TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Indiana State baseball and Missouri will meet Tuesday in Columbia for the first time since 2012. First pitch is slated for 7 p.m. ET from Taylor Stadium. The game will air live on the
SEC Network via WatchESPN.
Luke Martin will also have the radio call on
GoSycamores.com/Watch free-of-charge.
SYCAMORES AT A GLANCE
Indiana State enters play 26-21 on the year with an 8-10 record in Missouri Valley Conference play and winners of six of their last eight games. The Sycamores have won consecutive weekend series over Southern Illinois and Evansville with just four games remaining in the regular season -- a midweek at Mizzou and a weekend series at MVC newcomer Valpo.
Dane Giesler (.303, 11 HR, 34 RBI) and
Romero Harris (.319, 7 2B, 8 HR 31 RBI) anchor the lineup at the plate for the Sycamores while
Jarrod Watkins (.298, 11 2B, 12 RBI) and
CJ Huntley (.287, 46 H, 27 RBI) add to the middle of the batting order. As a team, Indiana State is hitting .269 and have hit for 76 doubles, 11 triples and 44 home runs. The Indiana State pitching staff has struck out 311 batters and holds a combined 4.26 ERA.
LOOKING AT MIZZOU
Missouri enter play with a 31-20 overall record and a 10-17 record in SEC action after dropping two of three games over the weekend to South Carolina. The Tigers are hitting .268 on the season led by Kameron Minser at .360 in 34 games. The MU pitching staff holds a 3.82 combined ERA.
ALL-TIME VS THE TIGERS
Mizzou leads the all-time series between the two programs, 11-6 with the last meeting coming in 2012 when the Sycamores defeated the Tigers 15-1 in Columbia.
MOVING UP THE TOP-10 HOME RUN LIST
Sycamore cleanup man
Dane Giesler leads the Sycamores as well as the Missouri Valley Conference with 12 home runs this season and now has 30 in his four-year career in blue and white. With a home run over the weekend Evansville, Giesler moved into a tie for fifth place in program history. The redshirt senior needs just two more home runs to reach fourth place. The Jasper, Indiana native nearly broke the single season record a season ago with 17 home runs – good enough for second in program history.
HE DOESN'T GO DOWN EASY
Jarrod Watkins holds a .298 batting average over 47 starts. Another area the junior sits atop the team is in his strikeout numbers or lack thereof. Watkins is the toughest batter to strikeout in the Missouri Valley Conference at a 10.6 at bats per strikeout rating. In 191 at bats, Watkins has struck out just 18 times. Watkins ranks 68th nationally in the category.
WEAR IT
Junior right fielder
Roberto Enriquez finished his week just 1-for-5 at the plate for a .200 batting average but he reached base six other times thanks in part to being beaned five times from Aces pitchers while also drawing a walk for a .636 on-base percentage. He took advantage of his seven base running opportunities, scoring three runs during the weekend. Currently, Enriquez has 11 more HBP's than the next Missouri Valley Conference player ahead of Matt Brown of Missouri State who has been hit 14 times. He leads the country in HBP's and HBP's per game at 0.56. As a team Indiana State ranks eighth in the nation with 87 HBP's.
WELCOME BACK TO THE LINEUP
Designated hitter
Romero Harris has been a welcomed sight to the Sycamore lineup following an injury. Harris finished the week with a team-high .462 batting average, going 6-of-13 at the plate. The junior also led the squad in slugging percentage, collecting three extra-base hits in a weekend series with Evansville. Harris notched his eighth home run of the year in game one of the series. He went on to add a pair of doubles in the 14-9 series finale win for the Trees. In total, the Navarre, Ohio native scored three times and drove in three.
SOLID OUT OF THE PEN
Junior
Tyler Whitbread made two appearances out of the bullpen for the Sycamores during a weekend series win against Evansville. The right-hander finished with four innings pitched, allowing just two hits and striking out a pair of Evansville batters. Whitbread held UE scoreless while on the mound and held the Aces to a .154 batting average against over the two outings. The Camlachie, Ontario product went two and two-third innings in Friday's game, allowing just one baserunner and striking out two.
YOU CAN RUN -- BUT I WOULDN'T
Sycamore catcher
Max Wright is one of the best behind the plate in the MVC. The sophomore has had just 17 opponents look to swipe a base with 11 of those runners being thrown out for a .609 caught stealing percent. He is the top defensive catcher in the MVC with the next best starting catcher being challenged is Matt Duce of DBU with 22 steal attempts against.
LET IT FLY
As a squad, Indiana State has 44 total home runs which is second-best in the league. ISU has three players in the top-10 in the Missouri Valley Conference in total home runs this season led by redshirt senior
Dane Giesler leads The Valley with 12 homers while
Jake Means sits third with 10 bombs. In just 22 starts this year
Romero Harris is 10th with eight home runs. Giesler ranked 68th in the country in home runs.
More…
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
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Instagram.
