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Johnny Beck
Matthew A. Smith

Midweek Showdown at Austin Peay

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

Western travels to Austin Peay for a midweek showdown on Wednesday (March 11).

Game 13

Who | Western Illinois (0-12) at Austin Peay (6-9) 
When | Wednesday (March 11) at 6 p.m.
Where | Raymond C. Hand Park - Clarksville, Tenn. 
Social Media | Twitter and Facebook #TRADITIONofTOUGH

First Pitch | The Western Illinois baseball team heads to Austin Peay on Wednesday (March 11)  for one final prep before Summit League play and the home opener on Friday (March 13). 

New Skipper | This season the Leathernecks are led by first-year head coach Andy Pascoe who is the seventh head coach in program history. He was hired on Sept. 19, 2019, after he spent three seasons at Butler (2016-19) as an assistant/hitting coach.  

History vs. Austin Peay | The midweek showdown will mark only the third time between both ball clubs as they met last in 1985 and the year prior in 1984. Western has won both matchups as the Leathernecks and Governors have only faced off at neutral site locations.  

All-time Series: 
3/19/85 | W, 13-5 | N
3/18/84 | W, 4-2 | N

The Pen | In the second go-around against SEC competition the bullpen shined at Mizzou. The combination of Chandler Fochs (7.0), Jack Carberry and Brian Raymond (4.0)  combined for 13.2 innings of shutout ball and have held the Tigers to six hits in the first two games of the series. 

The Leatherneck pen only allowed nine hits and two runs in the three-game series.

Long Ball | The Leatherneck bats have hit a home run in each series so far, including three straight games with one. Alex Dorethy ranks third in The Summit League with three while Drue Galassi and Trenton Bauer have tallied two each. 

2020 Momentum | Last season the Leathernecks collected 22 wins, which tied the most single-season wins in 12 years. Also a program record was set for the most Summit League victories (16) in program history and handed Oral Roberts, a four-time league champion, its first-ever sweep in league play. 

The Leathernecks return the ace of the staff, Javin Drake and key offense pieces Drue Galassi (.298) and Kevin Raisebeck (.291) who each batted just a shy under .300. Both Drake and Galassi First Team All-Summit selections last season as well. 

DraKKKKe | A strikeout machine, Javin Drake will take the mound again as the Leatherneck ace. Last season he set the single-season program record for strikeouts (109) for a career total of 204 and is only 25 more away from becoming the all-time leader. He also tied 10th for wins in a season with seven and third in innings pitch at 103. 

Galassi's Grass | Drue Galassi has raked at the plate since he stepped foot at WIU. After earning a medical redshirt in 2016, he bounced back to be named a 2017 Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American while batting .281 with eight home runs and slugging .519. That season he also hit two grand slams in one inning to be named Collegiate Baseball Co-National Player of the Week en route, setting the single record of 10 RB.  

Galassi ranks seventh  all-time in home runs (22) and fifth  in RBI (113). He returns to the Purple and Gold as last seasons leader in slugging (.527), hits (56), RBI (51), triples (2), and home runs (10)
 
A Whole New Staff | First-year head coach Andy Pascoe isn't the only new member of the staff this season. He adds assistant/pitching coach Braeden Ward, graduate assistant coach Adam McGinnis and volunteer assistant coach Trey Muilenburg.

On Deck | Baseball resumes at Alfred D. Boyer for the Leathernecks home opener on Friday (March 13) and the kick off of Summit League play against Purdue Fort Wayne in a three-game series. 
 
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