The Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) baseball team is gearing up for a three-game ASUN Conference series against the University of North Alabama (UNA). With three wins in their last five games, the EKU Colonels (16-21, 6-9 ASUN) are looking to maintain their momentum on the road. The series opener is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the second game on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET, and the series finale on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. All three games will air live on ESPN+.
The Colonels are coming off a 9-2 win against Marshall on Wednesday, splitting a two-game midweek series. They also won two of three games against No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast last weekend. Logan Thomason has been a standout player since moving to the lead-off position, hitting .444 with 15 runs, three doubles, four home runs, and nine RBIs in the last 12 games. Charlie Ludwick has also performed well in his last 14 games, hitting .333 with seven home runs, 18 RBIs, 18 runs, and 14 walks.
EKU’s defense is tied for third in the nation with 40 double plays turned this season. Isaac Milburn is slated to start the opener on the mound for the Colonels. The sophomore left-hander has a 2-3 record with a 7.18 ERA. Junior right-hander Luke Reed will start game two, holding a 1-2 record with a 5.13 ERA. The starter for game three has not been determined.
The University of North Alabama (9-26 overall, 3-12 ASUN) recently swept a three-game road trip to Bellarmine, averaging 12 runs per game in the conference sweep. However, the Lions lost their midweek home game against Belmont, 6-5, on Tuesday. First baseman Kyle Machado leads the team in batting average (.330), home runs (8), RBIs (26), and runs scored (28). Outfielder/designated hitter Andrew Knight is hitting .306 with five home runs, 22 RBIs, and 21 runs scored.
Jacob Bradshaw will start game one for the Lions. The junior right-hander is 2-3 with a 6.57 ERA. Jacob James, a junior lefty, will take the mound for game two. He holds a 2-3 record with a 6.98 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 49 innings. The game three starter hasn’t been determined.
In the all-time series, EKU holds a 5-1 record against North Alabama. The two teams met six times in 2022, with the Colonels sweeping three games in Richmond and winning two in Florence. EKU scored 40 runs in a three-game sweep of the Lions on April 22-24, 2022. In the final game of the series, Ron Franklin Jr. hit two home runs in the second inning and finished 2-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs scored.