SEARCY, Ark. & SPRINGFIELD, Mo.  –  The Miners will take to the road for the first time all season, starting with a single game in Searcy, Arkansas against the Harding Bisons followed by a four game series in Springfield against Drury. The Miners enter the road trip with an 8-8 record and 0-4 in the GLVC after losing all four games in last weekend's series against Indianapolis.
 
Despite a rough series against UIndy in which they gave up 52 runs across four games, the Miners still have the second-best ERA in the conference at 6.23. They are also one of only three teams in the conference to record a shutout this season (in a 9-0 win over Winona State) and have given up the fewest homeruns this season (7).
 
The Miners four starting pitchers from their last series were Dylan Mollett (St. Louis, MO/Oakville), Ethan Morrow (Lenexa, KS/Shawnee Mission West), Estin McBroom (Monett, MO/Monett), and David Kephart (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley Northwest). These four pitchers are currently combining for a 3.93 ERA on the season with 1.5 WHIP and 67 strikeouts. McBroom has the best ERA of the four at 2.93 through 15.1 innings this season. Jacob Cook (Shorewood, Ill./Minooka Community) has been S&T's best reliever so far, only allowing a .160 batting average and a 2.45 ERA in six games.
 
The Miners batting average through the first sixteen games is .266 and they have a .403 on base percentage. They lead the league in triples with eleven, which is also the sixth most in the country. Their base running has been superb, stealing 40 bases on 46 attempts for the third most steals in the GLVC. Carter Bither (Springfield, MO/Springfield Catholic) has the highest batting average on the team with .340. He is one of three Miners with an average above .300 along with Nick Krodinger (DeSoto, MO/DeSoto) and Tyler Prince (Mexico, MO/Mexico). Sam Monroe (Moline, Ill./Moline) had a good series at the plate against UIndy, recording 9 hits and 8 RBIs along with a .632 OB% for the series. Matt Souza (Escondido, CA/Christian) fared well against the Greyhounds too, hitting two home runs and batting in five runs with a .600 OB%.
 
About the Opponents:
 
Harding started the season 12-2 but have lost the last six straight games, only scoring five runs in their last four games. The Bisons have a .299 batting average and .436 on base percentage through 20 games this season. They have a 5.08 ERA and are allowing the second lowest batting average among teams in the Great American Conference with .245. The Miners have faced Harding 16 times in the past, losing 14 of those games, with the most recent being in 2013.
 
As fellow members of the GLVC, the Drury Panthers are a familiar opponent for S&T. The Miners trail slightly in the all-time series 33-39, most recently facing them in a four game series at Maryville where S&T won one game. The Panthers are 5-8 overall but most beat Missouri-St. Louis in three out of four games to give themselves a 3-1 conference record. They have a .288 batting average and have been struck out 116 times this season, the fifth most in the conference. Their pitching is third in the GLVC, just behind the Miners' ERA with 6.25. They have given up six triples, this season, tying them for the third most allowed in the conference.
 
 
This Week's Schedule:
 
Harding University:
Tuesday at 4 p.m.
 
Drury University:
Game 1 – Friday at 3 p.m.
Games 2 & 3 – Saturday doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
Game 4 – Sunday at 12 p.m.