Kent State University
Belmont
Flashes Looking to Tune Their Craft in Nashville
2/22/2018 11:00:00โฏAM | Baseball
After 1-2 start, KSU heads to Music City for three games against three teams
After dropping two of three games to defending regional champion Sam Houston State in Texas last weekend, the Kent State Golden Flashes head for Tennessee this weekend for three games in the Nashville area against Belmont, Lipscomb and Middle Tennessee.
As part of the Southern Athletic Field Classic, KSU will see three different opponents in three days at three different venues in and around the Music City Feb. 23-25. The Golden Flashes will battle Belmont on Friday at 5 p.m., Lipscomb on Saturday at 3 p.m. and Middle Tennessee on Sunday at 1 p.m. The oppositions' combined record is 7-5.
Belmont's Bruins โ who were swept by KSU a year ago to start the season โ took two of three games at home against Youngstown State this weekend. They dropped a Tuesday tilt to Western Kentucky, 4-1. Lipscomb also took two of three in its opening series, snagging a series win over UNC Ashville. The Bisons dropped an 8-5 decision to Tennessee on Tuesday. Middle Tennessee State has started 3-1 by sweeping Western Illinois. The Blue Raiders were shut out by Alabama on Tuesday, 4-0.
"We'll have our hands full," head coach Jeff Duncan said. "Anytime you go into someone else's ballpark at this time of the year it's difficult. Add to that they are all good teams and we need to be ready to play the second we step off the bus."
Kent State will use the same starting rotation this weekend as it did to start the year. Eli Kraus goes on Friday against Belmont, Joey Murray Saturday versus Lipscomb and Jared Skolnicki takes the slab against Sunday at MTSU. The KSU starters all had effective outings a weekend ago.
DIAMOND DIALOGUE
- Kent State is taking part in the Southern Athletic Field Classic this weekend.
- KSU will see three teams from the state of Tennessee in three days with Belmont Friday, Lipscomb Saturday and Middle Tennessee Sunday.
- The Golden Flashes have won either the Mid-American Conference regular season or tournament championship in 10 of the last 11 seasons.
- KSU has been tabbed the pre-season league favorite in both the regular and post-season.
- Kent State was led in hitting on opening weekend by Brad Hamilton (4-9, 2 HRs) and Tim DalPorto (4-13, .308).
- Four different Flashes stole bases last weekend as KSU went 5-7 in stolen base attempts.
- The Golden Flashes will take aim at their 20th consecutive season with at least 30 victories. KSU has had one sub-.500 season since 1981.
- KSU opened the 2017 at Belmont and swept the Bruins in three games, winning by scores of 15-0, 3-0 and 5-4.
- Senior lefty Eli Kraus is poised to return to the front of KSU's rotation after compiling records of 9-1 and 8-3 in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
WHAT'S NEXT
Following their return from Tennessee, Kent State is again headed south, this time to the North Carolina/South Carolina border for a three-game series against Winthrop. The games are March 2-4 at Winthrop Ballpark.
