Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Welcomes Top-Team Middle Tennessee This Weekend
4/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Game Notes
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- After back-to-back series wins in Conference USA play, Marshall baseball (13-26, 6-12 C-USA) will look to keep its momentum as it hosts first place Middle Tennessee (23-17, 14-4 C-USA) at Appalachian Power Park in Charleston beginning Friday, April 24.
Game 1: Friday, April 24, 1 p.m.
| Video | WMUL Audio
Game 2: Saturday, April 25, 7 p.m.
| Video | WMUL Audio
Game 3: Sunday, April 26, 10 a.m.
| Video | WMUL Audio
Fans can follow the @HerdBaseball for in-game updates, as well as listening to ESPN 94.1 and AM 940 for additional listening opportunities.
It will be Military Appreciation Weekend, as the Herd will wear its camo hats all weekend and special camo jerseys on Saturday's game. The jerseys will be sold for 50$ a piece, and can be pre-purchased during Friday and Saturday's games and can be picked up immediately following the game Saturday or after Sunday's finale.
HAVE YOU HERD?
Marshall dropped a heartbreaker to in-state West Virginia on Tuesday, falling 3-2 in Morgantown. Senior Josh King (Troup, Ga.) made his long awaited return to the mound in a starting role, as he went 5.1 innings with five K's.
Prior to the WVU loss, the Herd picked up its second consecutive C-USA series win, taking two of three games from 2014 NCAA Regional qualifier Old Dominion. Starters Chase Boster (Stafford, Va.) and JD Hammer (Fort Collins, Colo.) each tossed career-long outings and picked up the wins.
Senior TJ Diffenderfer (Mount Juliet, Tenn.) enters the weekend after just snapping an 11-game hitting streak Tuesday. The first baseman leads the Herd with four home runs and 27 RBI. In conference games this season, Diffenderfer is hitting .369 (fourth in C-USA for league games) with a .429 slugging percentage.
It will be a bit of a reunion for the Herd's first baseman and some of the Blue Raiders, as two players from Middle Tennessee played at Columbia State JC with Diffenderfer; senior infielder Dustin Delgado and junior outfielder Ronnie Jebavy.
THE MOUND MAKEUP
G1: MT senior Johnathan Frebis, LHP (4.21 ERA, 4-4) vs. Herd junior Chase Boster, RHP (1.88 ERA, 4-0)
G2: MT junior Nate Hoffman, RHP (3.14 ERA, 3-1) vs. Herd junior JD Hammer, RHP (4.07 ERA, 1-3)
G3: MT junior Tyler Troutt, LHP (4.66 ERA, 0-2) vs. Herd junior Michael Taylor, RHP (3.54 ERA, 1-4)
SCOUTING THE BLUE RAIDERS
The top team in the league is coming off a sweep last weekend against Charlotte, but snapped a six-game win streak after falling 4-0 to No. 8 Vanderbilt on Tuesday. Jebavy sits at the top of the conference with 20 stolen bases, and also leads Middle with a .364 batting average. Senior outfielder Jared Allen carries a team-best 10 home runs and 39 RBI.
UP NEXT
Marshall will close out its series with West Virginia, as the Herd welcomes the Mountaineers to Power Park for a 6 p.m. contest on Tuesday, April 28.
