Coaches Stadium (500) • Charleston, Ill.

FIRST PITCH
The Panther baseball team plays host to Tennessee Tech in a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series on April 11-13. Game one is slated for 3 p.m. on Friday.
 
EIU has won three of its last four games, most recently defeating Illinois College on April 9 at Coaches Stadium. The Panthers rank fourth in the conference in batting average (.294) and eighth in ERA (6.10). In OVC only games, the Panthers pace the conference with a .327 batting average.
 
Tennessee Tech, the 2013 OVC Regular-Season Champions, are 9-4 in away games this year and 9-6 in conference play. The Golden Eagles rank seventh in the nation in batting average (.312) to lead the conference while ranking second in the OVC in ERA (3.78). TTU also ranks second in the nation in home runs per game (1.14) and on-base percentage (.420), third in slugging percentage (.483) and fourth in runs per game (8.5). 
 
EIU-TTU SERIES
EIU leads the all-time series with Tennessee Tech, 33-24. The Panthers were swept in the three-game series in Cookeville, Tenn., last year on April 12-14. EIU hit .267 in the series with a 9.38 ERA.
 
Caleb Howell hit .417 in the series with two runs and a RBI while Cameron Berra went 3-for-8 with a double.
 
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUP
Friday: RHP Matt Borens (1-2 W-L, 4.30 ERA) vs RHP David Hess (5-2 W-L, 2.88 ERA)
Saturday: RHP Jake Johansmeier (1-3 W-L, 5.74 ERA) vs RHP Chris Chism (4-0 W-L, 4.01 ERA)
Sunday: RHP Joe Greenfield (4-3 W-L, 5.97 ERA) vs RHP Austin Tolle (3-0 W-L, 5.40 ERA)
 
COACHING MATCHUPS
Tennessee Tech: Matt Bragga
Career record: 281-296-2 (11th) | TTU record: Same
 
Eastern Illinois: Jim Schmitz
Career record: 672-695 (27th) | EIU record: 508-534 (20th)
 
UP NEXT
The Panthers play host to Indiana State on Tuesday, April 15 before traveling to Southeast Missouri for a three-game OVC series on April 17-19.
 
VALACH NAMED OVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
After going 0-for-3 at the plate in a midweek game at Illinois State, Valach hit .600 (9-for-15) in the three-game OVC series at Murray State. The junior infielder had three home runs, 10 RBI, six runs and a double on the week.
 
The Orland Park, Ill., native hit three home runs with six RBI in the series finale on Sunday, April 6 as he helped the Panthers win their first OVC series of the year with a 14-3 win. He added a 1.267 slugging percentage against the Thoroughbreds with a .625 on-base percentage.
 
DIAMOND NOTES
• The Panthers are 4-4 at home this season with a .348 batting average. Caleb Howell has hit .556 at Coaches Stadium with nine runs and a .629 on-base percentage. The junior outfielder has hit .423 at home during his career.
 
• Brant Valach has hit .455 in three home games this season. The junior infielder has posted a .406 batting average at home in his career with 25 RBI, 29 runs and 15 extra-base hits.
 
• Demetre Taylor is hitting .414 at home this year with a .966 slugging percentage. The sophomore outfielder has added 10 runs, 16 RBI and eight extra-base hits in seven home games.
 
• Caleb Howell ranks third in the nation in batting average (.431) and 15^th in on-base percentage (.500). In OVC only games, he has increased his batting average to .469 and his on-base percentage to .565. 
 
• Caleb Howell has a .346 career batting average against Tennessee Tech with six runs, three RBI and two extra-base hits. Classmate Brant Valach has hit .304 in those six outings.
 
• Since returning to the lineup on March 28 after missing over a month of action due to a broken wrist, Brant Valach has hit .483. In six conference games, he has hit .538 with 14 RBI, eight runs and five extra-base hits.
 
• Demetre Taylor has hit .426 in OVC play with a conference-best .915 slugging percentage. The Tampa, Fla., native has 15 RBI, 13 runs and 12 extra-base hits in those outings.
 
• Troy Barton has a 2.53 ERA in five appearances during OVC play this year. He has thrown eight strikeouts in 10.2 innings of work with two saves while limiting opposing hitters to a .237 batting average.
 
• Matt Borens ranks second in the conference in strikeouts (50) and third in innings pitched (52.1). The junior pitcher has a 4.30 ERA in eight starts this season with a 1-2 record.
 
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).
 
SCHMITZ ENTERS HIS 20th SEASON AT EIU
Head coach Jim Schmitz enters his 20th season with the Panther baseball team in 2014, recording a 508-534 record with EIU and amassing a 672-695 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.