April 07, 2008
USI & Bellarmine square off in battle of top GLVC teams
#28 Eagles host the #27 Knights at 1 p.m. Tuesday
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball team, the GLVC's top team in the West Division, will host Bellarmine University, the league's top team in the East, Tuesday afternoon for a single non-conference game at the USI Baseball Field. The first pitch is set for 1 p.m.
Both squads are ranked in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division II Baseball Poll this week with Bellarmine entering the poll at 27th, while USI re-enters the poll tied for 28th.
USI (22-11 overall, 13-2 GLVC) leads the GLVC West by 4.5 games after sweeping a four-game series from Missouri University of Science & Technology Saturday and Sunday. The Screaming Eagles continue to play well at the USI Baseball Field, resulting in a 17-4 home mark. The squad also is 18-4 in the last 22 games since starting the year with a 4-7 mark.
USI junior designated hitter Caleb Ehmke (Waterloo, Indiana) is leading the Eagles during the current homestand, batting .438 with five RBIs, a double, a triple, and two game-winning hits against Missouri S&T. Junior rightfielder Chad Werry (New Harmony, Indiana) also is swinging a hot bat for the Eagles with a .385 average and four RBIs during the homestand.
Overall, junior second baseman Josh Huebner (Evansville, Indiana) has the team's top batting average at .379, while sophomore shortstop Wes Fink (Clarksville, Tennessee) leads the team with 23 RBIs and four home runs.
The Knights of Bellarmine (22-9, 12-2 GLVC) lead the GLVC East by a half-game after sweeping the University of Wisconsin-Parkside over the weekend. Bellarmine also comes to Evansville on an 12-game winning streak.
The Knights took three of four meetings from the Eagles last season, winning two of three during the regular season and knocking USI out of the GLVC Tournament. USI leads the all-time series with Bellarmine 55-53.
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division II Baseball Poll
Rank Team, Record
1. Mount Olive, 37-4
2. Sonoma St., 32-4
Southern Arkansas, 33-4
4. Tampa, 28-6-1
5. Emporia St., 32-3
6. Delta St., 27-8
7. Columbus St., 29-12
8. Franklin Pierce, 20-3
9. Saint Joseph's, 29-6
10. Metro St., 30-6
11. West Chester, 29-4
12. U.C. San Diego, 31-8
13. S.C. Aiken, 31-9
14. Erskine, 33-5
15. Cal. St. Chico, 27-9
16. Grand Valley St., 20-4
17. Central Missouri, 25-6
18. Valdosta St., 25-11-1
19. Abilene Christian, 27-13
20. West Alabama, 33-8
21. Ouachita Baptist, 35-7
22. Mesa St., 27-12
23. Wayne St. (NE), 22-6
24. Ashland, 21-7
Armstrong Atl. St., 22-11
26. Catawba, 28-14
27. Bellarmine, 22-9
28. Lynn, 25-12
Southern Indiana, 22-11
30. St. Edwards, 25-10
Western Oregon, 24-12
Also Receiving Votes: Shippensburg 12, Concord 12, Francis Marion 10, Georgia College & St. 10, Mansfield 10, Cal. St. Stanislaus 8, Carson-Newman 8, Nebraska-Omaha 6, North Georgia 4, St. Marys, 2, Wayne St., MI, 2, Tusculum 2, Nova 2, Florida Tech 2, West Virginia St. 2, Bryant 1, North Alabama 1, Montevallo 1, S.E. Oklahoma 1.
Ray Simmons, USI Sports Information
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