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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Already 3-0 on its spring break trip after winning the Bulls Baseball Classic over the weekend, Eastern Illinois baseball closes out its stay in Florida with neutral-site games against more traditional opponents, Indiana and Bradley, this week.

 

The Panthers (9-4) take on the Hoosiers (6-8) Tuesday at 9 a.m. (CDT) in Lakeland, Fla. Wednesday's game against the Braves (4-7) is slated for 8:30 a.m. (CDT) in Winter Haven, Fla.

 

Eastern played Indiana as recently as the 2006 and 2007 seasons, splitting the two neutral-site games in Florida (won, 12-11) and Memphis (lost, 16-7), respectively. The EIU-IU game will be played at Henley Park, the spring training home of the Detroit Tigers from 1934-66. Florida Southern, an NCAA Division II team, currently plays its home games at the 86-year-old stadium.

 

The Panthers annually play midweek games against Bradley. However, the two schools also squared off in Florida during the 2006 spring break trip. The EIU-BU game will be played at Chain of Lakes Park, which the Cleveland Indians (1993-2008) and Boston Red Sox (1966-92) have both previously used for spring training.

 

During head coach Jim Schmitz's 15-year EIU tenure, only the 1998 team's 11-4 start ranks better than what the current squad has accomplished thus far. Eastern posted its 10th win of the 1998 season on March 15.

 

Brian Morrell (Senior, RHP) is expected to start on the mound for the Panthers Tuesday. Indiana is expected to counter with Chris Squires (Junior, RHP). Wednesday's pitching matchup is still to be determined by both teams.

 

Eastern has won seven of its last nine games, winning South Florida's tournament over the weekend with three wins in three days vs. three different teams. Richie Derbak has hit safely in all 11 games in which he has batted this season, posting seven multiple-hit efforts. Curt Restko is currently riding a nine-game hitting streak, and has driven in a run in each of the last five games. Both hitting streaks are career bests for the juniors.

 

Derbak's 18-for-28 (.643) showing over the last six games has been particularly impressive. He has recorded multiple hits in all six games, while also collecting eight RBIs and scoring eight times.

 

The Hoosiers lost to EIU's Ohio Valley Conference rival, Jacksonville State, in 10 innings Sunday afternoon in Winter Haven. They've also beaten Morehead State in Bloomington and lost to Indiana State in Terre Haute. Indiana takes on Northern Iowa in Winter Haven Monday.

 

Bradley, meanwhile, squares off against Jax State Monday as well. The Braves are led by first-year skipper Elvis Dominguez, who was the head coach of EIU's OVC rival Eastern Kentucky from 2002-08. Eastern and BU are also scheduled to play April 22 in Charleston.

 

Brett Nommensen hit a three-run homer, the first of his career, in EIU's 2006 win against Indiana. A season later in Memphis, Nommensen singled and scored in his first two at-bats, and Jordan Kreke and Derbak also recorded RBI hits.

On their return trip home to the Midwest, the Panthers will be stopping in Kentucky for a three-game weekend series at Morehead State that marks the beginning of OVC play.

More Info: Contact Ben Turner, Asst. SID