Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) baseball team travels south to face SEC nationally ranked opponent, No. 23 Ole Miss, in a midweek matchup starting on Tuesday at 6:30pm CT, at Swayze Field.
Leading Off
Austin Peay State University heads south to take on No. 23 Ole Miss after sweeping its program record seventh series this season against North Alabama. Just two weekends ago, the Govs swept Eastern Kentucky, making them the fastest team in program history to reach 30 wins in a season, doing so in 40 games.
Left-handed pitcher Gavin Braunecker took home ASUN Pitcher of the Week recognition after a seven-inning complete game shutout, recording a season-high 10 strikeouts. The APSU Govs look to continue their success on the big stage after coming away with a win against Big Ten opponent, Purdue, last Tuesday by a score of 16-10.
Governors Bullpen
The Austin Peay State University had a team ERA of 4.76 last week over four games, while striking out 35 batters. Graduate left-handed pitcher Gavin Braunecker highlighted the staff, as he threw his first career complete game shutout.
The APSU Govs’ bullpen has been stellar over the last few weeks, with Senior Jacob Weaver and junior Lyndon Glidewell throwing a pair of no-hitters just six days apart from one another. The pair is the first duo in program history to throw two no-hitters in the same season since 1970.
First Hacks
Austin Peay State University has a seven-game win streak coming into the week, and much of their success can be credited to the hot bats in the lineup. Last week, the Govs batted .345 as a team while hitting four home runs, eight doubles, and a triple, while tallying 39 RBI over four games. The Governors currently rank in the top 10 nationally in hits, runs, home runs, doubles, batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging.
Center fielder John Bay entered the last week leading the nation in runs scored, and still holds that spot after scoring eight runs over four games last week, totalling 73 on the season. The senior slugger had struggled over the previous two weeks, but turned it around against Purdue and North Alabama, batting .357 (5-for-14) with four RBI. His slugging numbers have been low lately, with his last home run coming on April 15th against Morehead State, yet he still leads the ASUN with 16 this season. He is just nine home runs away from the all-time home run record at Austin Peay, with 48 in his career with the Govs.
APSU outfielder Cameron Nickens comes into the week leading the nation with 142 total bases this season. He had 12 last week after batting .571 (8-for-14) with a home run, a double, a hit-by-pitch, and five walks. The senior Houston transfer is in the running for ASUN player of the year as he has had an amazing year at the plate up to this point, batting .425 on the season with 15 home runs, 19 doubles, a triple, and 58 RBI. He leads the ASUN in all three triple-slash categories and ranks in the top 10 in 11 offensive ASUN categories, leading in batting average, slugging, on-base percentage, OPS, hits, runs, and doubles.
Outfielder Brody Szako batted .294 (5-for-17) last week, with a double and three RBI. He bats .284 on the year, with 19 of his 29 hits going for extra bases. He has 13 home runs and six doubles to his name this season.
Austin Peay State University infielder Andres Matias batted .294 (5-for-17) last week, with a home run and a double while tallying five RBI. His average dropped below .300 on the season three weekends ago, but still bats .294 while being productive in his role at the bottom half of the order. It showed at Purdue last Tuesday, where he went 2-for-6 with a three-run homer.
First baseman/catcher Gus Freeman only batted .231 (3-for-13) with a double and five RBI, but he made up for it by getting on base often. He walked six times and was hit by a pitch once for a .500 OBP last week. Freeman comes into the week ranking in the top 10 in eight offensive ASUN categories.
Infielder Kyler Proctor had another slow week at the plate last week, batting .105 (2-for-19) at the top of the order. Despite his struggles lately, he still bats .326 on the year with six homers, 12 doubles, and a pair of triples, while tallying 35 RBI and scoring 46 runs.
APSU infielder/designated hitter Cole Johnson batted .529 (9-for-17) with a pair of doubles and his first career triple last week. He turned in a solid performance in Game 2 of the Govs ASUN series against North Alabama, going 4-for-4 with a double and three RBI, helping power the Govs to a 6-5 win over the Lions.
Infielder Ray Velazquez has been debatably one of the best bats in the country over the last three weeks, as he has turned in three straight weeks batting over .400. Last week, he batted .533 (8-for-15) with a pair of home runs and a double, tallying eight RBI.
Austin Peay State University catcher Trevor Conley started all three games against North Alabama over the weekend and batted .333 (4-for-12). He has completely turned his season around after batting .040 in 25 at-bats into the season. He is hitting .308 coming into the week, and bats .393 in conference play, which ranks ninth in the ASUN. Last week, he was named to the Buster Posey Award Midseason Watch List and is a prime candidate for the national award after showing his grit throughout the season.
Facing The Rebels
Series History
Ole Miss leads the all-time series 20-2 after winning their last 16 games against Austin peay State University. The last time the Governors have beat the Rebels was February 17th, 1998 by a score of 6-2 in Oxford.
About the Ole Miss Rebels
The Ole Miss Rebels come into the week fifth in the SEC standings, seven games back from No. 1 University of Texas Longhorns. They have a 12-9 record in SEC play, and are 31-13 overall this season. They are on a one-game losing streak after falling in their conference series finale against No. 9 Vanderbilt. The Rebels took the first two over the weekend, winning the series.
At The Plate
Ole Miss comes into the week with a .289 batting average, which ranks 11th in the SEC. The Rebels have recorded 168 extra-base hits, including 85 home runs, 75 doubles, and eight triples, while tallying 326 RBI over 44 games.
Junior infielder Luke Hill has been on a hot streak at the plate for the Rebels, reaching base safely over the last 28 games since the beginning of conference play. He bats a team-leading .352 on the season with a slugging percentage of .564 and an on-base percentage of .479. He has been a speed threat for opponents this season, going 15-for-19 in stolen base attempts.
On The Mound
Ole Miss ranks 11th in the SEC with a team ERA of 4.72. Over 44 games and 383 innings, the Rebels have allowed 238 runs, 201 earned, and opponents are batting .246 against their staff. Ole Miss’ pitching staff is ranked seventh in the NCAA in K/9 (11.3) and 14th in K:BB at 2.79.
Freshman right-handed pitcher Cade Townsend, the projected starter for Tuesday’s midweek matchup, has a 1-0 record through 11 appearances and four starts. He comes into the week with a 7.65 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP over 20 innings of work this season.
Broadcast Information
The midweek contest will be streamed on SEC Network+.
Follow Along
Keep up to date with all Governors baseball on the official website of Austin Peay State University Athletics – www.LetsGoPeay.com. Follow @GovsBSB on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for all Governors Baseball updates and ticket information as they happen.
