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INDIANAPOLIS – Butler will host Eastern Illinois this weekend at Bulldog Park for a four-game series. FloSports will carry the action all weekend between the Bulldogs and Panthers. This series features a doubleheader on Saturday with single games slated for Friday and Sunday.
 
Weekend Schedule
Friday, April 1 – 4 PM
Saturday, April 2 – 12 PM (Doubleheader)
Sunday, April 3 – 1 PM
All games to be played at Bulldog Park
 
Projected Starters
LHP Cory Bosecker vs. LHP Trevor Nicholson
RHP Aaron Barokas vs. RHP Cameron Doherty
LHP Nick Eaton vs. TBA
TBA vs. RHP Blake Malatestinic
 
Scouting Eastern Illinois
The Panthers midweek matchup at Illinois State set for Wednesday afternoon was canceled due to rain. The team will now shift their focus to the Bulldogs for a four-game weekend series. EIU is currently 16-4 overall with all 20 games being played on the road. Their home opener is set for next week vs. Bellarmine, a team Butler just defeated on March 29.
 
EIU opened OVC action last weekend and swept UT Martin (4-3, 9-4, and 3-2). They also came up with a signature non-conference win over Illinois on March 8 (4-2). Ryan Ignoffo and Lucas Diluca are two of the top players in the Panther batting order. Ignoffo leads the team and the OVC with a .438 batting average. He has recorded 39 hits in 20 games, including a team-high seven home runs helping post a team-best 30 RBI. Diluca is a .384 hitter with 20 runs scored and a team-best 13 walks.
 
Weekend arms for the Panthers will likely be Cameron Doherty, Blake Malatestinic and Trevor Nicholson with closer Zane Robbins on call in the bullpen. Doherty is 3-2 this season with a 4.18 ERA. He leads the team in innings pitched (32.1) and has 34 strikeouts to just eight walks. Malatestinic (3-0) and Nicholson (4-0) are still undefeated on the mound in 2022. Malatestinic has 24 strikeouts over 28.1 innings of work. The team's strikeout leader is Nicholson. The left-handed senior has a 1.19 ERA over four starts and is sending batters back to the dugout on a regular basis. He has 52 strikeouts in 30.1 innings with opponents' batting just .165 against him. Robbins highlights the bullpen with seven saves in 10 appearances. He has only allowed five hits this year and has struck out 19 batters in 10.2 innings. As a unit, the Panthers lead the OVC in strikeout-to-walk ratio, strikeouts per nine innings and in team ERA (3.75).
 
Last Meeting
Butler and Eastern Illinois played at Bulldog Park in 2019 with the Panthers recording a 2-0 victory. Sac flies came in the third and fourth to separate the teams. Butler's last win over EIU came in Charleston during the 2018 campaign. BU scored two in the sixth and four more in the seventh to post a 6-3 win.
 
Bulldog Park
Butler is 5-2 when playing at home this season. Head Coach Dave Schrage has six student-athletes batting over .300 when the Bulldogs play on campus. Aaron Steinhart leads that group with a .360 BA. Travis Holt has the most hits with 11 and James Gargano has the most RBI's at home with five.
 
Three in a Row
The Bulldogs have won their last two games and will be looking for their third, three-game winning streak this weekend when they host Eastern Illinois on Friday at 4 PM. BU won three-straight at the end of February with victories against Jackson State (2x) and Prairie View A&M. They also swept a home weekend series against Western Illinois in mid-march.
 
Hitting Streak
Aaron Steinhart has the longest active hitting streak on the team (5). Steinhart hit four home runs over the span of four games from March 22 to March 27. He extended his streak with a two-RBI single for BU at Bellarmine on Tuesday.
 
Wurch Will Reach
BU infielder Billy Wurch has reached base safely in 14-straight games. Wurch was great his last time out going 2-for-2 at Bellarmine with two doubles and two runs scored.
 
24-for-24
Travis Holt, Aaron Steinhart, and Ryan O'Halloran have started in all 24 games for Butler. Holt has led-off for the Bulldogs in every game while starting at shortstop. Steinhart is primarily in the lineup as the Bulldog designated hitter and O'Halloran has 23 of his 24 starts at third base.
 
Be Patient
The Bulldogs didn't swing at balls out of the zone at Bellarmine on Tuesday. As a result, the 'Dawgs walked eight times against the Knights to tie their season-high total. BU also had eight base on balls on March 1 at Northern Kentucky.
 
Double Up
The Bulldogs have hit 10 doubles over their last three games. Ryan O'Halloran and Billy Wurch have three each. Holt, Gargano, Milano and McCargar have the rest.
 
Team Leaders
Hits: Travis Holt - 35
Runs: Travis Holt - 22
RBI: Aaron Steinhart - 24
Stolen Bases: Travis Holt - 13
ERA: Cole McDaniel – 3.70 (Starter) / Derek Drees – 0.68 (Bullpen)
IP: Cory Bosecker – 28.0
Strikeouts: Cory Bosecker - 29
Saves: Derek Drees - 3

Up Next
Butler will play at #16 Notre Dame on Tuesday, April 5.