Eastern Illinois (15-10, 5-1 OVC) at Tennessee Tech (9-19, 0-6 OVC)
April 2-4 | Cookeville, Tenn. | Averitt Express Baseball Complex
Game 1: Thursday at 6:00 PM | ESPN+ | Live Stats
Game 2: Friday at 6:00 PM | ESPN+ | Live Stats
Game 3: Saturday at 2:00 PM | ESPN+ | Live Stats
Eastern Illinois will continue OVC action with a weekend series at Tennessee Tech. The Panthers will not have a midweek game due to the earlier start to the OVC series. EIU will enter the series with a 15-10 (5-1 OVC) record after going 2-2 last week.
Last Time Out
Panthers went 2-2 last week with an OVC series win over Morehead State. However, the Panthers remain hot, holding an 8-2 record over the last 10 games. EIU dropped their midweek contest against Northern Illinois in an extra-inning heartbreak. With the Sunday loss to Morehead State, Eastern Illinois is tied for second in the conference at 5-1, right behind SIUE, who remains perfect through the first two series. Mike O'Conor led the way offensively, hitting .385 with 13 at-bats. O'Conor collected six RBIs, five hits, two home runs, and a double. He finished the week with a .923 slugging percentage and a .438 base percentage. Right behind him, Brett Stanley extended his hitting streak to 22 games, hitting .357 with five hits and an RBI. Joey Hagen has become a new staple in coach Anderson's lineup. Hagen hit .353 with six hits, six RBIs, and a home run. Chris Worcester was the third Panther player to collect six RBIs this past week. Worcester hit .333 with six hits and three home runs.
On the mound, EIU struggled to keep runners off the home plate. The Panthers surrendered 24 runs in the four games, including five or more runs in three out of the four games. Nate Marshal was a bright spot in relief for EIU, throwing 4.0 innings and allowing only one earned run and one hit.
Bryce Riggs
Riggs was stellar once again at the start on Saturday against Morehead State. Bryce Riggs threw eight perfect innings with a no-hitter heading into the ninth inning. Before handing the ball to the bullpen, he suffered two earned runs and two hits to end the potential no-hitter. Riggs collected eight strikeouts and only walked one batter. Through the first half of the season, he continues to rank among the best in the OVC and the nation. Riggs is 8th in the country and 1st in the OVC in WHIP at 0.76. He also ranks 5th in the country and 1st in the OVC in Hits Allowed Per Nine at 4.26.
About Tennessee Tech
The Golden Eagles enter the weekend with a 9-19 (0-6 OVC) record looking for their first conference win of the season. Tennessee Tech was swept by Little Rock and SIUE to open conference play. The Golden Eagles are coached by Matt Bragga, who is in his 20th season at the helm. Last year, Bragga coached the team to a 37-20 (18-9) record, which was good enough for third in the OVC. Tennessee Tech has three hitters above the .300 batting average mark, including .336 from the senior outfielder, Jorsixt Jimenez. Along with the .336 batting average, he has collected 40 RBIs, 36 hits, 11 home runs, five doubles, and three triples. On the mound, Tennessee Tech has struggled, allowing double-digit runs in 14 games. Jaxon Pease leads the way with a 4.58 ERA in 35.1 innings of work.
All-Time Series
The Panthers lead the all-time series 32-28, with the first-ever matchup taking place in 1978, with Tennessee Tech winning 4-3 and 6-3. However, EIU won the matchup in 1982, which was the first season at the Division I level for the Panthers. Last season, Eastern Illinois swept the season series.
OVC Standings Update
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SIUE: 6-0
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SEMO: 5-1
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Little Rock: 5-1
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Eastern Illinois: 5-1
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USI: 3-3
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UT Martin: 3-3
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Western Illinois: 2-4
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Morehead State: 1-5
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Lindenwood: 0-5
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Tennessee Tech: 0-6
Hitting Streak Watch
Brett Stanley: 22 Games (Longest Active Streak in OVC)
Tyler Castro: 6 Games
Joey Hagen: 5 Games
Team Leaders:
Hits: Brett Stanley (36), Chris Worcester (31), James Love (29), Tyler Castro (27), Peyton Wilson (24)
Home Runs: Chris Worcester (6), James Love (4), Peyton Wilson (3), Ethan Rossi (1)
RBIs: Chris Worcester (25), James Love (19), Peyton Wilson (17), Brett Stanley (14), Ethan Rossi (12)
Strikeouts: Bryce Riggs (48), Anthony Solis (22), Tyler Conklin (21)
Wins: Tyler Conklin (5), Bryce Riggs (4)
OVC Leaders:
Brett Stanley – 1st Triples (3)
Bryce Riggs – 1st Strikeouts (48) | 1st Opposing Batting Average (.140) | 2nd ERA (2.28) | 2nd Innings Pitched (43.1)
James Geshel – 1st Saves (6)
James Love – 2nd Hit By Pitch (12)
Quade Peters – 2nd SAC Bunts (5)
Tyler Conklin – 3rd Wins (5)
National Leaders:
Bryce Riggs – 5th Hits Pers Nine (4.26) | 8th WHIP (0.76)
Tyler Conklin – 13th Victories (5)
James Geshel – 6th Saves (6)
Quade Peters – 14th SAC Bunts Per Game (0.26)
Team Triples – 7th (11)
Team SAC Bunts – 12th (24)
