Baseball Travels to Murray State

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont (12-13, 1-2 MVC) and Murray State (18-6, 3-0 MVC) begin their three-game series Thursday evening at Johnny Reagan Field. The Bruins prepare for their first MVC road series of the season, and face a Murray State team that is 12-0 at home this season. 
 
GAME INFORMATION
Thursday, March 28 – 5 p.m.
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Friday, March 29 – 5 p.m.
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Saturday, March 30 – 1 p.m.
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PROBABLE PITCHERS
Friday
Belmont - Will Pryor (So. / RHP): 2-1, 6 GS, 31 IP, 4.06 ERA, 33 K, 17 BB
Last start (3/22 vs. UIC): 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 K, 6 BB
Murray State - Cade Vernon (Sr. / RHP): 4-1, 6 GS, 4.29 ERA, 35.2 IP, 31 K, 8 BB
Last start (3/22 vs. Evansville): W, 7 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 7 K, 3 BB
Saturday
Belmont - Dominic Baratta (Rs.-Sr. / LHP): 2-1, 8 G, 3 GS, 5.68 ERA, 25.1 IP, 20 K, 13 BB
Last start (3/23 vs. UIC): W, 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 K, 3 BB
Murray State - Ethan Lyke (So. / LHP): 2-0, 7 G, 3 GS, 3.91 ERA, 23 IP, 18 K, 4 BB
Last appearance (3/23 vs. Evansville): 4 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 4 K
Sunday
Belmont - Joe Ruzicka (So. / RHP): 2-3, 6 GS, 5.46 ERA, 31.1 IP, 24 K, 20 BB
Last start (3/24 vs. UIC): L, 6 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 6 K, 4 BB
Murray State - Jacob Pennington (Gr. / RHP): 3-0, 6 G, 2 GS, 3.28 ERA, 24.2 IP, 25 K, 5 BB
Last start (3/24 vs. Evansville): 5.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 K, 2 BB
 
BRUIN BULLETS

• Mason Landers was named the 44^th third baseman in the D1Baseball top 50 third basemen Week Six ranking.
• Landers has 15 RBIs and five home runs in his last ten games. He leads the team with an eight-game hit streak and eight multi-RBI games.
• Belmont is 4-4 on the road this season
• Sam Slaughter leads the Bruins offense in batting average (.355), on-base percentage (.467), and tied for the top spot with five doubles. He ranks second on the team in slugging percentage (.539), second in hits (27), third in RBIs (17), and fourth in home runs (3). The senior outfielder is batting .500 (10-for-20) in his last five games, with three doubles and RBIs.
• Blake Barton recorded three hits in the 6-3 loss to #16 Alabama on Tuesday night.
• Max Blessinger is on a ten-game on-base streak.
• Joe Ruzicka has recorded at least five strikeouts in three of his last four starts.
• Ty Allen has not allowed a run in 2.2 innings of relief work. He tossed a 1-2-3 eighth inning against #16 Alabama Tuesday night.

 
BRUINS ON THE MVC CHARTS
Hitting

• Sam Slaughter: 8th in OPB (.467)
• Max Blessinger: 5th in triples (2)
• Mason Landers: T-9th in home runs (7)

Pitching

• Will Pryor: 4th in strikeouts (33), 5th in fewest runs allowed (14), 6th in opponent batting

   average (.252), T-8th in innings pitched (31), 9th in ERA (4.06)

• Dominic Baratta: T-8th in opponent batting average (.255)
• Joe Ruzicka: 1st in opponent batting average (.211), T-6th in batters struck out looking

   (9),7th in innings pitched (31.1)

• Hank Liss & Bill Duby: T-6th in saves (2)

 
SCOUTING REPORT: MURRAY STATE RACERS

• Murray State leads the MVC with an 18-6 record and 12-0 at home.
• The Racers swept Evansville to open MVC play last weekend.
• Murray State is on a seven-game win streak. Their most recent win was a 15-2 run-rule win over Western Kentucky.
• Notable results: swept Little Rock, loss to Kentucky (10-6), swept by Arkansas in a three-game series.
• Drew Vogel leads the team with a .365 batting average.
• Carson Garner leads the MVC in slugging percentage (.797), OBP (1.301), and home runs (10).
• Jacob Pennington holds the highest strikeout-to-walk ratio in the MVC at 5.0.

MATCHUP HISTORY

• Belmont is 29-20 all-time against Murray State.
• Murray State won last year's series, 2-1 at E.S. Rose Park.
• Belmont swept Murray State in the last series at Johnny Reagan Field (April 1-3, 2022).
• One team has scored more than ten runs in four of the last six meetings.

ON DECK
Belmont will travel to Lipscomb on Tuesday, April 6, to renew the Battle of the Boulevard. First pitch from Ken Dugan Field is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
 
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