Eagles starts 13-game homestand Saturday

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The University of Southern Indiana baseball team hits the road for a single game before returning to the friendly surroundings of the USI Baseball Field to begin a 13-game homestand. The Screaming Eagles travel to the University of Missouri-St. Louis Wednesday for a 3 p.m. single game before starting 13-straight at the USI Baseball Field with the University of Illinois Springfield Saturday and Sunday to open Great Lakes Valley Conference play.
 
First pitch for Saturday's doubleheader is slated for 2 p.m., while Sunday's twin bill is scheduled for noon. Watch GoUSIEagles.com for any schedule changes due to rain in the forecast.
 
Game coverage of the Eagles baseball games this season can be found on GoUSIEagles.com.
 
SCREAMING EAGLES BASEBALL NOTES:
 
USI goes 1-2 versus Quincy. The Eagles went 1-2 versus the Hawks of Quincy University at home last weekend. USI took the middle game, 12-6, but lost the opener, 11-6, and the finale, 6-2.
 
McNamara goes deep versus Hawks. Senior outfielder/designated hitter Drake McNamara (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) hit home runs in back-to-back days in the Quincy series, while leading the team with a .500 average (5-10) and six RBIs in the three games. The home runs also were the first of the year for the Eagles as a team.
 
USI at the plate this season. Senior first baseman/right-handed pitcher Nick Gobert (Jasper, Indiana) leads USI hitters in 2018 with a .404 batting average and has a team-high six doubles. Gobert had his team-best 13-game hitting streak snapped on Sunday. Senior outfielder/designated hitter Drake McNamara has driven in a team-best 17 RBIs.
 
Eagles on the mound in 2018. Senior right-hander Kyle Griffin (Morganfield, Kentucky) has a team-best two victories this year and 30 strikeouts, while junior left-hander Chase Partain (Evansville, Indiana) has recorded the lowest ERA on the team at 1.50 in two starts and 12 innings of work.
 
USI vs. UMSL. USI leads the all-time series with UMSL, 52-42, after taking both games last season. The Eagles won at home 6-5 and on the road 5-3. Senior outfielder/designated hitter Drake McNamara was USI's top hitter against the Tritons last year, batting .429 with a double and home run to go with three RBIs.
 
USI vs. Illinois Springfield. USI leads the all-time series with Illinois Springfield, 20-4, after taking three of the five games last season. The Eagles took three of four on the road versus the Prairie Stars in Springfield, Illinois, but lost the meeting in the GLVC Tournament in Springfield, Missouri.  Senior outfielder/designated hitter Drake McNamara and junior second baseman Jacob Fleming (Evansville, Indiana) batted over .500 in the five games with the Stars, hitting .545 (6-11) and .533 (8-15), respectively. Junior catcher Logan Brown tied for the team lead with four RBIs.
 
Archuleta at USI. USI Head Coach Tracy Archuleta is USI's all-time winningest coach with a record of 417-222 (.653) in 10-plus seasons and is 565-345 (.621) in 15-plus seasons all-time as a 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 and the ABCA Division II Midwest Region Coach of the Year after leading USI to the regional crown in 2016. Archuleta also has earned a pair of GLVC Coach of the Year awards (2011 and 2014) at USI.