Murray State University Athletics
'Breds To Face Off Against OVC Leader APSU
5/11/2007 5:00:00 AM | Baseball
The Murray State Thoroughbreds return home this weekend to take on the current leader of the Ohio Valley Conference, as Austin Peay will take on the 'Breds in a three-game series. The teams will play a double-header on Saturday at 1 p.m., followed by a Sunday 1 p.m. game. All three games can be heard locally on WOFC (1130 AM, Murray), or worldwide through the live audio link at www.GoRacers.com. Live Stats will be provided for all three games through that Web site.
The Governors (32-17, 15-6 OVC) come to Murray riding a 10-game win streak, capped with back-to-back wins over nationally-ranked Mississippi State this week in Clarksville. The 'Breds (16-29, 10-9 OVC) find themselves with less fortune after going 8-2 during an April 6-22 stretch, claiming two wins in their last eight games since then. However, this weekend's series marks the first home games for MSU since April 29, and the 'Breds have won six of their last eight contests at Reagan Field, going 6-3 at home in the month of April.
OVC LEADERS: Senior second baseman Seth Hudson leads the OVC with six triples, while senior left fielder Austin Swain leads the league with 33 walks, averaging a conference-high 0.80 walks per game.
In OVC games only, sophomore third baseman Tyler Owen leads the conference in batting with a .456 average and is tops in the OVC with a .500 on-base percentage. Senior center fielder Tyler Pittman leads the league with 10 doubles in conference games, while Swain leads the OVC in walks with 20, averaging 1.18 walks per game in OVC play.
More Murray State rankings can be found within the game notes, linked at the bottom of this article or in the "Game Notes" link.
RECORDS ON THE BLOCK: Senior center fielder Tyler Pittman set a new MSU career at-bats record on Sunday. The Wickliffe, Ky., native now has 742 career at-bats as a 'Breds, surpassing the former record of 738 held by Garner Byars (2000-03).
Pittman remains tied for the MSU career doubles record at 54, sharing the top spot with Brett McCutchan (2000-03). Pittman is just one hit away from tying the MSU career hits record of 218, held by Craig Delk (1995-98).
Hot on his heels for the career hits mark is senior second baseman Seth Hudson, who has 214 career hits at Murray State. The Cape Girardeau, Mo., product is just one triple away from tying not only the MSU career triples mark of 12 held by Jack Perconte (1973-76), but also the MSU single-season triples record of seven held by Mike Talbott (1955).
Senior catcher Jason Payton is close to a single-season mark himself, as he is two short of the single-season record for being hit by a pitch. The Louisville, Ky., backstop has been hit 12 times this season, just two short of the record of 14 held by Brett Mullins (2005).
IN IT TO WIN IT: Murray State could unofficially clinch a berth into the six-team O'Reilly OVC Championship Tournament this weekend. The 'Breds' "magic number" over seventh-place Eastern Illinois is four, meaning that any combination of MSU wins and EIU losses totaling four would clinch a berth for the 'Breds, which is possible this weekend, with both teams scheduled to play three games apiece.
Austin Peay has already unofficially clinched a tournament berth, while second-place Jacksonville State (27-22, 14-7 OVC) and third-place Southeast Missouri (28-19, 13-7 OVC) have a "magic number" of one over Eastern Illinois, meaning of they win a game or EIU loses a game, JSU and SEMO will unofficially clinch a berth into the tournament.
