Eastern Illinois (23-15, 4-8 OVC) vs. Tennessee Tech (13-25, 4-8 OVC)
Charleston, Sick. | Coaches Stadium
Sport One: Friday, Apr. 28 at 3:00 p.m. CT | Stats | Watch
Sport Two: Saturday, Apr. 29 at 1:00 p.m. CT | Stats | Watch
Sport 3: Sunday, Apr. 30 at 1:00 p.m. CT | Stats | Watch
ON-TAP: Eastern Illinois baseball is again in motion with a house Ohio Valley Convention sequence towards the Golden Eagles of Tennessee Tech. Each groups dangle a 4-8 document in convention play this season.
EIU is 1-0 heading into their 2nd to closing house sequence of the season with an 11-2 victory at Butler. In spite of their 4-8 OVC document, they have got the 3rd absolute best total document within the convention at 23-15.
Eastern recently sits in 8th position total with a 4-8 document within the OVC. Tennessee Tech is in 9th position with the similar document because the Panthers.
Firstly of the season, Eastern Illinois was once decided on to complete 3rd within the OVC standings. Southeast Missouri State was once tabbed as the favourite to win by means of receiving 16 first position votes and are closing yr’s protecting champs. Morehead State completed in 2nd with two first position votes.
ROAD WARRIORS: To start out the 2023 marketing campaign, Eastern Illinois baseball had performed 20 right away video games. EIU recently is 18-12 at the highway together with a victory over No. 3 Arkansas previous this season by means of a rating of 12-3.
In the NCAA, the Panthers lead the NCAA in highway victories with 18. Final season, EIU ranked 2nd within the country with 24 highway wins, simplest two at the back of the Huskies of Connecticut.
QUICK HITTER NOTES: Eastern Illinois already has a cast begin to Week 11 of the season after choosing up an 11-2 victory over Butler in Indianapolis, Ind. EIU tied the season sequence with the Bulldogs at 2-2/
The Panthers even have performed six additional inning video games this season together with their 12 inning win over Illinois. In the ones video games they have got a 4-1 document with their lone loss coming vs. Butler in 14 innings. With six additional inning video games, it marks probably the most in a season since 2014.
As a workforce, EIU is recently hitting .281 for the season which ranks 2nd in the convention. Eastern’s .391 on-base share ranks 2nd within the OVC (seventy fifth within the NCAA). The Panthers have the bottom quantity of strikeouts as a workforce with simply 267.
At the base pads, Eastern Illinois ranks forty sixth within the nation within the stolen bases in line with sport with a median of one.68 in line with sport. At the season, EIU has 70 stolen bases (54th within the NCAA). With 31 sacrifice bunts at the season, EIU may also play the small sport score fifteenth within the NCAA.
At the mound, the Eastern pitching personnel has been cast with the bottom ERA within the OVC at 5.14. They’re permitting their warring parties to hit simply .275 at the season whilst they have got additionally given up the 3rd lowest quantity of hits to warring parties (363).
With a cast protection backing up EIU pitchers, the Panthers have simplest allowed 191 runs this season which is the second one lowest within the OVC. EIU has simplest given up 139 walks this season which is the bottom within the convention. Their walks in line with 9 innings (3.76) ranks fortieth within the NCAA.
EIU’s protection has been cast even with runners on base as they moderate 0.89 double performs in line with sport (twenty seventh within the NCAA). Previous this season, EIU had six double performs of their sequence vs. Little Rock. Eastern ranks 3rd within the OVC in fielding share at .969. Their 373 assists within the box ranks 2nd within the OVC.
After their 5-0 shutout of Saint Xavier on Wednesday, EIU has now posted six shutouts throughout the 2023 season. In the rustic, EIU ranks 8th nationally in shutout wins.
Ryan Ignoffo had his absolute best week of the season after hitting .526 in 5 video games. He accumulated 10 hits together with 3 house runs towards Southern Indiana. Ignoffo totaled six RBI and 9 runs scored whilst additionally being walked 5 instances. His .625 on-base share ranked 2nd at the workforce closing week.
At the season, Ignoffo has now progressed his batting moderate to .306 in 38 video games performed. He’s one in every of two Panthers to start out each sport this season (Lincoln Riley). He recently leads the workforce in hits (45), runs (40)m RBI (38), house runs (9) and stolen bases (20).
Ignoffo has additionally been to be had at the mound for EIU. He has gave the impression in 11 video games this season which is tied for 2nd at the workforce. Ignoffo has an ERA of 6.94 with a 1-1 document in 23.1 innings pitched. He has allowed 18 earned runs and has struck out 26.
Nicholas Rucker has additionally been scorching in convention play, proceeding that towards USI. In OVC play, Rucker leads the workforce with a .425 batting moderate together with 5 additional base hits. In overall, he leads the workforce with 17 hits and is 2nd in RBI with 10.
All over his senior marketing campaign, Rucker ranks 2nd at the workforce in batting moderate with a .324 (min. 50 at-bats). He has 36 hits together with 8 doubles and 4 house runs. His 22 walks is 2nd at the Panthers squad. He’s using a 22 reached base safely streak.
Kolten Poorman has additionally performed rather well in his first season with Eastern Illinois. He leads the workforce in batting moderate with a .325 in 30 video games performed. Poorman, a 3 Rivers School switch, has 27 overall hits together with 5 doubles and 3 house runs.
His batting moderate ranks tenth within the OVC. In convention play, Poorman is hitting .361 with a team-high 13 RBI on 13 hits. Final week, Poorman accumulated seven hits with a team-high six RBI. He had an on-base share of .450 with a slugging share of .529.
In their lone win towards Southern Indiana closing weekend, Ky Matthews-Hampton was once ready to earn his 5th win of the season in a 22-12 victory. At the season, Hampton has a three.43 ERA (fifth in OVC) in 10 begins. He has additionally pitched the 3rd maximum innings within the convention at 57.2.
The Australian local has allowed 67 hits this season whilst permitting simplest 22 earned runs and has struck out 33. He’s conserving his warring parties to a .267 moderate. He’s 5th within the convention in walks allowed with 5.
Taking a look to transport right into a weekend function, Nick Laxner has made an have an effect on for the Panthers throughout the midweek. He has a 2-1 document for EIU in 8 appearances with a three.46 ERA. Laxner has waked simply 5 warring parties, the bottom within the OVC. His 1.15 walks in line with 9 innings ranks 9th within the nation.
His strikeout to stroll ration of seven.20 ranks 14th within the NCAA. He has a complete of 36 strikeouts at the yr. His ERA additionally ranks within the best ten within the convention (sixth total).
CATEGORY LEADERS
Hits: Ryan Ignoffo (45), Lincoln Riley (39), Nicholas Rucker (36)
RBI: Ignoffo (38), Kolten Poorman (24), Riley (23)
Batting Moderate (min. 50 at-bats): Poorman (.325), Rucker (.324), Grant Lashure (.315)
Runs: Ignoffo (40), Riley (31), Cole Gober (21)
Strikeouts: Tyler Conklin (40), Nick Laxner (36), Ky Hampton (33)
ERA (min. 10 IP): Jackson Nicholas (0.60), Zane Robbins (2.08), Hampton (3.43)
SERIES HISTORY: The Panthers are recently shedding the best-ever sequence towards Tennessee Tech 41-43. They first met throughout the 1978 season when Eastern Illinois was once nonetheless a Department II workforce and misplaced the primary ever assembly.
Over their closing six conferences, each groups take a seat at a 3-3 document. In 2019, Eastern Illinois swept Tennessee Tech in a chain in Cookeville, Tenn.
ON DECK: Eastern Illinois proceed their OVC play as they head to Morehead State beginning on Friday, Might 5. They’ll play a three-game sequence finishing on Sunday, Might 7.
HEAD COACH: Jason Anderson starts his 8th season because the Eastern Illinois head baseball trainer. Anderson were given his first win because the Eastern Illinois head trainer on March 5, 2016 towards No. 12 Arkansas by means of a last rating of 10-8 (10 innings). He would pass on to complete with a 15-39 document in his first season. He would give a boost to each and every season over the following 3 years after posting 21, 23 and 26 wins sooner than posting an 8-6 document throughout the 2020 COVID-19 season. Following that season, Anderson coached Trey Sweeney who was once drafted twentieth total by means of the New York Yankees in 2021. Sweeney was once the 3rd absolute best drafted Panther of all-time. In 2022, Anderson would submit his maximum wins in a season after going 33-20 and securing the quantity 4 seed within the OVC Event held n Lexington, Ky. It was once probably the most wins by means of an EIU workforce since 2001. From that workforce, Anderson coached two first workforce All-OVC gamers (Ryan Ignoffo and Hayden Birdsong) and the OVC Freshman of the 12 months (Chris Worcester). He’s a 2012 graduate of the University of Illinois after enjoying baseball there from 1998-2000. He was once the Pitcher of the 12 months within the Large Ten throughout the 2000 season, and was once drafted within the tenth spherical by means of the New York Yankees. After his 8 yr enjoying occupation within the MLB, he made training stops at Danville Group School and the University of Illinois sooner than coming to Eastern Illinois. He’s assisted by means of Derek Francis, Forrest Arnold, Mike Pugliese and Colton Hann.
