Kent State Baseball Looks To Continue Winning Ways At Western Kentucky

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kent State (5-4)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	6	2
Western Kentucky (4-7)	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	X	2	5	1
@ Bowling Green, Ky. | Nick Denes Field

Pitching
Win: Bado (1-1) - Western Kentucky
Loss: CLARK, Michael (0-1) - Kent State
Save: Haydel (1) - Western Kentucky

Kent State Batting
2B: ROBERTS, George; HAMILTON, Nick 2; SUMMERS, Troy
3B: none
HR: none

Western Kentucky Batting
2B: Wilcox 2
3B: none
HR: none

full stats

Game 1
Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kent State (4-3)	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	2	8	2
Western Kentucky (3-6)	0	0	0	2	0	0	3	0	X	5	8	2
@ Bowling Green, Ky. | Nick Denes Field

Pitching
Win: Perkins (1-0) - Western Kentucky
Loss: STARN, David (1-2) - Kent State

Kent State Batting
2B: CAMPBELL, Evan; BAGOLY, Jason; SUTTON, T.J.
3B: none
HR: none

Western Kentucky Batting
2B: none
3B: none
HR: Huck 2

full stats

Game 2
Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kent State (5-3)	2	0	5	2	2	2	0	0	0	13	17	0
Western Kentucky (3-7)	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	7	0
@ Bowling Green, Ky. | Nick Denes Field

Pitching
Win: BORES, Ryan (2-1) - Kent State
Loss: Hageman (0-2) - Western Kentucky

Kent State Batting
2B: CAMPBELL, Evan; RIDER, Jimmy; HAMILTON, Nick 2
3B: none
HR: none

Western Kentucky Batting
2B: Hutchison
3B: none
HR: none

full stats

Golden Flashes (4-2) visit Bowling Green, Ky. to square off with the Hilltoppers (2-6).

The Kent State baseball team visits Bowling Green, Ky. this weekend (March 3-4) to face off with Western Kentucky in a three-game non-conference series at Nick Denes Field.

The Golden Flashes (4-2) are looking to build earn another series victory after taking down Lipscomb, 2-1, in a three-game set in Nashville, Tenn., last weekend. After suffering a tough 2-1 loss to the Bison (4-3) in the opening game of the series Friday (Feb. 24), the Golden Flashes (4-2) responded by rolling to a 16-3 victory Saturday (Feb. 25) and kept Lipscomb off the scoreboard Sunday (Feb. 26) in the rubber match, 4-0.

SOUP'S ON

Junior center fielder Evan Campbell (Beloit, Ohio) was named the MAC East Division Player of the Week, as announced by the conference office Wednesday (Feb. 29).

The honor marked Kent State's second conference player of the week award in as many weeks. Senior southpaw David Starn (Hudson, Ohio) was named MAC East Division Pitcher of the Week last week (Feb. 21)

Campbell batted .500 with seven hits and drove in six runs to help Kent State win the weekend series at Lipscomb, 2-1, last weekend at Ken Dugan Field at Stephen L. Marsh Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. The junior saved his best for the Sunday (Feb. 26) rubber match, collecting four hits, driving in a run and scoring another as the Golden Flashes (4-2) blanked the Bison, 4-0. The previous day, he drove in four runs on two doubles to help Kent State roll to a 16-3 victory.

Through six games, Campbell leads the Golden Flashes with 12 hits -- including a team-high three doubles.

WE'D BE LYON IF WE SAID HE WASN'T GOOD

Senior co-captain and standout catcher David Lyon (Emporium, Pa.) finished a home run shy of hitting for the cycle and drove in four runs in last Saturday's 16-3 win over Lipscomb. He finished the series batting .500 with six hits and six RBIs. He currently leads the team with eight RBIs this season.

Lyon is one of 30 NCAA baseball student-athletes selected as candidates for the 2012 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. The complete list of candidates follows this release.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, Division I head coaches and fans who will select one finalist who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.

WHEN SWAGASAURUS RULED THE EARTH

Redshirt junior Nick Hamilton (Avon Lake, Ohio) is battling to secure the starting job at third base this season, and through three starts, he's done a nice job of stating his case.

Owner of the most nicknames on the squad, 'Swagasaurus' (his latest moniker) is batting .455 with a .500 on-base percentage.

Hamilton started three of the 21 games he played in in 2011, seeing time as an infielder and making appearances as a pinch hitter and pinch runner. He posted a .227 batting average, .393 on base percentage (fourth on the team) and .273 slugging percentage with five hits, seven runs, a double and two RBIs for the season.

WINNING THE ARMS RACE

Outstanding pitching is a yearly staple for Kent State baseball, and 2012 has been no different so far. Still, the numbers are staggering. 

Through six games, the pitching staff has combined to post a 1.36 ERA with 50 strikeouts while allowing just eight earned runs on 37 hits and 10 walks.

Senior left-handed starting pitcher David Starn (Hudson, Ohio) tossed another gem, but the Kent State baseball team could not take advantage in a 2-1 loss at Lipscomb last Friday.

Starn worked 7.2 innings and struck out 10 for the Golden Flashes (2-2) but surrendered a two-out RBI double to Lipscomb senior first baseman Zak Messer in the eighth inning to break a one-all tie and power the Bison (4-1) to the win. The 2012 Louisville Slugger Third Team Pre-Season All-America selection upped his career strikeout total to 230 and is eight away from passing Kyle Hallock (237; 2008-11) for second place in the school record book. He fanned six or more batters for the 19^th time in his career and second straight game. The contest marked the fifth time in his career he has reached double digits in strikeouts.

Junior right-handed starting pitcher Ryan Bores (Strongsville, Ohio) and senior righty Ryan Mace (Tallmadge, Ohio) combined to limit Lipscomb to three runs on seven hits in a 16-3 triumph last Saturday. Bores went five innings en route to earning the mound victory and evening his record at 1-1. He fanned three and allowed two runs – only one of which was earned – on five hits and a walk. Mace tossed the last four frames, tallying four strikeouts and surrendering one unearned run on two hits.

Sophomore right-handed starting pitcher Tyler Skulina (Strongsville, Ohio), redshirt sophomore southpaw reliever Michael Clark (Akron, Ohio) and junior righty reliever Casey Wilson (Sagamore Hills, Ohio) joined forces to deal a four-hit masterpiece and help the Flashes blank Lipscomb, 4-0, Sunday.

Skulina improved to 2-0 through two starts in his first season with the Blue & Gold by, fanning six over seven innings and allowing just two hits and two walks. Kent State's bullpen finished the shutout thanks to scoreless innings by Clark and Wilson. Each pitched a scoreless frame, struck out one and gave up one hit.

ON TO THE NEXT ONE