KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Indiana State baseball team has enjoyed some near perfect weather conditions for baseball the past three weekends but has not been able to practice or play outside in their own stadium yet this spring. That will change this weekend.
Indiana State (9-1) is on a nine-game winning streak and swept all three games of their first weekend series of the season as they took all three games against the University of New Orleans Privateers.
The Western Illinois Leathernecks (1-6) will visit Bob Warn Field at Sycamore Stadium for a three-game non-conference set that will serve as Indiana State's home opener. The opening game of the series was scheduled for Friday but that contest was pushed back to Monday due to poor field conditions (there was still snow on the field).
The two teams are set to battle at 2 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday, and wrap up competition at 12 p.m. Monday.
Indiana State junior left hander David Stagg will take the mound for Saturday's series opener as he looks for his fourth win in four starts this season. Stagg has a 1.71 ERA in 21 innings of work in which he allowed four runs (all earned) on 15 hits with 25 strikeouts and seven walks.
Junior right hander Brad Lombard will be the starter for Indiana State on Sunday as he also looks for this fourth win in four starts this season. Lombard has a 1.50 ERA in 18.0 innings of work in which he allowed six runs (three earned) on 17 hits with 11 strikeouts and four walks.
Senior right hander Kurt Kudrecki will close out the series on Monday. The senior is 1-1 on the season and had a no decision in his last start, an 8-7 Indiana State win in 14 innings. Kudrecki enters Monday's game with a 3.86 ERA in 16.1 innings of work in which he allowed 10 runs (seven earned) on 20 hits with 14 strikeouts and 10 walks.
SERIES NOTES:
This will be the 32nd meeting between the two schools with Indiana State holding a 17-14 edge in the series. The last time these two teams tangled was in 2012 when Indiana State prevailed 1-0 in Huntsville, Ala.
UP NEXT
Indiana State is scheduled to host SIU Edwardsville on Wednesday before hitting the road for the fourth time this season by visiting UNC-Wilmington for a weekend series.
LAST TIME OUT
Indiana State travelled to New Orleans last weekend and came away with a sweep of their three-game set with the New Orleans Privateers. It took 14 innings before Indiana State was able to pull out an 8-7 win over the Privateers in the series opener Friday but the Sycamores were able to prevail in regulation for the next two wins, topping New Orleans 10-3 on Saturday and 11-4 on Sunday. Austin Conway picked up his first collegiate win as he was the sixth of seven pitchers used by the Sycamores in their extra inning win on Friday. David Staggs and Brad Lombard each posted their third win in three starts with Staggs the winner Saturday and Lombard Sunday.
WINTER WEATHER WOES
Winter failed to realize that it is time for baseball and spring weather as she remained in place and forced the postponement of two Indiana State games. The Sycamores road game at SIU Edwardsville (Feb. 26) and what was supposed to be Indiana State's home opener against Eastern Illinois (March 4) were both postponed by the cold and snow. Makeup dates will be announced later.
