NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Belmont University baseball team returns to Rose Park Friday and Saturday to continue Ohio Valley Conference play.
Belmont currently leads the series with SIUE 14-5, with the Bruins winning two out of the last three matchups. Playing at Rose Park in 2019, this will be the second consecutive time where SIUE will play the Bruins in Nashville.
SIUE is currently 6-7 overall and 1-2 in OVC play, with the Cougars hitting .262 to go with five home runs and 64 RBIs. The Cougars currently lead the conference in opposing batting average with a .227 mark and their pitching staff has combined for 106 strikeouts. SIUE and Belmont are currently tied for first in the league in triples with five, where both are tied for 27th in NCAA Division I Baseball in that category.
SIUE has four players hitting .341 or better, led by John Stallcup. His .391 hitting leads SIUE while Raul Elguezabal is hitting .386 to go with a home run and eight RBIs, leading the team with 17 hits in the process. Richie Well currently holds a .348 batting average to go with a .609 slugging percentage and a home run.
Playing its last home game on Feb. 27, Belmont will have gone 21 days without playing a home game. That marks the longest road stretch for the Bruins since the 1999 season, Belmont's second season in NCAA Division I. Belmont was on the road from April 6-27, ending that season winning its final seven games.
In just 11 games, junior Logan Jarvis has already established himself as one of the best hitters in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Franklin, Tenn. native currently leads the league in slugging percentage (.720), second in on-base percentage (.500) and fifth in batting average (.500). Jarvis finished in the top 10 in the OVC in six statistical categories in 2020, including doubles, slugging percentage and RBIs.
Game Notes
SIUE and Belmont are currently first and second in the OVC in opposing batting average, with SIUE holding a .227 mark and Belmont holding a .239 mark. The two are also tied for first in triples with five heading into Friday's game. SIUE and Belmont are currently tied for 27th in NCAA Division I Baseball in that category.
Head coach Dave Jarvis is eyeing the all-time wins record at Belmont, where he currently has compiled 653 wins in his 24 years as the Bruins' head coach. Jarvis needs just 11 more wins to pass Dave Whitten (1969-1997) to become the winningest head coach in program history. Jarvis and Whitten had a close relationship until Whitten's death in 2012, where Whitten served as an assistant and pitching coach under Jarvis from 1998-2000.
First pitch for Friday's game is set for 4 p.m., with live stats and ESPN+ scheduled to broadcast Saturday's doubleheader. Grandstand seating will be limited to 20 percent of the maximum occupancy. Belmont Athletics will identify where fans can and cannot sit in the grandstands. Belmont Athletics asks fans to observe the reconfigured seating arrangement, including any seats marked as "Reserved". Attendees are required to always wear masks or face coverings at Rose Park, pursuant to Order 8: Cloth Face Coverings or Mask Order issued by Metro Nashville's Chief Medical Director of Health.
