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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Though not a home game, an hour van ride east to Terre Haute, Ind., for Tuesday's midweek opener at Indiana State might almost feel like one for Eastern Illinois baseball.

 

First pitch at the newly renovated and renamed Bob Warn Field is slated for 2 p.m. (CST).

 

Indiana State's home field continues to feature an artificial surface. The new field turf allowed the Sycamores (6-4) to host EIU's Ohio Valley Conference rival UT Martin for a three-game series over the weekend, ISU winning two-of-three.

 

The Panthers (1-8) are currently in the midst of another long road stretch to begin the season, with the first 17 games on the schedule slated to be played away from Charleston. Eastern opens its annual spring break trip this weekend with a three-game series at South Florida. Next week EIU is scheduled to play four neutral-site games in Florida against schools also north of the Mason-Dixon Line: Army, Akron, Indiana and Ohio State.

 

After being idle the weekend of March 20-21, EIU is set to Chicago State for its March 23 home opener. Around the OVC, Eastern Kentucky and SIU Edwardsville are the only other teams yet to play a home game.

 

Freshman Troy Barton (Fr, RHP) is expected to start Tuesday's game at ISU, making his first start as a Panther. He has not pitched since working two innings of relief in the finale of the season-opening series at Southeastern Louisiana.

 

Indiana State is expected to counter with JT Stenftenagel (Jr, RHP), a junior college transfer also making his first start for his new team.

 

Eastern went 10-4 in midweek play last year, including splitting a home-and-home series with the Sycamores. However, three of the five wins the Panthers had to forfeit after the season were midweek games.

 

Both EIU-ISU games a year ago were high-scoring affairs. Indiana State was a 10-9 winner in Terre Haute thanks to a six-run fifth inning and a go-ahead run in the eighth.

 

A month later in Charleston, the Panthers were nationally ranked and riding what eventually became a 13-game win streak. Eastern hit seven home runs, including two from Ben Thoma and one from Alex Gee, and rolled to a 25-7 victory.

 

Indiana State also had a successful 2009 campaign, earning its own national ranking from Collegiate Baseball in May and finishing second in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Sycamores opened their new season with a three-game series sweep at Texas Southern but lost three-of-four the final weekend of February at Texas-San Antonio.

 

Along with a new stadium, ISU also has a new coach. Lindsay Meggs returned to his native West Coast after leading the Sycamores to 33-21 record in his third season in Terre Haute, taking over the program at the University of Washington. Indiana State hired within the MVC, selecting Rick Heller as head coach. Heller spent 10 years as the head coach at Northern Iowa before the school dropped baseball after the 2009 season.

 

The Panthers are in search of their first win in Terre Haute since 2007. Indiana State visits Charleston the weekend of May 14-15, for a rare three-team round robin weekend series with SIU Edwardsville at Coaches Stadium.

Recapping Last Week & The Young Season: Eastern Illinois has gotten off to a slow start but has been involved in a lot of close games. Of the Panthers' eight losses, five have been in one-run games (including three walk-off wins for opponents). Of the eight games EIU has lost, it has held the lead through at least the middle of the sixth on five occasions… The Panthers have committed at least one error in eight of their nine games. But after being charged with 18 errors in the first six games, EIU only committed two miscues in the entire UAB series… Josh Mueller struck out a season-high eight and did not give up an extra-base hit through 5 1/3 innings of one-run work at UAB Friday. Mike Hoekstra has returned to the pitching staff for the first time since suffering an arm injury in March 2008. He worked 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief in game two at UAB to help lead EIU to its first win. JUCO transfer Brent McNeil, EIU's third starter, had has best outing of the season Sunday. He gave up only three singles and one earned run in five-plus innings… Richie Derbak hit his first career grand slam in game two at UAB, tying his career high with five RBIs. Daniel Rowe is leading the team in hitting (.343) and on-base percentage (.452) while batting leadoff. He was one of three freshmen in the starting lineup at UAB. Ryan Dineen (2B) and Nick Priessman (CF) have also gotten a chance to contribute. Zach Borenstein has moved from right field to third base and leads EIU with four doubles and eight RBIs.