NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Belmont University baseball team returns to Rose Park to continue Ohio Valley Conference play, taking on Murray State on Saturday with a doubleheader.
Murray State has established themselves as one of the power hitting teams in college baseball, leading the OVC with 44 home runs. The Racers are hitting .257 as a team and have driven in 179 runs this season. Murray State has an earned run average of 5.62, striking out 199 batters to go along with forcing their opponents to hit .281.
Jordan Cozart leads the Racers with 12 home runs and a .322 batting average, leading the OVC in homers. Cozart was recently ranked 60th in D1Baseball's Top 100 Draft-Eligible Hitters list, being one of two players from the OVC ranked. Bryson Bloomer adds power with six home runs and 22 RBIs while Jake Slunder has hit three home runs to go with 20 RBIs this season.
Head coach Dave Jarvis is eyeing the all-time wins record at Belmont, where he currently has compiled 663 wins in his 24 years as the Bruins' head coach. Jarvis needs just one more win 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.
Jarvis will be facing his old team this weekend, serving as an assistant coach at Murray State before taking the top job at Belmont. At Murray State, he was primarily responsible for the instruction of hitters and catchers as well as teaching base running skills. Jarvis also used his extensive junior college network to create a recruiting pipeline for the Racers.
Game Notes
If the season ended today, sophomore John Behrends would already have his name in Belmont's NCAA Era single season record book. Heading into Saturday's doubleheader against Murray State, Behrends' .384 batting average is good for the fifth-best batting average in the NCAA Era in program history.
Sophomore Carson Shacklett and junior Logan Jarvis have helped the Bruins this season by getting on base, especially drawing walks. Both are currently 21st in NCAA Division I Baseball in that category this season with 25, co-leading the OVC.
Junior Logan Jarvis has put himself in the national spotlight in 2021. The Bobby Bragan Collegiate Sluggers Award Watch List member was recently ranked 76th in D1Baseball's Top 100 Draft-Eligible Hitters list. Jarvis is currently 12th in NCAA Division I Baseball with three triples, co-leading the OVC in that category in the process. Jarvis is also 17th in RBIs with 36 this season, currently sitting in second in that category in the OVC.
First pitch for Saturday and Sunday is set for 1 p.m., with live stats, Bruin Sports Network and ESPN+ all being available to fans courtesy of Belmont Athletics. 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.
