CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Austin Peay baseball team is back in Clarksville for a three-game series against the Lipscomb Bisons this weekend.

This will be the first home conference series of the season for the Govs and the third home series overall. The Govs will enter this three-game stretch with an 11-10 overall record and a 2-1 record in conference play. Lipscomb, meanwhile, enters with an 8-10 overall record and a 2-1 mark in ASUN play.

The Govs won two out of three games against Bellarmine in their first conference series, while the Bisons won two out of three against North Alabama. Whoever comes away victorious in this series will be in a great position early in conference play.

Now, let’s go over what to know about this home conference opener.

What to know about Austin Peay vs Lipscomb

This weekend will be the first of two series between the Govs and Bisons this season. Last year, the Govs went 5-1 against the Bisons with two of the five games ending early due to the run rule.

Leading up to this series, the Govs had a midweek game against Ole Miss. The Rebels’ high-powered offense was too much for the Govs as they walked away with a 9-5 win in Oxford.

The Bisons were supposed to play Evansville in a midweek game, but it was cancelled due to inclement weather. As a result, Lipscomb will enter this series with plenty of rest, while the Govs are looking to bounce back from a tough road loss.

Game one against Lipscomb will be on Friday at 6 p.m., while the second game of the series will be on Saturday at 2 p.m. The series finale is slated to take place on Sunday at 1 p.m., in what should be an exciting weekend at Raymond C. Hand Park.

Players to watch

Entering the weekend, the Govs have four batters hitting .300 or better. Zion Taylor has been on fire lately and leads the team with a .390 batting average to go with three home runs and 19 RBIs.

Cole Johnson has gotten off to a slower start after batting .347 last season, but he could be heating up. Against Ole Miss, Johnson went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. If the Govs are hoping for a series win this weekend, Johnson will need to stay hot.

As for their pitching rotation, Austin Peay has gotten quality starts from Kade Shatwell and Kaleb Applebey this season. Shatwell has a team-best 1.82 ERA with a 0.81 WHIP and a 2-1 record on the season. Applebey, meanwhile, has a 1-0 record with 21 strikeouts in 21 innings.

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