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EASTERN ILLINOIS (12-18, 3-8) at Tennessee Tech (23-10, 12-3)
Friday, April 12 - Sunday, April 14
Cookeville, Tenn. • Averitt Express Baseball Complex (1,100) 

FIRST PITCH
The Panther baseball team travels to Tennessee Tech on April 12-14 for a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series. EIU enters the weekend on a six-game win streak with a 12-18 overall record and a 3-8 mark in conference play.
 
EIU has posted a .362 batting average in its last six games with eight players posting a .300 batting average or higher. The pitching staff has combined to post a 3.83 ERA with 43 strikeouts to only 14 walks.
 
Tennessee Tech enters the weekend ranked second in the conference standings with a 12-3 record. The Golden Eagles have a 23-10 overall record with a 15-5 mark when playing at home. TTU has won nine consecutive series this season.
 
TTU has a .288 batting average led by Daniel Miles who is hitting .343 this season with 29 RBI, 23 runs and 16 extra-base hits. Zach Stephens has added a .311 batting and a team-high 39 RBI and 37 runs.
 
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
RHP Andrew Grahn (0-2 W-L, 5.16 ERA) vs RHP Tristan Archer (5-2 W-L, 3.00 ERA)
RHP Joe Greenfield (1-3 W-L, 3.19 ERA) vs RHP Ross Spurgeon (1-1 W-L, 2.78 ERA)
RHP Matt Borens (1-4 W-L, 5.36 ERA) vs RHP Jacob Honea (1-1 W-L, 5.91 ERA)
 
EIU-TTU SERIES HISTORY
Last season, the Panthers swept the Golden Eagles in Cookeville – the team's first series victory at TTU since 2004. EIU won the series opener, 7-6, in 10 innings before earning defeating TTU, 9-8, in game two. The Panthers posted a 9-3 victory in the series finale.
 
PANTHER NOTES
• In the Panthers last six games, Cameron Berra has posted a .550 batting average with eight runs, seven RBI, a double and a triple. The junior utility player has a .304 batting average on the year with 10 RBI and runs.
 
• In the Panthers last six games, they have outscored their opponents by 45 (73-28) and driven in 38 more runs (65-27). EIU has also posted 16 doubles, two triples and four home runs during its win streak.
 
• Treysen Vavra posted a .480 batting average in his last six games with eight RBI, four doubles and eight runs. The junior infielder has a team-high 28 RBI on the year.
 
• Nick Priessman hit .500 in the Panthers last six games with 10 RBI, three doubles and four runs. He has a .290 batting average this season with 16 RBI.
 
• Brant Valach ranks third in the OVC in doubles with 12. The Orland Park, Ill., native is hitting .300 this season with 21 RBI and 19 runs.

• EIU posted a .336 batting average against TTU in three games last season, led by Nick Priessman who hit .600 (9-for-15) with five RBI and three runs. The senior outfielder also added a double, a home run and two stolen bases.
 
• Sophomore Brant Valach hit .417 (5-for-12) against the Golden Eagles last season with a run and an RBI. Classmate Caleb Howell added a .286 batting average with four runs, two RBI and run.
 
• Garrison Stenger has made three appearances during the Panthers win streak, posting a 1-0 record with a 0.00 ERA. He has six strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work while only allowing one hit and holding opposing hitters to a .059 batting average.
 
• Ben Kennedy has also made three appearances out of the bullpen during the win streak, posting a 1-0 record with a 0.00 ERA. The junior left-handed pitcher has four strikeouts while only allowing three hits in 4.1 innings of action.
 
• EIU currently ranks third in the OVC in ERA (4.56) while ranking eighth in batting average (.273).
 
• Treysen Vavra's father is the third base coach for the Minnesota Twins after serving as the team's hitting coach from 2005-12. Other baseball connections include Cameron Berra being a distant relative of MLB Hall of Famer Yogi Berra.
  
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
The Panthers travel to Saint Louis on April 16 for a midweek contest before returning home for an OVC series against Southeast Missouri on April 19-21.