DATE: Tuesday, April 15
TIME: 4:00 p.m. (ET)
LOCATION: Charleston, Ill. (Coaches Stadium)
PROBABLE STARTERS: (Indiana State listed first)
LHP Ryan Keaffaber (0-1, 3.92 ERA) vs. RHP Andrew Grahn (1-0, 5.06 ERA)
HEAD COACHES:
ISU - Mitch Hannahs (23-10) in first season as ISU head coach, first overall
EIU – Jim Schmitz (509-536) in 20th season as EIU head coach, 27th overall (673-697)
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KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Indiana State (23-10, 7-5) is taking a break from the Missouri Valley Conference as they continue a nine-game road swing this week as they visit Eastern Illinois University (11-24) Tuesday and then play a three game set at Canisius College (23-10) over the weekend.
The Sycamores will be looking for their fifth straight win over the Eastern Illinois Panthers with Indiana State also winning seven of the last eight contests. The Panthers last win came in Charleston during the 2009 season when Eastern Illinois blasted Indiana State 25-7. The Sycamores blanked the Panthers in Terre Haute 10-0 last season.
Series Notes:
This will be the 105th with Indiana State leading the series 57-47 since the first meeting in 1967. The Panthers do lead in games played at Charleston 30-29 but the Sycamores have the edge in games played in Terre Haute 37-25. Eastern Illinois has won two of the three games played on neutral fields.
Last Time Out
The Indiana State Sycamores scored a run in the top of the ninth inning to post their second straight Missouri Valley Conference victory with a 5-4 win over the Southern Illinois Salukis Sunday. Indiana State also won by the identical score of 5-4 on Saturday by scoring in the ninth inning but did lose the opening game of the series 2-1 in 13 innings. Indiana State did win their second straight MVC series and have now won five of their last six conference games.
In Sunday's 5-4 win, Kurt Kudrecki started on the mound and went 6.2 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out one and walking three. Trent Lunsford took over in the seventh and recorded his first career victory (1-2) in shutting down the Salukis on no hits, no strikeouts and two walks.
Indiana State scored five runs on eight hits with Zimmerman belting two doubles and Curry a double and a game winning single in the ninth. Michael Eberle had two singles with Manuel Estevez and Tyler Wampler each hitting a single.
In Saturday's 5-4 win, Brad Lombard started on the mound for the Sycamores and went five innings, giving up three runs on six hits while striking out four and walking four. Nick Kolarik took over in the fifth and faced three batters without recording an out. Senior right hander Josh Dove (2-1) came on with the bases loaded and no outs in the sixth and shut down the Salukis on one hit while walking one and striking out one.
The Sycamores scored five runs on 11 hits led by Fitzgerald who had a double and a single. Curry and Hannahs also had two singles each with Zimmerman, Hayes, Wampler, and McClain each hitting a single. Hayes had the game winning hit, a sacrifice bunt to score Curry with the winning run in the top of the ninth.
Friday's 2-1 loss in 13 innings was a pitching masterpiece by Indiana State junior left hander David Stagg who threw a no-hit shutout through nine innings but did not get the decision. Stagg had eight strikeouts and allowed just three base runners on three walks and a hit batter. Freshman Ryan Keaffaber (0-1) took over in the 10th and was charged with the loss in allowing two runs on four hits while striking out three and walking three.
Indiana State broke the scoreless drought in the top of the 13th inning. The Sycamores loaded the bases with one out as Jeff Zahn walked, Manuel Estevez singled, and Brian Romero walked. Derek Hannahs followed with a sacrifice hit that allowed Zahn to score but Indiana State could not push over another run as Curry flew out to left to end the threat.
It wasn't enough for the Sycamores however as the Salukis scored twice in the bottom half of the 13th. Tyler Rolland singled with one out and Donny Duschinsky walked before Jake Welch singled into right center to score Rolland with the tying run. Ryan Rosthenhausler followed with a game winning single to score Duschinsky.
Indiana State scored a run on eight hits, all singles. Landon Curry had two singles to lead the offense with Cody Zimmerman, Jacob Hayes, Mike Fitzgerald, Tyler Wampler, Manuel Estevez, and Connor McClain each hitting one single.
Stagg Named MVC Pitcher of the Week
Indiana State junior left handed pitcher David Stagg was named the Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week on April 14. Rare is it that a pitcher throws a no-hit shut-out. Rarer even still is the pitcher who throws a no-hit shut-out and still does not get the win. That was the case for Stagg (5-2) who allowed just five base runners (three walks, a hit batter, and a fielder's choice) in nine complete innings of work against Southern Illinois last Friday.
Stagg retired the first five before hitting a batter in the second. The junior then retired 11 straight before he issued a pair of walks in the sixth but neither of those runners advanced past first as Stagg picked off the first (seventh pickoff of season) and then got the next batter to fly out to right. He retired four straight before issuing one more walk in the eighth but the Sycamore lefty turned an attempted sacrifice bunt into a fielder's choice as he scooped up the ball and threw to second for the out. He closed out his night by retiring the last five batters he faced.
