Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Austin Peay
Players Mentioned
Battle of the Border Series Adjusted
3/16/2017 2:09:00 PM | Baseball
GAMES 17-19
Murray State (9-7, 1-2 OVC) vs. Austin Peay (9-7, 3-0 OVC)
March 18-19, 2017
First Pitch: Saturday: 1 and 4:30Â p.m., Sunday: 1 p.m.
Series History: MSU leads the all-time series 107-94-1
Last Meeting: MSU 11, APSU 16 – March 26, 2016
Stadium: Reagan Field
Dimensions: 330 (LF) | 400 (CF) | 330 (RF)
Watch Live: OVC Digital Network – Game One | Game Two | Game Three
Live Stats: Game One | Game Two | Game Three
Twitter In-Game: @RacersBaseball
Weather Forces Another Change
Murray State baseball's series with Austin Peay beginning Friday has been adjusted due to forecasted thunderstorms in the area all day. The Racers and Govs will now begin their series Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Game two will follow approximately 25 minutes after. The series finale is still set for 1 p.m., Sunday at Reagan Field.
First Pitch
The Racers return home to the friendly confines of Reagan Field after four consecutive on the road. This weekend will be MSU's first OVC home weekend of the season. The Racers are 4-4 in 2017 at home while the Governors are 1-3 in road contests. MSU is coming off a 9-7 loss Tuesday at Kentucky.
Inside the Series
MSU and APSU have played one another over 200 times in a rivalry that dates back to 1948. The Racers are 54-34 all-time at home against the Govs. The series will be part of the Heritage Bank Battle of the Border series between the two schools. Each game will be worth two points in the series. MSU currently leads in the rankings 22.5 to 10.5.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Game one: Ryan Dills (RHP) (1-0, 3.63 ERA) vs. Caleb Powell (RHP) (2-0, 4.79 ERA)
Game two: Austin Dubsky (RHP) (2-2, 3.72 ERA) vs. Alex Robles (2-2, 4.70 ERA)
Game three: Jack Hranec (LHP) (2-0, 3.79 ERA) vs. TBA
Scouting Austin Peay
Dre Gleason is arguably the best hitter in the OVC so far this season as he enters the weekend leading the league with a .463 batting average and 28 RBIs. Gleason is also tied for the OVC lead with six home runs. Chase Hamilton leads the squad with 16 runs this season and 62 at-bats. The Governors are 13-of-17 on stolen base attempts and are hitting .292 as a team this season. Landon Kelly, Parker Phillips and Alex Robles are all hitting over .300 on the season.
Josh Rye enters the series with a team-best 1.26 ERA and a 3-0 record. Meanwhile, Robles leads APSU with 28 strikeouts and 23 innings pitched in 2017. Levi Primasing is the Govs' top reliever out of the bullpen as he enters with a 2.70 ERA and five appearances while Zach Neff is the only Governor with a save in 2017 and has appeared in a team-high six games. Austin Peay is led by head coach Travis Janssen who is in his second season with the Govs.
Climbing the All-Time Ranks
Senior Tyler Lawrence has already reached or sits within reach of the all-time top-10 lists in most offensive categories in program history. Lawrence currently ranks third all-time in doubles with 51 and RBIs with 159. He is also fourth all-time with 223 career hits, fifth in walks (106) and total bases (363) and sixth in at-bats with 686. Lawrence also sits just outside the top 10 in runs (133) and home runs (25).
Gutzler Doing Work
Outfielder Brandon Gutzler sits in the top 10 in the OVC in eight different statistical categories this season including ranking second in RBIs with 24 and slugging percentage at .733. His five home runs are tied for fourth in the league and his six doubles are fifth. Gutzler also leads the league with four sacrifice flies this season.
