Western Illinois Opens Season at Austin Peay

Thursday, February 15, 2024 | By: WIU Athletic Communications

Who | Austin Peay
Where | Clarksville, TN
When | Feb. 16-18
Social Media | Instagram & Twitter

Weekend Probable's
Game 1 | Feb. 16 | 10:30 a.m.
Jason Buhl (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs Jacob Weaver (0-0, 0.00)
Game 2 | Feb. 17 | 2 p.m.
Tyler Kapraun (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs Andrew Devine (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Game 3 | Feb. 18 | 1 p.m.
TBD vs Josh Howitt (0-0, 0.00)

New Era
Western Illinois Athletics joined the Ohio Valley Conference on July 1st. They became the 11th member to join the conference and have had every team transition to the OVC as of Jan. 1st.

New Skipper
Head Coach Terry Davis was hired to become the ninth coach in the WIU Baseball program on July 7. Coach Davis comes to Western Illinois after serving as an assistant baseball coach and recruiting coordinator at Washington State. Before Washington State, Davis served as an assistant coach at New Mexico State from 2016-2019.

OVC Outlook
The Ohio Valley Conference announced Thursday's preseason players and team polls for the 2024 season. The Leathernecks are projected to finish 10th in the OVC, with Little Rock projected to take home the league title. Head Coaches and Communication Directors select the Ohio Valley preseason team. Players are automatically assigned to the 18-player OVC preseason team if they earned first or second-team all-conference in the OVC last season. Due to all the 18-player slots being filled by OVC first- and second-team players from the 2023 season, WIU was not represented on the preseason team.

Returning Stars
Western Illinois returns two all-conference members from the 2023 season. Adam Juran and Kyree Alexander earned Summit League Honorable Mention honors last season. Juran spent all his time behind the plate as the starting catcher for WIU. Juran posted a career-high .288 batting average, hitting four home runs and knocking in 19 RBIs. Juran also set career highs in slugging percentage (.466), doubles (7), triples (1), and stolen bases (4).

As a true freshman, Kyree Alexander tied for a team-high with four home runs. Alexander batted at a .300 clip well in conference play, driving ten RBIs. Alexander was a threat on the base paths, leading the team with nine stolen bases.

Raising Money
The Leatherneck Baseball team got the spring 2024 season off to a great start, raising more than $18,000 at their First Pitch Dinner on February 3, 2024. The event, held at Park Place of Macomb, brought together the community, Leatherneck baseball alumni, and the 2024 team and coaching staff to support the baseball program. The money raised is being allocated to various aspects of the baseball program, including upgrades to training facilities, equipment, and new software to aid in player development and recruiting. Western Illinois Athletics and the Leatherneck Baseball team would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to all those in attendance at this year's event.

50th Anniversary
Western Illinois Baseball will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the 1974 Hall of Fame team this season. The 1974 team went 31-12 on the year for the most single-season wins at that time and second most today and concluded the campaign with a trip to the NCAA Division II Mideast Regional. The postseason appearance marked the first-ever for WIU baseball. This team is arguably one of the greatest Leatherneck Baseball teams to ever step on the diamond.

Scouting Austin Peay
The Govs start head coach Roland Fanning's second season with Atlantic Sun Conference Preseason Player of the Year Lyle Miller-Green, Preseason All-ASUN selection Clayton Gray, and one of the nation's top shortstops in Jon Jon Gazdar. In addition, Austin Peay revamped its pitching staff during the offseason with 11 newcomers.

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