SIUE (11-13) at Saint Louis (11-12)
Tue., March 24, 3 p.m.
Billiken Sports Center
St. Louis, Missouri
SIUE starter: LHP Noah Thompson
LAST WEEK: The Cougars won three of four games last week. They lost a Wednesday game at Illinois State before sweeping Morehead State on the road to open the Ohio Valley Conference schedule.
SERIES STUFF: SIUE and Saint Louis have played 78 times previously. The Cougars have a 41-37 advantage in the series. SIUE won the first meeting this year, February 24 in Edwardsville. The Cougars won 17-7 after SLU scored seven runs in the first inning.
HOMER HAPPY: SIUE blasted 19 home runs in the three-game weekend series at Morehead State and lead the OVC with 50. That total ranks third in the NCAA. The Cougars average 2.08 home runs a game, which ranks sixth in the NCAA. Ryan Niedzwiedz leads the league with 11 home runs, which is 12th in the NCAA. Terrick Thompson-Allen (nine home runs) and Mack Mitchell (8) are third and fourth, respectively, in the league. They both rank inside the top 60 in the NCAA.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Thompson-Allen earned the co-Player of the Week award in the OVC Monday. He was 13-20 (.650) with four home runs and 11 RBIs last week. Josh Heyder won March 16 after hitting .500 with two home runs and six RBIs the week before. Niedzwiedz earned the award March 2. He also was named to Baseball America's Team of the Week. He hit .421 with three homers and nine RBIs in five games the previous week.
POWER CYCLE: Thompson-Allen capped his week by hitting for the cycle Sunday at Morehead State. He was 5 for 6 with five RBIs and five runs. He is the first Cougar to hit for the cycle since Adam Eggemeyer in March 2010.
EIGHT IS ENOUGH: Mack Mitchell hit a pair of home runs, including his first career grand slam, Feb. 24 against Saint Louis and drove in eight runs-tying SIUE's single game RBI record at the Division I level.
STRIKE FORCE: SIUE pitchers are fourth in the OVC with 177 total strikeouts. The Cougars are third in the league at 8.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
WALLACE WATCH LIST: Senior shortstop Chase Bloomer has been named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List for the third time in his career. The award honors college baseball's best shortstop.
THE SKIPPER: Head Coach Sean Lyons is in his 10th season in the Cougars' dugout. His next win will be the 200th of his career, all coming at SIUE. He currently is third all-time in wins with 199.
