Baseball sets out for Campbell

3/9/2017 5:33:00 PM

EVANSVILLE — After a midweek victory over Austin Peay, the University of Evansville baseball team will hit the road once again this weekend for a three-game set against Campbell in Buies Creek, N.C.

The Purple Aces (4-8) will be aiming for their first series victory of the season after falling to Central Arkansas and Southern Miss in the first two weekends and splitting a four-game set with Milwaukee at Charles H. Braun Stadium last weekend.

Patrick Schneiders, who has taken home Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week twice already this season, will be aiming to get the Aces their first Friday night win. The senior out of Westphalia, Mo., has been near unhittable at times, throwing five hitless innings at UCA and then taking a no-hitter into the ninth last Saturday against Milwaukee. All three of his starts this season have been on Saturday, and he enters the weekend with a 1.53 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 17 innings of work.

Justin Hayden (1-1, 7.20 ERA) and Connor Strain (0-2, 9.00) will get the nods in the following two games.

At the plate, the Aces have been led this season by preseason All-American Trey Hair, who owns a .320 average with nine runs and nine runs batted in. The senior second baseman also leads the team in extra-base hits with five doubles and a pair of homers.

UE's offense has also been bolstered by a pair of local freshmen at times this season, beginning with Jasper product Craig Shepherd, who had a big hit in Wednesday's win over APSU, and his .385 batting average. Kenton Crews, a graduate of Heritage Hills High School, is hitting .350 on the year with five RBI.

Campbell (5-7), on the other hand, enters the series looking to put the brakes on a four-game losing streak. The Fighting Camels began the year with series victories over both Northern Kentucky and Quinnipiac before falling in a three-game set with Ohio State and suffering a two-game midweek sweep at Georgia Southern.

First pitch on Friday is set for 6 p.m., and a 1 p.m. doubleheader will follow on Saturday.

—#AcesAces —

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