball picked to place 2nd in GLVC East Division. The Eagles are predicted to place 2
nd in the 2016 GLVC East Division. USI is forecast to follow the University of Indianapolis, but finish ahead of Bellarmine University, Saint Joseph's College, Lewis University, the University of Illinois Springfield, McKendree University, and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
Archuleta at the helm. USI Head Coach
Tracy Archuleta has a USI record of 342-172 (.665) in eight-plus seasons and is 490-296 (.623) in 13-plus seasons as the head coach. He has been named the ABCA Division II Coach of the Year twice (2010 and 2014) after leading the Screaming Eagles to a pair of national championships. He also has earned a pair of GLVC Coach of the Year awards (2011 and 2014).
USI vs. Truman State. The all-time series between USI and Truman State University is tied 6-6 after the Bulldogs won five of six games from the Eagles in 2015. Truman State swept the four-game regular season match-up before the teams split in the GLVC Tournament.
USI vs. Ashland. USI leads the all-time series with Ashland University, 13-7, and is 3-1 against the AU Eagles since 2000. The last time USI and Ashland matched-up was in 2013, resulting in a split of the two games of the Dunn Hospitality Classic.
NCBWA Division II Poll 2-23-16
Rank Team -First Place Votes-
1. Tampa (Fla.) (16)
2. St. Cloud St. (Minn.)
3. Colorado Mesa
4. Franklin Pierce (N.H.)
5. UC San Diego (Calif.)
6. USC Aiken
7. Minnesota State
8. Quincy (Ill.)
9. Millersville (Pa.)
10. Dixie State (Utah)
11. Lubbock Christian (Texas)
12. Florida Southern
13. North Georgia
14. St. Edward's (Texas)
15. Missouri Southern
16. Cal. St.-Monterey Bay
17. Mercyhurst (Pa.)
18. Valdosta State (Ga.)
Newberry (S.C.)
20. Southern New Hampshire
21. Southern Indiana
22. Cameron (Okla.)
23. Chico State (Calif.)
24. Barry (Fla.)
25. East Stroudsburg (Pa.)
Also receiving votes: Columbus State, Ga.; Wilmington, Del.; Trevecca Nazarene, Tenn.; West Texas A&M; Emporia State, Kan.; West Georgia; Francis Marion, S.C.; Cal. Poly-Pomona; Angelo State, Texas.
