The Eastern baseball team is coming off a sweep against at Memphis University as they travel to Belleville for a single game against Lindenwood.

The Panthers now have a record of 4-2 after the three-game sweep and are going into the game against Lindenwood on a four-game win streak. The Panthers were 0-6 going into their seventh game last season.

As for Lindenwood, they have played a significant amount of games more than the Panthers. So far on the season, they are 6-8 and 0-3 in conference play. Going into the game, Lindenwood is on a four-game losing streak.

The Panthers are playing with a higher level of confidence compared to last season due to their success. Over the first six games, the players are continuing to improve and are starting to get into a rhythm.

“We as a team have (been) playing very good baseball as of late,” senior centerfielder Joseph Duncan said. “You can see guys are starting to get more confident each game. I think we have a great opportunity to keep the ball rolling Tuesday.”

On the season, Duncan has a .333 average with nine hits, driving in five RBIs and totaling of 15 bases. In the last game of the series against Memphis, Duncan caught fire as he went 3-for-5, driving in three RBIs.

Duncan this season has been focused on keeping it simple at the plate. Hitting is very contagious and it helps when the whole lineup is filled with great hitters, Duncan said.

Junior pitcher Carson Haws has been a consistent pitcher this season, he leads the team in multiple pitching categories. In the two games he has started, Haws has thrown a team high 12.2 innings with 14 strikeouts, totaling his ERA to 2.13, allowing three earned runs.

Also pitching well on the season has been senior pitcher Michael Starcevich. Through 7.2 innings of work, he has allowed five hits and one earned run, giving him two saves in his three appearances.

Offensively, redshirt junior Hunter Morris is leading the Panthers with 10 hits, putting him at the third highest average on the team at .400. Morris also leads the team with 15 total bases and is tied for a team high of six RBIs.

The last game Lindenwood played they lost 11-1 against William Woods-Missouri. Between freshman pitcher Cooper Patterson and senior pitcher Tyler Morgan, they combined for allowing ten hits and 11 earned runs.

This year, senior catcher Matt Crook leads Lindenwood in multiple offensive categories this season. Crook is batting .320 and has team high two homeruns and 15 RBIs, as well being tied with junior first baseman Cullen Stockley with 16 hits.

Last year on April 19, the Panthers won their only game against Lindenwood 8-5, led by a three RBI performance from Duncan and a two RBI game from senior third baseman Dougie Parks. The two teams will play at 4 p.m. Tuesday on the GCS Ballpark.

Adam Shay can be reached at 581-2812 or acshay@eiu.edu