University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols face in-state rivals in midweek action
April 07, 2008 | Baseball
The Tennessee baseball team breaks from its conference schedule to face a pair of in-state opponents this week. The Volunteers host Austin Peay at Robert M. Lindsay Field at Lindsey Nelson Stadium Tuesday at 5 p.m. before traveling to Johnson City, Tenn., on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. contest against ETSU at Cardinal Park.
Austin Peay enters Tuesday???s matchup with a 15-13 (5-4 OVC) record and a 6-4 mark on the road. The Govs are hitting .285 as a team with a 5.27 staff ERA.
Tennessee will send senior right-hander Zane Stone (0-0, 3.12 ERA) to the mound Tuesday to oppose Govs right-hander Jake Brisbin (1-1, 6.85 ERA). It will be Stone???s second start of the year and the fifth for Brisbin.
Austin Peay, located in Clarksville, Tenn., posted a 40-22 (19-8 OVC) record in 2007. The Vols last faced the Governors in the 2005 NCAA Knoxville Regional, with UT posting a 7-5 victory.
Austin Peay alumnus Gary McClure is in his 22nd season as the Govs??? head coach. McClure led Austin Peay to the Ohio Valley Conference championship last season, and the Govs are picked by Collegiate Baseball to repeat as OVC champs in 2008.
The Big Orange lead the all-time series with Austin Peay 15-2, dating to 1972. All but one meeting has taken place in Knoxville, and Tennessee has won its last six games against the Governors.
ETSU plays at Radford Tuesday before hosting the Volunteers on Wednesday at Cardinal Park. The Buccaneers under ninth-year head coach Tony Skole own a 6-23 (6-11 Sun Belt) record.
The Bucs sport a .276 team batting average and a 6.76 staff ERA. Senior infielder Anthony Russell has belted a dozen home runs for Bucs and is one of four ETSU regulars hitting .315 or better.
Starting pitchers for Wednesday???s game have not yet been announced.
Tennessee leads the all-time series with ETSU 55-9, dating to 1967. Wednesday???s game is the first of a 2008 home-and-home series that includes a game in Knoxville on April 23.
