Issue date: 4/21/09 Section: Sports

Sophomore right-hander Josh Mueller pitches during the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against Jacksonville State at Coaches Stadium. Mueller pitched 5 2/3 innings and earned a no-decision in the team's 8-7 win. (Eric Hiltner/The Daily Eastern News)

The Eastern baseball team will look to snap a rare two-game losing streak as it takes on Saint Louis at 3 p.m. today at Coaches Stadium.

The Panthers dropped two of three during the weekend against Jacksonville State, their first home losses of the season and also the first time all year they have lost two in a row.

"We obviously did not play well in games two and three (last weekend)," Eastern head coach Jim Schmitz said. "I thought the energy level wasn't what you would expect from a conference weekend, so I think the urgency is to get back to playing."

Tuesday's contest will be a familiar foe for the Panthers, as they have faced Saint Louis twice already this season.

The Billikens won a 5-4 game Feb. 28 at a tournament in Evansville, Ind., but the Panthers extracted revenge with a 12-8 win in St. Louis March 31.

Schmitz said the focus this week will be on getting his pitchers back to good form after a rough weekend.

The pitching staff finished the series against Jacksonville State with a combined ERA of 9.72, 12 walks, four hit batters and four wild pitches.

Among those struggling include sophomore right-hander Matt Miller, red-shirt freshman right-hander Mike Martin and junior right-hander Josh Wilson, the three of which allowed eight earned runs in 3 1/3 innings of action out of the bullpen.

"We've got to get Martin, Miller, Wilson and those guys to just throw better for us," Schmitz said. "They have early on, all three of them. I don't know why they aren't sharp now, but if we can get some quality innings out of those guys, that just makes everybody feel a little bit more confident as we move on."

The Panthers (27-8) will start senior right-hander Brian Morrell against the Billikens (20-19).

Morrell started Tuesday's 5-1 victory against Illinois and threw five innings of two hit, one run ball. He is 3-1 with a 4.84 ERA on the season in 17 appearances, including three starts.

Morrell struggled against Saint Louis in the March 31 meeting. In relief of junior Tyler Kehrer, Morrell allowed six runs and four hits in just 1 2/3 innings; however, only two of the six runs were earned.

In the Feb. 28 meeting, Morrell relieved senior Josh Mueller and went 3 1/3 innings, giving up two runs, none of them earned, and one hit.

Opposing Morrell for the Billikens will be sophomore Andrew Buckham.

The south paw is 0-1 with an 11.34 ERA in seven appearances this season, including four starts.

After Tuesday's contest, the Panthers will stay home for a 3 p.m. Wednesday game against Bradley as Miller will oppose freshman right-hander Justin Ziegler.


Collin Whitchurch can be reached at 581-7944 or cfwhitchurch@eiu.edu.

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