RICHMOND, Ky. - Coach Jim Ward's Eastern Kentucky University Colonel baseball team travels to Clarksville, TN, this weekend for a three-game set with league-leading Austin Peay. APSU sets atop the Ohio Valley Conference with Murray State with a 3-0 conference record, while EKU is tied for fifth at 1-2.

Austin Peay swept Tennessee Tech last weekend, while EKU dropped two of three to pre-season favorite Southeast Missouri. EKU was defeated 1-0 and 11-4 in a Saturday twinbill, before coming back on Sunday to defeat the Indians, 12-5.

"We're disappointed that we didn't win more games against SEMO, but, on the other hand, we're encouraged that we did compete in every game and, for the most part, got excellent pitching," Ward said.

Tuesday, Eastern used six runs in the last two at bats at Ohio University to down the Bobcats, 11-7, to run the Colonels' record to 15-10 overall. Designated hitter Adam Basil and leftfielder Tom White hit home runs for Eastern.

Through 25 games, Eastern has three .400-plus hitters and three more batters hitting above .300. Leading the way for EKU is junior third baseman Jason Sharp at .426 with four home runs and 16 RBI's.

Senior rightfielder Sean Murray is next at .410 with six homers and 28 runs batted in, while freshman backup catcher Mike Schneider, who made a big defensive play in the late innings against Southeast Missouri in Sunday's EKU win by gunning down a would-be Indian basestealer in a 4-4 game, has hit .400 in limited duty.

Junior designated hitter Adam Basil is next at .359 (4 HR's, 21 RBI's), while senior third baseman J.D. Bussell is hitting .333 with two home runs and 13 RBI's. Junior first baseman Lee Chapman rounds out .300 hitters for the Colonels with his .309 average with five home runs and 27 RBI's.

The Eastern pitching staff has experienced two good weeks on the mound, which has led to the team's ERA dropping from 9.00 to its current 6.81.

Senior righthander Eric Bess was named OVC Pitcher of the Week as he went 2-0 last
week, picking up wins over Georgia State and conference foe Southeast Missouri.  He allowed
just seven hits and two earned runs over 14 innings of work, struck out 12 and walked just one.
Opponents hit only .146 against him.

Junior lefthander Mike Martini leads the staff with a 2-0 record and 1.50 ERA with three saves. Freshman righthander Chip Albright, who has had a decision (5-2) in all seven starts, is next with a 2.59 ERA.