TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State baseball will look to end a four-game losing stretch Tuesday when the team heads to Charleston, Illinois to take on Eastern Illinois. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET. Fans can listen to the action on Sycamore All-Access via GoSycamores.com with Luke Martin on the call.
 
LOOKING AT THE SYCAMORES
Tony Rosselli (.364, 7 2B, 5 HR, 27 RBI) and Tyler Friis (.318, 5 2B, 15 BB, 8 SB) lead the Trees at the plate while Brandt Nowaskie and Dane Tofteland are hitting .360 and .293 in limited action, respectively. Giesler is tops on the squad with nine home runs and 30 RBIs. As a team, the Sycamores are hitting .272 and have hit for 63 doubles, 11 triples and 36 homers. ISU pitching has struck out 315 batters and hold a combined 4.70 ERA.
 
LOOKING AT THE PANTHERS
Eastern Illinois comes into play with a 13-27 overall record after sweeping Eastern Kentucky over the weekend. The team is led offensively by Jimmy Govern (.369) and Joseph Duncan (.301). As a club, the Panthers are hitting at a clip of .255 while the pitching staff holds a 7.81 ERA.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The Sycamores lead the all-time series that dates back to 1905, 112-86. The last time the two squads met on the diamond was March 21 of this year when the Sycamores defeated EIU 2-1 at Bob Warn Field. ISU has won eight of the last 10 matchups between the two schools.
 
TOFTELAND SETS A HIGH MARK
Redshirt sophomore Dane Tofteland broke the Indiana State single-game RBI record after driving in 11 runs on a trio of home runs, including two grand slams as the Sycamores took down Northern Illinois, 17-8 Tuesday. The 11 RBI tied the MVC record (John Knott of MSU vs. UNI on May 2, 1992) and is also the highest single-game performance in all of NCAA Division I this season.
 
STRONG ON ALL FRONTS
Senior Tony Rosselli has been one of the strongest contributors to the Sycamore offense this season, leading the team in batting average (.364), slugging percent (.628) and triples (5). In all, Rosselli has 13 multiple hit contests, including one four-hit game and eight multiple RBI games. Rosselli is second in the the MVC in batting average and triples and is fourth in slugging percent.
 
TOUGH TO STRIKE OUT
Junior Tyler Friis has been a tough out for opposing pitchers this season. The shortstop has been retired on K's just eight times in 110 at bats this season while boasting 35 hits for the Trees. His 13.75 at bats between strikeouts ranks tops in the MVC.
 
NO FREE PASSES
Sophomore Tyler Ward has put together a nice stat line so far this season. The right-hander boasts a 3-2 record with a 3.04 ERA in eight starts. The Santa Claus, Indiana native has struck out 34 batters while walking just six. He ranks 39th nationally with a 5.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 11th nationally with 0.96 walks per nine innings.
 
STRONG IN THE NINTH
Indiana State is outscoring the opposition 27-12 in the ninth inning this season and the Trees are a perfect 17-0 when leading after eight innings.
 
SLUGGING IT OUT
When it comes to picking up extra bases, ISU has no problem getting it done. The squad ranks fourth in the MVC with a .427 slugging percent. As a team, the Sycamores have 60 doubles, 11 triples and 36 home runs on the season. Tony Rosselli leads the Trees with a .628 slugging percentage off of seven doubles, five triples and five home runs.
 
STRIKE 'EM OUT
One thing the Sycamores have done well this season on the mound is record strikeouts. As a team, ISU has struck out 315 opposing batters, led by senior right-hander Jeremy McKinney who has 54 K's in 42 innings. The team ranks 32nd in the country with 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings while McKinney has struck out 11.57 per nine innings, good enough for 34th nationally.
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Baseball team, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.