RICHMOND, Ky. - Coach Jim Ward's Eastern Kentucky University Colonel baseball team will travel this weekend to Rock Hill, SC, for the first Stateline Classic Baseball Tournament, hosted by Winthrop University. Schools involved include William & Mary, Akron, Winthrop and EKU.

Eastern will pitch senior righthander Eric Bess against Winthrop Friday at 3:00 p.m., junior lefthander Corey Eagle vs. Akron Saturday at 11:00 a.m. and freshman righthander Chip Albright against William & Mary Saturday at 3:00 p.m. Freshman righthander Spencer Boley will throw Sunday in either the consolation or championship game, depending on how the Colonels do in its first three contests of the tourney.

"We respect everybody in this tournament," said Ward. "We will need to get good starting pitching, good relief work, play good defense and get some clutch hits in order to have a chance to win. We're looking forward to a tournament atmosphere, and I think we'll be ready to compete."

The Colonels are coming off a 1-3 homestand, losing to Wright State (9-6), Bowling Green (12-10) and Eastern Michigan (22-6), and defeating Bowling Green (15-4).

"It was a tough week, especially that loss to Eastern Michigan which was hard on the team's confidence. We certainly need to win a higher percentage of home games than this," Ward said.

Two Colonels who have been recently injured should return for this weekend's tournament. Junior third baseman Jason Sharp, who missed all four games on the homestand with a sore left wrist, should be ready to go. Bess, who suffered a small fracture of his little finger on his pitching hand while trying to field a smash up the middle last Friday, can grip the baseball and will start the first game of the Classic against Winthrop.

Six Colonels are hitting .350 or better, led by senior rightfielder Sean Murray (.455) and freshman designated hitter Alex Goss (.450). Junior first baseman Lee Chapman is hitting .400 and leads the team in home runs with three and runs batted in with 16, while junior second baseman Adam Basil is at .385 and Sharp is hitting .364.

Albright leads Colonel pitchers with his 2-1 record, while Bess and Eagle are each 1-1 on the year. Junior lefthanded reliever Mike Martini tops the club in E.R.A. at 0.87.

Eastern stands 5-5 on the season.