Marshall University Athletics
Baseball Set for Busy Midweek
4/1/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 1, 2013
WVU: | Video
EKU: Live Stats
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Two midweek games are slated for the Thundering Herd baseball team this week, beginning with a rematch against West Virginia in Morgantown, W.Va., on Tuesday and ending with a meeting with Eastern Kentucky in Richmond, Ky., on Wednesday.
Game times/probable starters:
Tuesday, 6 p.m. vs. West Virginia (15-13, 3-3 Big 12)
LHP Alex Thackston (0-1, 3.86) vs. RHP Dan Dierdorff (1-3, 4.94)
Wednesday, 3 p.m. vs. Eastern Kentucky (5-18, 2-7 OVC)
RHP Brandyn Sittinger (0-1, 6.94) vs. TBA
Tuesday's game at Hawley Field has been designated "Dollar Night" as tickets, hot dogs, popcorn, and Coca-Colas are one dollar.
Marshall (11-15, 1-2 Conference USA) defeated WVU earlier this season on March 19 when Aaron Blair and Josh King combined for a two-hit shutout in the teams' first in-state meeting since 1998. The last time the Herd faced EKU, the Colonels walked off with a two-run homer to left field in Richmond, Ky.
Marshall trails the all-time series with both WVU (33-22) and EKU (37-28).
Sophomore second baseman Andrew Dundon remains the Herd's hitting leader at .333. Dundon, who has held the team's lead in batting average for the majority of the season, ranks ninth in Conference USA for overall average.
Senior Isaac Ballou has reached base safely in each of the last 18 games of the season. During that time, his on-base percentage is .529 with 24 hits and 19 walks. Ballou's season OBP is .431 which is second-best in C-USA.
Freshmen Alex Thackston and Brandyn Sittinger will get the starts on the hill. For Sittinger, it will be the seventh appearance but first start of his collegiate career while Thackston will make his fifth start.
West Virginia is led in hitting by Jacob Rice (.391). The junior leftfielder has 11 doubles and a homer but was held to 0-for-3 in the meeting with MU earlier this season.
On the mound, WVU will utilize senior right-hander Dan Dierdorff. Dierdorff has made four starts and four pen appearances for the Mountaineers. In 27.1 innings, he has allowed 17 runs (15 earned) while striking out 15.
For EKU, junior catcher Sean Hagan bats .313 with eight runs and eight RBIs. Senior Matt Phipps, who had the walkoff homer last year, is batting .240 with three long balls.
Tuesday's game with WVU will be available through video stream and CBS GameTracker. Wednesday's game at Turkey Hughes Field can be followed via live stats.
