Kent State University
Purdue University
Flashes To Take on Purdue, Illinois in First Midweek Games
3/23/2015 2:46:00 PM | Baseball
Kent State (9-9) will finish its spring break trip with two midweek games this week. The Golden Flashes are set to play Purdue (9-13) on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and No. 17 Illinois (17-5-1) on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. EST.
COVERAGE
• Live video will be available for both games on BTN2GO. A subscription is required
• Live stats will be available courtesy of each team website at purduesports.com and fightingillini.com
• Both games will be broadcast on Golden Flashes iHeart Radio
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Tuesday, March 24
Kent State: #31 LHP Eli Kraus (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 SO, 1 BB, 0 GS, 2.2 IP)
Purdue: #47 RHP Shane Bryant (1-0, 4.98 ERA, 18 SO, 6 BB, 1 GS, 21.2 IP)
Wednesday, March 25
Kent State: #21 LHP Jared Skolnicki (2-1, 2.28 ERA, 20 SO, 5 BB, 3 GS, 23.2 IP)
Illinois: #41 RHP Cody Sedlock (3-0, 4.63 ERA, 11 SO, 6 BB, 1 GS, 11.2 IP)
KENT STATE – PURDUE HISTORY
• Kent State is 1-3 all-time against Purdue
• The Golden Flashes win came in the most recent meeting, in the 2012 NCAA Regional. Kent State beat host Purdue 7-3
KENT STATE – ILLINOIS HISTORY
• Kent State is 3-2 all-time against Iliinois.
• Earlier this season, the Golden Flashes beat the No. 25 Fighting Illini 4-3 at the Chanticleer Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
• Prior to that, the teams met twice in 2005 with Kent State taking both games, 6-5 and 5-4
NATIONAL RANKINGS
• Kent State continues to rank in the top 50 in the country in a few statistical categories through this past weekend's games
• Through Tuesday's games, the Golden Flashes are 10th in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings, 46th in ERA, 41st in hits allowed per nine innings, 28th in strikeout to walk ratio and 48th in WHIP
• Zarley Zalewski's batting average is the 46th-highest in the nation while his on-base percentage ranks 19th
• Sawyer Polen is 17th in hit by pitch per game, 22nd in hit by pitch, 41st in sacrifice flies, 25th in triples and 32nd in triples per game
• Luke Burch ranks 13th in stolen bases per game and 28th in stolen bases
• Nick Jensen-Clagg's four victories is good for 26th in the country while he ranks 32nd in strikeouts
• Josh Pierce is 43rd in strikeout-to-walk ratio
K CLUB
• The Golden Flashes' pitching staff is currently averaging 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings
• Weekend starters Nick Jensen-Clagg, Eric Lauer and Andy Ravel have all reached a new career-high in strikeouts this season during a game
• Kent State's team record for strikeouts in a single season is 543, set in 2012
• If the team keeps at that current pace, they are likely to break that mark this year
IN THE RECORD BOOKS
• Sawyer Polen currently has 473 career assists, which ranks 6th all-time in the Kent State record books. He needs four more to jump up to 5th place
