Issue date: 4/9/04 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Stephen Haas Senior infielder Kyle Haines (left) and senior infielder Chris Uhle (right) must play consistent defense for the Panthers to defeat Jacksonville State this weekend. Haines catches an out in a game against Western Illinois University earlier this week at Coaches Stadium.

Eastern will have the opportunity to send Jacksonville State to the middle of the pack one week after sweeping Murray State to the bottom of the Ohio Valley Conference standing.

Both Eastern and Jacksonville State are near the top of the OVC race after two weeks of play. The Gamecocks (13-15, 5-1) sit in second place behind undefeated Austin Peay, while Eastern (8-17, 4-2) is tied with Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee Tech for third place.

The Panthers will play the Gamecocks in a three-game series starting on Friday.

Eastern head coach Jimmy Schmitz realizes the key for the Panthers will lie in how well the team hits against Jacksonville State's talented pitchers.

The Gamecocks top two starters (seniors Bobby Wynns and C.R. Palmer) both have earned run averages below 3.60 while compiling three and four wins respectively.

"Jacksonville State pitches very well," Schmitz said. "If you look at the scores, with the exception of (last) Sunday's game [against Southeast Missouri State] when they gave up 14 runs, they've had some great outings."

In the aforementioned game, Jacksonville State found themselves down 12-4 after allowing SEMO a nine- run fifth inning. Much to the surprise of Schmitz, however, the Gamecocks responded with a nine-run inning of their own three frames later to defeat SEMO 15-14.

Had Jacksonville State dropped the contest there would have been a five-way tie for second-place in the conference, with the Gamecocks and Indians joining the mix.

"Jacksonville State was 4-2 when they were down 14-5 in the eighth inning, but they scored nine in the eighth to beat SEMO," Schmitz said.

"You talk about being an (upset) coach on Monday, because I'm driving in the bus (on the way back from Murray State) thinking we're all 4-2 and I'm happy. But that wasn't the case."

Continued...

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