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EIU Game Notes  |   

Eastern Illinois (22-33-1)  at Georgia (26-29-1)

Friday - Feb. 13 @ 4 p.m (Central)               |    Live Stats    |  TV: SEC Network +    |  Georgia Radio Link 
Saturday - Feb. 14 @ 3 p.m. (Central)          |    Live Stats    |  TV: SEC Network +    |  Georgia Radio Link
Sunday - Feb. 15 @ 12 p.m. (Central)          |     Live Stats   |  TV: SEC Network +    |  Georgia Radio Link

Athens, Georgia
Foley Field (3,291)  |  LF 350 • LC 370 • C 404 • RC 365 • RF 314
Series: First meeting

EIU Rotation
Friday: Jake Johansmeier (RHP, 6-3, 170, Jr.)
Saturday: Christian Slazinik (LHP, 6-0, 190, R-Sr.)
Sunday: Garrison Stenger (LHP, 6-2, 198, Sr.)

Head Coaches
EIU: Jimmy Schmitz (684-706-1, 28th year / 520-545-1, 21st year EIU)
Georgia: Scott Stricklin (376-217-1, 11th year / 26-29-1, 2nd year UGA)

• Eastern Illinois outfielder Caleb Howell returns as the top hitter in the nation after batting .420 last season.  Howell was third in the NCAA last season as he earned second team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors.  Howell's batting average was the sixth highest in school history as he set the school record with 94 hits.  Howell was named to the preseason All-OVC team.

• Eastern Illinois third baseman Brant Valach earned second team All-OVC honors last season despite missing a portion of the year with injury.  Valach hit .333 for the season appearing in 38 games.  He played 24 games in the OVC hitting .386 in league play with five home runs and 34 RBI.  Valach was the OVC Rookie of the Year in 2012 and is a preseason All-OVC selection this year.

• Both Caleb Howell and Brant Valach will be chasing spots in the Eastern Illinois career record book as the Panthers open the 2015 season.  Howell enters the year 7th on the Panthers career hits list with 223.  He needs 37 hits to become the school's career leader.  Valach is closing in on the Panthers career Top 10 for RBI.  Valach has 102 career RBI and needs 20 to move into the 10th.

• Eastern Illinois will be opening its 109th season of intercollegiate baseball as the Panthers play at Georgia this weekend.  EIU has an all-time record of 1,604 wins and 1,437 losses.  Head coach Jimmy Schmitz is in his 21st season as the Panthers skipper.  Schmitz is the Panthers career leader in wins with 520.  He earned his 500th career win last season with a win over Michigan State.  EIU has won its season opener in two of the last three seasons including a 5-1 win over No. 14 Louisiana Lafayette to open the 2014 campaign.