The University of Akron Athletics
Baseball Begins Homestand; Plays at Canal Park Wed.
April 09 | Baseball
After being shut out by the weather last weekend, the Zips
baseball team will open a five-game homestand Tuesday when
Pittsburgh comes to Lee Jackson Field for a 3 p.m. contest.
Akron, which has won three of its last four games, will then
host Youngstown State Wednesday night at 7 p.m. under the
lights at Canal Park Wednesday before preseason-favorite
Central Michigan rolls in for a three-game series at Lee Jackson
Field starting Friday at 3 p.m.
Four of the next five home games will be broadcast live on
1350 AM Sports Radio with Bill Morgan, the host of
Zips Live and the radio voice of Akron women's basketball, on the
mic. For those outside of the local broadcast area, all broadcasts
will be streamed on GoZips.com via Zips Zone. For more information
or to subscribe to Zips Zone, click here.
The Zips, who had their entire series at Kalamazoo, Mich. postponed
indefinitely due to winter weather conditions, have outscored their
opponents 33-18 in their last four contests after pounding Duquesne
18-8 last Wednesday in Pittsburgh. Akron scored 13 runs in the
final two innings against the Dukes while posting season highs in
runs scored and hits (24). It was the most hits recorded by an
Akron team in 10 years.
Pittsburgh (13-14) has won six of its last nine games after
starting the season with eight straight losses and is 7-4 in the
Big East Conference. The Panthers boast a pitching staff that is
ranked second in the league with a team ERA of 3.73 and four
shutouts. Redshirt freshman Gary Bucuren paces the Pittsburgh
offense with a .337 average and 19 RBI Overall, the Panthers have
the 10th-ranked offense in the Big East with a .261 team batting
average. Pittsburgh returned 16 letterwinners from a club that was
23-29 in 2006 and 10-17 in league play.
The offensive-minded Youngstown State (10-15) club comes to town
Wednesday averaging six runs per game yet has been outscored
177-150 in 2007. The Penguins, who have lost six of their last
seven games, have a team ERA of 6.38 and have allowed 31 home runs
in 25 contests. YSU is 3-3 in the Horizon League and returned 12
letterwinners from a team that went 26-29 (16-13) a year ago.
Wednesday's game will be the first of two at Canal Park this season
for the Zips.
Junior Kurt Davidson (North
Canton, Ohio/Hoover) brings a team-high 11-game hitting streak into
play this week and is just four home runs shy of becoming the
school's all-time leader.
