MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - The Middle Tennessee baseball team closes out the 2013 regular season with six consecutive home games, beginning with ULM for a three-game series this weekend. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. Friday at Reese Smith Jr. Field.
Last weekend at No. 20 South Alabama, the Blue Raiders let a pair of extra-inning contests slip away before capturing a 6-5 win in the series finale. Trent Miller went 5-for-6 in game one of the series, becoming the first Blue Raider since 2010 to record five hits in a game, and Hunter Adkins pitched eight solid innings on Sunday to earn the win.
MT (26-24, 9-15 Sun Belt) looks to feed off the momentum from Sunday's finale heading into the final six games of the regular season.
MT currently leads the all-time series with ULM, 11-9. Last year, the Warhawks took two of three contests in Monroe, however the Blue Raiders have taken the series in all four meetings in Murfreesboro.
Zac Curtis (5-3) gets the nod for game one on Friday. Curtis will be making his first appearance as the Friday starter as he has consistently improved on the mound throughout the season. He leads the pitching staff with 65 strikeouts and carries a 4.14 ERA into Friday's contest.
Johnathan Frebis (5-5) heads to the mound Saturday for game two. Frebis moves back into his usual Saturday role after going 4.2 innings, surrendering seven runs, six earned, on seven hits against the Jaguars last weekend. He currently holds a 5.59 ERA.
Hunter Adkins (5-5) will start the Sunday finale of this series. A week ago, Adkins went 8.0 innings and gave up just two runs, both earned, on seven hits and fanned six. He worked his way out of several scoring chances en route to earning the win.
Centerfielder Ryan Stephens continues to lead the team with his .337 average at the plate this year. Stephens has led the squad for most of the season with his consistent efforts in getting on base, reaching in 42 of the last 44 contests. His .482 slugging percentage is also good for first on the team.
ULM (17-31, 6-18 SBC) dropped a pair at WKU last weekend. The Warhawks took the first game, 3-2, before falling in the final two games of the series. They surrendered 16 runs in the two losses combined while scoring just three times.
Righthander Cale Wine (5-7) will start game one of the series. Wine has a team-low 3.79 ERA in 78.1 innings pitched this year. His 51 strikeouts are a team-high and he has given up just two home runs.
Shelby Aulds (4-6) heads to the hill for game two. Aulds brings a 4.06 ERA into the contest and has one save and one complete game under his belt this year. Sunday's pitcher is TBA.
Outfielder Dalton Herrington paces the Warhawks at the plate with a .270 batting average. He is currently tied for first on the team with five home runs and has touched home 37 times this year. His .411 slugging percentage is good for second in the lineup.
