DATE:  May 7
TIME:  6:00 p.m.
LOCATION:  Evansville, Ind. (Braun Stadium)
MEDIA CENTER:  Live Audio (91.5 FM)  |  Live Stats
NOTES:  Evansville  |  Belmont

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team will host Belmont in a midweek, non-conference contest Wednesday evening at Braun Stadium at 6 p.m. to open a four-game home stand.
 
Evansville (30-16) took two of three games from Southern Illinois in a Missouri Valley Conference series in Carbondale, Ill., last weekend to remain one game in front of second-place Illinois State in the Valley standings.  Junior Kyle Pollock led the Aces by going 6-for-14 with a home run and four RBI in the series with the Salukis and senior Johnny Day was 2-for-5 with an RBI in his two starts. 
 
Four UE batters are hitting over .300 on the season, as Evansville is hitting .284 as a team with 91 doubles, 10 triples and 14 home runs for a .383 slugging percentage.  In addition, the Aces' own a .382 on-base percentage, have swiped 44 stolen bases in 61 attempts and are fielding .971, collectively.  Sophomore Josh Jyawook leads the club with a .314 batting average and is tied for the team lead with 36 runs scored.  Pollock sports a .313 mark with 12 doubles, three triples, four homers and 44 RBI.  Junior Kevin Kaczmarski has also driven in 44 runs this season and is hitting .311, while leading the team with 18 doubles, four triples and a .519 slugging percentage.  Sophomore Eric McKibban boasts a .310 average with 26 runs and a team-leading .422 on-base clip.
 
The Aces' pitching staff owns a 4.17 ERA with 327 strikeouts around 143 walks and a .268 opposing batting average in 399.2 innings.  Preseason All-American Kyle Freeland leads the team with an 8-1 record and 1.90 ERA in his 80.2 innings of work.  Freeland ranks second nationally with a 15.14 strikeout-to-walk ratio and third in the country with 106 strikeouts.  Junior Matt Rodgers is slated to get the start for UE on Wednesday and enters the game with a 3-1 record and 4.05 ERA in his 16 appearances, including eight previous starts.  Rodgers has fanned 38 opposing hitters, walked 18 and is holding them to a .257 batting average in 40.0 frames.
 
Belmont (19-27-1) is 3-6-1 over its last 10 games, as the Bruins avoided a sweep at the hands of Jacksonville State last weekend with a 10-3 victory Sunday at Rose Park in Nashville, Tenn. 
 
BU is hitting just .236 as a squad with a .363 slugging percentage and .344 on-base clip.  On the base paths, Belmont has stolen 65 bases in 87 chances and the Bruins are fielding .957 as a team.  Drew Ferguson leads BU with a .323 average, 35 runs, 13 doubles, nine home runs, 31 RBI and a .571 slugging percentage.  Alec Diamond is the only other Bruin hitting over the .300 mark, as he sports a .316 average with nine doubles and 14 RBI.  Matt Beaty sports a .286 average with 23 RBI, while Jamie Ritchie is hitting .282 and ranks second on the club with 11 doubles and 24 RBI.
 
On the mound, Belmont has combined for a 3.95 ERA with 339 strikeouts, 155 walks and a .266 opposing batting average in 410.1 innings.  Reliever Greg Brody leads the team with a stellar 1.56 ERA, as he has allowed just three earned runs in 17.1 innings with eight saves, 21 strikeouts and just three walks.  Patrick McGrath is the projected starter for the Bruins on Wednesday night and will enter the game with a 2-8 record and 5.17 ERA in his 11 previous starters.  McGrath has notched 47 strikeouts and walked 15 in 69.2 innings on the mound.
 
Belmont leads the all-time series with Evansville, 6-1, and defeated the Aces, 12-7, earlier this season in Nashville on April 2.