NORFOLK, VA—The ODU Monarchs (11-6/1-2) return home for a three-game Conference USA series against the Blazers of UAB (14-4/2-1) beginning Friday at 6 p.m. at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex. The 1st 300 Fans to the game receive a FREE ODU C-USA Baseball T-Shirt!!
The Blazers are led by Chase Davis who is hitting .352 with 18 runs scored, a team best 12 RBI and five steals. Evan Peterson is second on the team in hitting at .324.
ODU leads the series, 3-2. The two teams last played in the 1991 Sun Belt Conference tournament in Jackskonville, FL. with the Blazers beating ODU in the first round, 13-0 and again in the title game 3-2.
UAB is scheduled to start righthander Chase Mallard (3-0/0.61 ERA) on Friday, followed by righthander Alex Luna (3-0/0.38) on Saturday. In the bullpen, Thomas Lowery has three saves with a 1.65 ERA and Adam Lau has not allowed a run with two saves on the season.
The Monarchs come into the weekend series with seven players ranked among Conference USA statistics leaders. P.J. Higgins is third in the league in total hits with 27 and is tied with fellow Monarch Josiah Burney with eight doubles. Higgins leads the team in hitting at .342., followed by Jordan Negrini at .310 and Ben Slaton at .304.
Junior catcher Mike Perez is tied for the lead in C-USA with two triples while Ben Slaton is tied for third in the league in homers with three. Connor Myers ranks third in C-USA in stolen bases with seven and is tied with Jordan Negrini for fourth in the league in walks with 12.
ODU reliever Brad Gero leads Conference USA in appearances with 11 and saves with six.
ODU will stick with its same weekend rotation with senior lefthander Ryan Yarbrough (1-2/1.09) on Friday, sophomore righthander Tommy Alexander (1-0/3.00)on Saturday and lefthander Andy Roberts (1-0/2.70) on Sunday.
As a team, UAB is hitting .283 with a 2.78 earned run average. ODU is hitting .279 as a team with a 3.11 earned run average.