DAYTON – The University of Dayton baseball team will head to Richmond, Ky. for a midweek contest with Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Earle Combs Stadium.
 
The game is scheduled to be broadcast with a paid subscription to ESPN+.
 
SCOUTING THE FLYERS
The Flyers took the first game on Friday against Central Michigan on a home run from senior Riley Tirotta, but fell in the next three contests against the Chippewas to put UD's overall record at 4-14 in 2021.
 
Junior Benjamin Blackwell leads Dayton offensively, hitting .328 in 18 games this season, tallying four doubles and an on-base percentage of .438. Graduate student Alex Brickman leads the Flyers from a run-producing standpoint, knocking a team-leading four home runs and 11 RBIs. Junior Marcos Pujols has also put in consistent work, ranking second on the team with nine RBIs and tying for the team lead with four stolen bases in four attempts.
 
Senior Hunter Wolfe was named Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week for his effort against Central Michigan on Friday. The lefty went seven scoreless innings while picking up at least 10 strikeouts for the second consecutive start. He is tied for the conference lead with 37 strikeouts this season, putting his career total at 162 strikeouts, putting him 17 behind Charlie Dant for 10^th in program history. Senior Andrew Zapka has been a dominant force out of the Dayton bullpen as well, posting an ERA of 0.96 in 9.1 innings this season.
 
SCOUTING THE COLONELS          
Eastern Kentucky enters the game with an 8-10 record in 2021 and plays Tennessee Tuesday evening before taking on the Flyers. EKU has wins over Georgia Tech and Louisville to this point in the season and are coming off a series win over Tennessee Martin this past weekend. The Colonels were picked to finish sixth in the Ohio Valley Conference under first-year coach Chris Prothro.
 
Cam Ridley has been a mainstay for EKU offensively, leading the team with a .308 batting average through 18 games this season. Ridley is also tied for the team lead with four stolen bases. Charles Ludwick leads the team with four home runs and he pairs with Caleb Upshaw, who leads the team with 16 RBIs, as the team's main contributors from run-producing standpoint. Eastern Kentucky also features Daniel Harris IV, who was named to the All-OVC Preseason Team after finishing with the ninth-highest batting average in Division I last season.
 
Louis Davenport III leads the team on the mound with two wins in 2021, sporting a 5.09 ERA through five starts this season. His 23 innings are the most on the team, as are his 37 strikeouts, which ties for second in the conference. Will Brian and Bryce Travis have been big components out of the EKU bullpen, with each sporting an ERA under 2.00 and Brian leading the team with four saves.
 
 
MATCHUP HISTORY
This will mark the twelfth time these two schools have faced off against each other, with Dayton holding a 6-5 series advantage over Eastern Kentucky. The Flyers won the last game against the Colonials 17-5 back on March 27, 2019 at EKU.