Friday, March 14 - Sunday, March 16

Raymond C. Hand Park (1,000) • Clarksville, Tenn.

FIRST PITCH
The Panther baseball team travels to Austin Peay on March 14-16 for a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series. Game one is schedule for Friday at 6 p.m.
 
EIU is 3-13 on the year and 1-2 in conference play. The Governors are 6-9 overall and 0-0 in OVC action.
 
The Governors rank ninth in the conference in batting average (.242) and sixth in ERA (5.62). EIU ranks seventh in ERA (5.91) and eighth in batting average (.255).
 
Austin Peay was picked to finish second in the OVC after posting a 47-15 a year ago and capturing the OVC Tournament Title and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
 
EIU-APSU HISTORY
EIU trails the all-time series between the two squads, 32-27. Panther head coach Jim Schmitz is 23-30 all-time against Austin Peay.
 
The Panthers dropped both games last year against the Governors on March 15-16 in Charleston, Ill. EIU lost game one, 11-3, before falling 5-2 in the second game. The series finale was canceled due to cold weather.
 
EIU posted a .227 batting average and a 4.50 ERA in the two games last year. Austin Peay hit .343 and had a 2.50 ERA.
 
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUP
Friday: RHP Matt Borens (0-2 W-L, 1.67 ERA) vs TBA
Saturday: RHP Jake Johansmeier (1-1 W-L, 4.03 ERA) vs TBA
Sunday: RHP Jaden Widdersheim (1-0 W-L, 2.40 ERA) vs TBA
 
COACHING MATCHUPS
APSU: Gary McClure
Career record: 805-700-4 (27th) | APSU record: Same
 
Eastern Illinois: Jim Schmitz
Career record: 665-686 (27th) | EIU record: 501-525 (20th)
 
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, March 14 - 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 15 - 2 p.m.
Sunday, March 16 - 1 p.m.
 
SCHMITZ WINS NO. 500 AT EIU
Panther head coach Jim Schmitz won his 500th game at EIU on Friday, Feb. 28 in a 10-5 win over Michigan State in 10 innings. He is the longest tenured coach at EIU and is the all-time wins leader. He ranks sixth all-time in career wins in OVC history. (EIU played in the Summit League for two years when Schmitz was hired before moving to the OVC).
 
UP NEXT
The Panther baseball team travels to Southern Illinois on Tuesday, March 18 before participating in the Illinois Tournament on March 21-23. EIU will play the host Fighting Illini and Xavier at the tournament.
 
DIAMOND NOTES
• Jaden Widdersheim is slated to make his first OVC start on Sunday at Austin Peay. The senior pitcher has a 2.40 ERA this season in eight appearances, throwing 17 strikeouts in 15 innings of action. Sunday's start will be his first start of the season and fifth of his career.
 
• Frankie Perrone went 2-for-4 with a home run in the loss at Vanderbilt. The freshman outfielder is third on the team in batting average (.327) and leads the team in home runs (3), RBI (11) and slugging percentage (.545).
 
• Chase Thurston made his first career start at Vanderbilt, allowing four hits and four runs in a season-long 4.2 innings of work. The freshman pitcher retired the first five batters he faced and did not allow a run until the fifth inning against the nationally ranked Commodores.
 
• Caleb Howell ranks eighth in the conference in batting average as the junior outfielder is hitting .377 for the Panthers. He is also fifth in the OVC in hits (23).
 
• Mitch Gasbarro hit his first home run of the year in the loss at Vanderbilt. The sophomore infielder has reached base safely in 11 straight games. He leads the team in runs (14) and doubles (5).
 
• Matt Borens ranks fourth in the conference in ERA (1.67). The junior pitcher has made four starts this season with 23 strikeouts to only four walks. He has only allowed five earned runs in 27 innings of action this year while holding opposing hitters to a .196 batting average.
 
• The Panthers are hitting .277 with runners in scoring position. Caleb Howell has hit .500 (7-for-14) in those situations while Demetre Taylor has posted a .471 batting average (8-for-17).
 
• EIU has led the Ohio Valley Conference in earned run average in four of the last six seasons. The Panthers finished fourth in 2013 and second in 2009. Last season, the Panthers ranked second in the conference in fewest earned runs allowed (226).
 
• Troy Barton has a 14-14 record in 58 career appearances (29 starts) in four years with the Panthers. The senior pitcher has a 3.98 ERA with 135 strikeouts in 174.1 innings of work. He is three wins away from entering the EIU career-top 10 for wins.
 
• Jacob Reese has played in 163 career games with the Panthers, making 161 starts behind home plate. The senior catcher has a .260 career batting average with 81 runs and 62 RBI. He is 25 games away from breaking into the EIU career top-10 for games played.
 
VALACH OUT INDEFINITELY WITH INJURY
Junior infielder Brant Valach is out indefinitely with a broken wrist. The two-time All-OVC selection and 2012 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American was hitting .136 with four RBI and two extra-base hits before the injury.
 
GREENFIELD NAMED 49th BEST SENIOR PROSPECT
Senior pitcher Joe Greenfield was named the nation's 49th best prospect of the 2014 senior class as announced on Feb. 3 by Baseball America.
 
Greenfield posted a 3.66 ERA last season with four complete games and two saves in 18 appearances (14 starts). The Orland Park, Ill., native pitched in a team-high 93.1 innings with 63 strikeouts to 31 walks.
 
The right-handed pitcher has been drafted twice, most recently being taken in the 36th round (pick No. 1,070) of the 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Players Draft by the Minnesota Twins. He was drafted in the 22nd round (pick No. 691) of the 2012 draft by the Boston Red Sox.
 
HOWELL EARNS PRESEASON ALL-OVC HONORS
Junior outfielder Caleb Howell was selected to the preseason All-OVC Team as selected by conference head coaches and sports information directors. EIU was also tabbed to finish seventh in the preseason poll.
 
Howell posted a team-best .362 batting average last season, the fourth highest average in the conference. The Jacksonville, Ill., native earned All-OVC Second Team honors in 2013 as he earned all-conference honors for the second consecutive year.
 
Howell played in 46 games a year ago with 29 runs, 20 RBI and 10 extra-base hits. He also added a .446 slugging percentage and a .442 on-base percentage. In OVC only games, he increased his batting average to .377.
 
BARTON, SLAZINIK RETURN TO PITCHING STAFF
Starting pitchers Troy Barton and Christian Slazinik return to the mound this season after both players missed the entire 2013 campaign with injuries.
 
Barton led the team in wins in 2012 with a 9-5 record to go along with a 3.20 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 78.2 innings of action. The Libertyville, Ill., native held opposing hitters to a .239 batting average in 17 appearances (13 starts).
 
Slazinik posted a 6-6 record with a 4.50 ERA in 2012 in 15 appearances. The St. Louis, Mo., native threw 68 strikeouts in 80 innings of work.
 
EIU PICKED SEVENTH IN OVC PRESEASON POLL
Eastern Illinois was picked seventh in the OVC Preseason Poll as selected by conference head coaches and sports information directors.
 
Tennessee Tech was picked to finish first in the conference and earned 19, first-place votes followed by Austin Peay in second with two, first-place votes. Belmont was tabbed to finish third followed by Jacksonville State and Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels received the remaining first-place vote.
 
Southeast Missouri was picked to finish sixth followed by Eastern Illinois, SIUE and Morehead State. Murray State and UT Martin rounded out the bottom of the preseason poll in 10th and 11th place, respectively.
 
Tennessee Tech's Zach Stephens was named the preseason player of the year and Jacksonville State's Travis Stout was named the preseason pitcher of the year. Both players were named to the Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American Team by Collegiate Baseball while Stephens was also selected to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's Preseason All-American Team.
 
SCHMITZ ENTERS HIS 20th SEASON AT EIU
Head coach Jim Schmitz enters his 20th season with the Panther baseball team in 2014, recording a 501-525 record with EIU and amassing a 665-686 career record in 26 seasons as head coach. The three-time Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year has won four regular-season titles – most recently in 2009 – and has taken the Panthers to the NCAA Tournament on two occasions, both in 1999 and 2008.
 
Schmitz has seen the on-field accomplishments of his players come to fruition as 68 players have earned all-conference accolades including 36 players who have earned first-team distinction. Three players have also earned player of the year honors in Matt Marzec (1998), Pete Pirman (2002) and Jordan Kreke (2009) during his tenure. John Larson also captured pitcher of the year honors in 1999 while Ben Duke (2001) and Brant Valach (2012) have earned newcomer of the year recognition.
 
Under the tutelage of Schmitz, 19 players have been taken in Major League Baseball's First-Year Players Draft since taking the helm of the program in 1995. Eight players have been drafted in the last five seasons, most recently Joe Greenfield who was taken in the 2013 draft. When Tyler Kehrer went 48th overall in the 2009 MLB Draft, he became the highest Panther picked since 1988.