Panthers look to slow down Peay
Eastern’s baseball team will travel to Clarksville, Tenn., on Saturday to continue their Ohio Valley Conference schedule against Austin Peay.
The Panthers are coming off a pair of mid-week losses to non-conference foes Saint Louis and Indiana State after taking two of three in their first conference weekend against Eastern Kentucky.
Head coach Jim Schmitz said the series with Austin Peay comes at a convenient time for the Panthers, as they are coming off games with several teams that run often.
“I think the key thing with Peay is that the timing happens to be good,” Schmitz said. “We played EKU, St. Louis, Indiana State and then Peay and they all run. I think one of the things we’ve done extremely well is shut down the running game. You feel more prepared because it’s not like you haven’t played a team like this in five weeks.”
The Panthers had some trouble on offense during the mid-week, but last weekend against Eastern Kentucky, the team averaged just under seven runs per game.
Schmitz said he mixed the lineup around during the week in part to try to ignite his team’s offense.
“The other thing we’ve looked at is trying to spark our offense a little bit,” Schmitz said. “As crazy as it sounds there are days where the wind really blows in. Looking at the ability to spark it with some of the bats we have and the wind blowing in, wanting to try to create runs differently.”
Freshman pitcher Joe Greenfield started Wednesday’s game against Saint Louis and threw only 57 pitches over four innings. Schmitz said Greenfield would be available in long relief Sunday if the Panthers needed him to perform in that capacity.
Schmitz said it is nice to know that if needed, the Panthers can really use their bullpen during Saturday’s double-header because of the availability of Greenfield during Sunday’s contest.
Schmitz said with Austin Peay’s potent running game, he is sticking with freshman catcher Jacob Reese behind the plate, and he said he is been pleased so far by Reese’s defense.
“He’s just been the guy,” Schmitz said of Reese. “I think the key thing he does is he really doesn’t allow a big inning with a passed ball or balls in the dirt. Pitchers feel comfortable throwing him pitches down in the zone.”
Schmitz said that Saturday’s first scheduled starter, red-shirt junior Mike Hoekstra, has done so well this season that with the team’s scores being so close for the season, the team feels confident having him on the mound.
After Hoekstra, the Panthers will be starting a pair of freshmen, with right-hander Luke Bushur in game two on Saturday and lefty Christian Slazinik on Sunday. The Panthers are set to play a double-header Saturday in Clarksville Saturday and a single game Sunday, with each day starting at 1 p.m.
Brad Kupiec can be reached at 581-7944 or bmkupiec@eiu.edu
Panthers look to slow down Peay
Brad Schweigert, a junior infielder, throws the ball to Zach Borenstein during the game against Southern Illinois University March 23 at Coaches Stadium. (Audrey Sawyer/The Daily Eastern News)
