RICHMOND, Ky. - Coach Jim Ward's Eastern Kentucky University baseball Colonels head to Tennessee Tech University this weekend for a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series with the Golden Eagles.

Eastern, 28-17 overall and 9-6 in the OVC, plays Tennessee Tech, 14-24 on the season and 5-10 inside conference action, Saturday in a 1 p.m. doubleheader and Sunday in a nine-inning single game in Cookeville.

The Colonels are coming off a 12-6 win over Western Kentucky in Bowling Green Wednesday that saw Eastern win for the sixth time in the last seven contests on the road. TTU was also victorious in its last outing, a 6-2 win at Georgia State.

"Tennessee Tech has played very well at times. I look for this to be a competitive weekend," said Ward. "We're hoping to get three good pitching performances and then we'll take our chances from there."

Pitching Saturday's doubleheader for the Colonels will be freshman righthander Chip Albright (7-4, 3.42 ERA) and junior lefthander Corey Eagle (5-3, 7.22 ERA). Senior righthander Eric Bess (6-4, 6.47 ERA) will go Sunday for Eastern.

After losing two games at home last Saturday to Morehead State (7-6, 10-0), Eastern rebounded with a 21-7 decision over the Eagles in a key game for the Colonels on Sunday.

"That was an important win for us in a critical game, as they all are from here on out. We hung in there against a good pitcher (righthander Jon Rauch) and were able to get the win," Ward said after his team hit seven home runs in a game for the second time last week.

Junior shortstop Jason Sharp, who has a season-high 15-game hitting streak going, is leading the team with his .410 batting average. He also is one of seven Colonels to have hit at least seven home runs as he connected for seven long balls and has knocked in 26 runs.

Other Colonel regulars and their batting averages include: rightfielder Sean Murray (.372-10-44), first baseman Lee Chapman (.356-16-57), designated hitter Adam Basil (.339-9-35), centerfielder Brad Sizemore (.333-7-34), second baseman J.D. Bussell (.310-4-23), shortstop Kiley Vaughn (.297-1-21), leftfielder Tom White (.297-9-34) and catcher Joe Smith (.286-7-38).

Vaughn and reserve leftfielder Gabe Thomas have eight-game hitting streaks each alive, heading to Tech. Eastern has won eight of its last 10 conference games and is tied for third place with Murray State in conference standings. Austin Peay (8-3) and Eastern Illinois (10-5) are tied for first place, with APSU leading in winning percentage, .727-.667.