Baseball Hosts Evansville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont (16-12, 4-2 MVC) faces Evansville (12-16, 2-4 MVC) in a weekend series at E.S. Rose Park. The Bruins put their four-game win streak on the line against the Purple Aces.
 
GAME COVERAGE
Friday, April 5 | 4 p.m. CT
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Saturday, April 6 | 2 p.m. CT
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Sunday, April 6 | 1 p.m. CT
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PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday
Evansville: Kenton Deverman (Fr. / LHP): 2-1, 7 APP, 5 GS, 4.68 ERA, 42.1 IP, 33 K, 10 BB
Last start (3/29 vs. Southern Illinois): 6 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 5 K
 Belmont: Will Pryor (So. / RHP): 3-1, 7 GS, 4.14 ERA, 37 IP, 38 K, 20 BB
Last start (3/28 vs. Murray State): W, 6 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 K, 3 BB
 
Saturday
Evansville: Donovan Schultz (Sr. / LHP): 0-1, 7 GS, 8.64 ERA, 33.1 IP, 32 K, 15 BB
Last start (3/30 vs. Southern Illinois): 6.2 IP, 12 H, 6 ER, 4 K
Belmont: Dominic Baratta (Rs-Sr. / LHP): 3-1, 9 APP, 4 GS, 5.57 ERA, 32.1 IP, 25 K, 15 BB
Last start (3/29 vs. Murray State): W, CG (7 inn), 8 H, 4 R, 5 K, 2 BB
 
Sunday
Evansville: TBA
Belmont: Joe Ruzicka (So. / RHP): 2-3, 7 GS, 6.21 ERA, 33.1 IP, 25 K, 24 BB
Last start (3/30 vs. Murray State): 2 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 1 K, 4 BB
 
BRUIN BULLETS

• The Bruins have outscored opponents 54-22 in their last five games.
• Belmont is 8-7 at E.S. Rose Park this season. In four home series, the Bruins are 2-2, with series wins over Eastern Michigan (3-1) and UAB (2-1).
• Mason Landers leads the team with 11 home runs. Landers is on a three-game home run streak. He also carries a 12-game hit streak into the series. He leads the Bruins with 34 RBI and 13 in conference play.
• Sam Slaughter's leadoff home run extended his hit streak to 11 games. In the last ten games, Slaughter's slash line is .465/.549/.674. In six conference games, Slaughter owns a .500 batting average.
• Brodey Heaton is second on the team in home runs (7) and RBI (26). In 15 home games, Heaton leads the Bruins in home runs (4), RBI (12), and is tied for the team-high in doubles (4).
• Belmont is 9-3 on the season when they score in the first inning, and 8-1 when the team hits two or more home runs.
• In four home starts this season, Will Pryor owns a 2.66 ERA. He has struck out 25 batters in 23.2 innings.

BRUINS ON THE MVC LEADERBOARD
Hitters

• Sam Slaughter: T-5^th in on-base percentage (.482) and 6^th in batting average (.379).
• Mason Landers: 3^rd in home runs (11), 4^th in slugging percentage (.684), T-4^th in hits (39) and RBI (34).
• Max Blessinger: T-5^th in triples (2).

Pitchers

• Will Pryor: T-4^th in strikeouts (38), 8^th in ERA (4.14), 7^th in opponent batting average (.252) and innings pitched (37).
• Joe Ruzicka: 1^st in opponent batting average (.213) and T-8^th in strikeouts looking (9).
• Hank Liss and Bill Duby: T-6^th in saves (2).

SCOUTING REPORT: EVANSVILLE PURPLE ACES

• Evansville is third in the MVC in runs scored (220) and has allowed the most runs (209).
• The Purple Aces defeated Austin Peay 13-6 on Tuesday. It capped off an eight-game homestand. Evansville has struggled on the road this year with a 4-10 record.
• Evansville's trip to Nashville is their first road conference series of the season. The Purple Aces were swept by Murray State (March 22-24) and won their series against Southern Illinois, 2-1 (March 28-30). Evansville secured the series win in walk-off fashion in ten innings. Pinch hitter Kevin McCormick delivered the game-winning RBI single.
• Mark Shallenberger, who didn't play in last year's series, is an offensive juggernaut. He leads the team with a .388 batting average, which ranks second in the MVC. He also leads the league in slugging percentage (.549). Shallenberger leads the Purple Aces with 32 runs and 27 RBI.
• Brent Widder leads the league with 12 doubles and is tied for the team-high with six home runs.

MATCHUP HISTORY

• Belmont is 18-4 all-time against Evansville.
• The Bruins swept the Purple Aces last season. Game three of the series in Evansville went into extra innings. Belmont pulled off the 7-5 win in the second game of a doubleheader in 13 innings. Sam Kirkpatrick went 5-for-7 and stole four bases.
• Belmont is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings. The last time Evansville defeated the Bruins was May 15, 2018, at E.S. Rose Park by a score of 8-4.

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