Marshall University Athletics
Baseball Set For C-USA Opening Series At Memphis
3/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 19, 2009
MILLINGTON, Tenn. - The Marshall University baseball team will take on Memphis in the Conference USA opener for both squads. The sides will play a three-game set beginning Friday, March 20-22 at USA Stadium in Millington, Tenn.
Friday's first-pitch is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET with Saturday and Sunday's games set for a 2:00 p.m. start time.
Marshall enters league play with an overall record of 8-9 and has won three of its last five contests. The Thundering Herd took two of three from Youngstown State in a weekend series at George T. Smailes Field at The Kennedy, before falling 5-4 to No. 7 Virginia in a thrilling game in Charlottesville, Va., Tuesday. Marshall got back on track with a 6-4 win over West Virginia State and will look to keep that momentum heading league play.
The Herd swept the 2008 season series, capped by an 11-1 mercy rule victory after seven innings of play in the series finale.
In that game, Marshall starter Dan Straily allowed just one hit, a single in the first, before pitching five straight hitless innings. The right-hander struck out three Tigers and surrendered just two walks in his sixth outing of last season.
Sophomore outfielder Ben Jurevicius enters the weekend series as the team-leader in batting average (.386) and hits (22). He has a double, a triple, a home run and 9 RBIs to his credit, and hit safely in each of the Herd's first 13 games before having the streak snapped against Youngstown State.
Senior infielder Adam Yeager leads the team in stolen bases (10-12) is just three shy of tying the school record for swipes over a career. Yeager also strung together a 13-game hitting streak before the Penguins were able to halt the hot hitting.
Sophomore infielder Kenny Socorro has picked up a hot bat in recent action, going 5-for-13 (.385) over the last five games with a double and five RBIs. Socorro also has a walk-off home run, a two-run shot in the bottom of the 16th inning that ended Marshall's suspended game against Morehead State. Socorro enters weekend action having hit safely in six straight games.
Memphis enters weekend action with an 8-10 record on the season but is on a three-game losing skid. The Tigers have five players batting above .300, including Trey Wiedman who's hitting at a .381 clip (24-for-63) with six doubles, a triple and 12 runs driven in. He is also 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts on the season.
Brennon Martin leads the Tigers pitching staff with a 2-0 record and a 1.52 ERA through four starts (in four appearances) this season. He has tossed a team-high 29.2 innings and has totaled a team-best 22 strikeouts, holding opponents to a .232 batting average.
Following its series with Memphis, Marshall returns to Huntington for a Tuesday tilt with Xavier on March 24 at The Kennedy Center. The Herd then travels to Richmond, Ky., Wednesday, March 25 to take on Eastern Kentucky. Marshall continues league action March 27-29 with its C-USA home opening series against East Carolina at Appalachian Power Park in Charleston, W.Va.
