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Eastern Illinois (30-15, 10-8 OVC) at Belmont (32-17, 13-5 OVC)
Nashville, Tenn. | E.S. Rose Park

Game One | Friday, May 13, 5:00 p.m.
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Game Two | Saturday, May 14, 2:00 p.m.
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Game Three | Sunday, May 15, 1:00 p.m.
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ON-TAP: Eastern Illinois baseball will play their final away series of the season this weekend when they travel to Nashville Tenn. to play Belmont for the final time as an Ohio Valley Conference member. Belmont will be leaving the OVC following this season as they move to the Missouri Valley Conference for the next academic season. EIU is currently 10-8 in the conference which ranks them tied for third with Morehead State. The Panthers lost a tough three game series last weekend at Coaches Stadium to Morehead State, two games to one. Belmont sits at the number two spot with a 13-5 record in OVC play. Belmont swept UT Martin last weekend, and had two wins over Lipscomb and North Alabama earlier this week.

PANTHERS OUT LAST LEATHERNECKS: The Panthers traveled to near by Macomb, Ill. this past Tuesday to play Western Illinois for the first of two matchups this season. EIU took the first game by a final score of 7-6. This win marked their 30th win of the season,which is the most wins in a season since the 2009 season when the Panthers went 31-19. 

Ryan Ignoffo had a big day at the plate collecting two hits and three RBIs including the go-ahead two RBI double in the eighth inning. Chris Worcester also had three hits and a RBI on the day. Blake Malatestinic picked up his fifth win of the season after coming in relief in the seventh inning. Kyle Lang also collected his first save of the season.

The Panthers will play Western Illinois after their three-game series at Belmont this weekend. The game is scheduled for Tuesday, May 17th at 3:00 p.m. at Coaches Stadium. This will also be EIU's senior day for the seven graduating seniors.

OVC TOP TEN: Multiple Panthers are currently in the top-ten for various hitting and pitching categories. Trevor Nicholson has posted a 3.79 ERA (5th OVC), a .242 opp. batting average (4th OVC), and has 83 strikeouts this year (1st OVC). He has only allowed 54 hits this season (6th fewest) while giving up the fourth fewest runs (29) and fifth fewest earned runs (25) in the conference. His strikeouts per nine innings is ranked 26th at 12.59 in the NCAA, and his 83 strikeouts ranks 42nd.

Fellow pitcher Zane Robbins has collected 11 saves this season following EIU's win over Illinois Wesleyan. He set the new EIU single season record for saves after earning his 11th. Robbins is second in the OVC in saves with 11 and is fifth in games finished with 16. Robbins is tied for sixth in the NCAA with 11 saves this season.

Lucas DiLuca's .325 batting average is third on the team. He currently has a .458 on-base percentage which is fifth in the OVC. He currently is one of four Panthers with at least 50 hits (51) and has collected at least 30 RBIs. Lincoln Riley has been consistent in getting on base for EIU this season. He leads the team in walks (33), hit-by-pitch (18), and is first in on-base percentage (.469). His ob% ranks third in the OVC and 95th in the NCAA, he is fourth in walks, and first in hit-by pitches. Riley is also 15th in the NCAA in hbp with 18.

Since returning to the lineup, Ryan Ignoffo has been on a hitting streak including hitting four home runs against Murray State, a grand slam against TTU two weeks ago, and a RBI double this past week against Morehead State. He ranks first on the team in batting average (.422), hits (53), slugging percentage (.773), doubles (14), home runs (15), and RBIs (54). In the OVC he ranks first in batting average, first in slugging, seventh in ob% (.452), fourth in RBIs, sixth in home runs, and seventh in doubles. In the NCAA he ranks fourth in batting average, third in hits per game (1.81), fourth in runs batted in per game (1.46), and eighth in slugging percentage. Ignoffo has also reached base safely in 29 straight games for EIU, and is on a 11 game hitting streak.

PRESEASON PANTHERS: Eastern Illinois' Logan Eickhoff and Cameron Doherty both earned preseason All-OVC earlier this offseason. Eickhoff was chosen at the utility position while Doherty was chosen for relief pitching. Eickhoff played in 31 games making 26 starters in the outfield. He was among OVC leaders with a .435 batting average before suffering a mid-season injury. Eickhoff returned on April 30 at SIUE and finished the season hitting .423 to become 23rd player in program history to hit .400 or better during a season. He held an on-base percentage of .463 and slugging percentage of .514.  Doherty posted a 3-2 record with a team high five saves during the season. He finished the season with a 3.45 ERA in 75.2 innings of work. He was also selected as the OVC preseason pitcher of the year for his performance last season.
 
SERIES HISTORY: The Panthers are currently losing the all-time series against the Bruins 14-17-1. The Panthers first played Belmont during the 2001 season in which Eastern Illinois took the first two games in the series. Last season Belmont won the series 2-1. EIU took game one last season by a final score of 5-2. Ky Matthews-Hampton earned the win in the game after throwing 6.0 innings and collecting six strikeouts. This will mark the last meeting between these two schools as OVC opponents.

SCOUTING REPORT: Guy Lipscomb leads the Panthers offense at the plate with a .407 batting average, which is second in the OVC behind Ignoffo. On the season he has 72 hits, 48 runs scored, eight doubles, three triples, two home runs, and 36 RBIs. He also leads the OVC in hits and on-base percentage (.493%). Brody Heaton brings the power to the Bruins lineup with 11 home runs and 13 doubles on the season. Heaton is hitting .296 on the season as well as striking out 52 times.

Left-hander Andy Bean will be on the mound for game one on Friday evening. On the season he has a 8-1 record with a 3.73 ERA, which ranks fourth in the conference. He has throw in 72.1 innings this season while allowing 33 runs, 30 earned runs, 52 hits, as well as throwing 64 strikeouts. Closer Kyle Brennan has been at the top of the NCAA for most of the season with his 13 saves coming into this weekend's action. He has appeared in 24 games while posting a 4.82 ERA with 26 strikeouts.

ON DECK: The Panthers will be back at Coaches Stadium on Tuesday, May 17th as they host Western Illinois for senior day starting at 3:00 p.m. This game will stream on ESPN+ and will have livestats.