Photo by: UT Martin University Relations
SKYHAWK BASEBALL HOSTS MOREHEAD STATE FOR A THREE-GAME OVC SET THIS WEEKEND
3/24/2021 4:29:00 PM | Baseball
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team will go for its second consecutive Ohio Valley Conference home series win when it takes on the Morehead State Eagles at Skyhawk Field on March 26-27. The two teams are scheduled to play a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Friday (second game to start at approximately 4:30 p.m.), followed by the series finale at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
UT Martin (7-9, 3-3 OVC) has won five of the last six contests against Morehead State at Skyhawk Field, sweeping the Eagles in 2017 before taking two out of three in the 2019 series. Junior catcher Blake Davis has hit .450 (9-for-20) in six career starts against Morehead State while Sean Dixson (.400 batting average, 1.000 slugging percentage in three games) and Billy Edwards (.417 batting average in five games) have also performed well against the Eagles. On the pitching side, Winston Cannon has won both of his career home starts against Morehead State, allowing zero runs and only seven hits in 11.1 innings. Nick Wohlbold also picked up a pair of saves over three scoreless frames against the Eagles in 2019.
The Skyhawk pitching staff has been spectacular all season long as UT Martin ranks first in the OVC in fewest walks allowed (2.8 per game), second in least runs allowed (5.6 per contest) and third in ERA (5.18). Those numbers have been aided by a Skyhawk defense that ranks second in the league with 13 double plays turned.
A 6-3, 210-pound senior right-hander, Cannon (3-2, 5.19 ERA) and Preseason OVC Pitcher of the Year Joshua South from Belmont are the only hurlers who have won two games in league play so far in 2021. Cannon will get the starting nod in Game 1 while senior lefty Sam Folks (1-2, 6.75) and freshman righty Eric Steensma (0-1, 5.19) will follow in Games 2 and 3, respectively. Collectively, that trio shined for a 3.00 ERA over 18 innings at Eastern Kentucky last weekend.
Casey Harford leads UT Martin in batting average (.328) while ranking in the OVC's top-10 in doubles (5, sixth) and slugging percentage (.557, ninth). Christian Hall ranks eighth in the league with a .558 slugging percentage and is responsible for a team-high 17 RBI's. He is the squad's co-leader in home runs alongside Houston Wright as Blake Daniels (three), Wil LaFollette (three) and Ethan Whitley (three) all closely follow in that category.
Morehead State (10-10, 2-1 OVC) is one of four teams that boast an OVC-high 10 wins as the Eagles took three of four games in a nonconference series at Norfolk State last weekend. Pitching has been Morehead State's strong suit this season as the Eagles rank second in the OVC with 168 strikeouts. Graduate right-hander Jason Goe (1-3, 2.67) will start in Game 1, followed by sophomore righty Luke Helton (2-1, 4.50) in Game 2 and sophomore right-hander Matt Bettio (1-2, 7.00) in the finale. Out of the bullpen, Cory Conway is tied for the league lead with three wins and a save (ranking second in the league with a 2.21 ERA) while John Bakke has made an OVC-high 12 appearances.
Both of Friday's games will be streamed live on ESPN+. Those links, as well as links for live stats of all three games, can be found above.
UT Martin (7-9, 3-3 OVC) has won five of the last six contests against Morehead State at Skyhawk Field, sweeping the Eagles in 2017 before taking two out of three in the 2019 series. Junior catcher Blake Davis has hit .450 (9-for-20) in six career starts against Morehead State while Sean Dixson (.400 batting average, 1.000 slugging percentage in three games) and Billy Edwards (.417 batting average in five games) have also performed well against the Eagles. On the pitching side, Winston Cannon has won both of his career home starts against Morehead State, allowing zero runs and only seven hits in 11.1 innings. Nick Wohlbold also picked up a pair of saves over three scoreless frames against the Eagles in 2019.
The Skyhawk pitching staff has been spectacular all season long as UT Martin ranks first in the OVC in fewest walks allowed (2.8 per game), second in least runs allowed (5.6 per contest) and third in ERA (5.18). Those numbers have been aided by a Skyhawk defense that ranks second in the league with 13 double plays turned.
A 6-3, 210-pound senior right-hander, Cannon (3-2, 5.19 ERA) and Preseason OVC Pitcher of the Year Joshua South from Belmont are the only hurlers who have won two games in league play so far in 2021. Cannon will get the starting nod in Game 1 while senior lefty Sam Folks (1-2, 6.75) and freshman righty Eric Steensma (0-1, 5.19) will follow in Games 2 and 3, respectively. Collectively, that trio shined for a 3.00 ERA over 18 innings at Eastern Kentucky last weekend.
Casey Harford leads UT Martin in batting average (.328) while ranking in the OVC's top-10 in doubles (5, sixth) and slugging percentage (.557, ninth). Christian Hall ranks eighth in the league with a .558 slugging percentage and is responsible for a team-high 17 RBI's. He is the squad's co-leader in home runs alongside Houston Wright as Blake Daniels (three), Wil LaFollette (three) and Ethan Whitley (three) all closely follow in that category.
Morehead State (10-10, 2-1 OVC) is one of four teams that boast an OVC-high 10 wins as the Eagles took three of four games in a nonconference series at Norfolk State last weekend. Pitching has been Morehead State's strong suit this season as the Eagles rank second in the OVC with 168 strikeouts. Graduate right-hander Jason Goe (1-3, 2.67) will start in Game 1, followed by sophomore righty Luke Helton (2-1, 4.50) in Game 2 and sophomore right-hander Matt Bettio (1-2, 7.00) in the finale. Out of the bullpen, Cory Conway is tied for the league lead with three wins and a save (ranking second in the league with a 2.21 ERA) while John Bakke has made an OVC-high 12 appearances.
Both of Friday's games will be streamed live on ESPN+. Those links, as well as links for live stats of all three games, can be found above.
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