CLARKSVILLE – A 55-game slate featuring 27 home outings highlights the 2020 Austin Peay State University baseball schedule, released Tuesday.
The 2020 season begins Valentine’s Day, Friday, Feb. 14, when Eastern Michigan travels to Clarksville for a three-game series. It is the start of a season-season opening eight-game homestand for the Govs, which includes their second turn as co-host of the Mule Mix Classic in Week 2. This season’s event will bring Missouri State, Samford, Bradley and Evansville to Raymond C. Hand Park.
Austin Peay’s first road trip arrives in Week 3 with a trip to Jacksonville, Feb. 28-March 1, that will be the team’s final tune up before the start of Ohio Valley Conference play the following weekend. The trip to Jacksonville is the return leg of a home-and-home three-game series between the two teams. Austin Peay won last season’s series played in Clarksville.
The Govs’ OVC slate will see them open against Murray State, Southeast Missouri, Eastern Kentucky, UT Martin and Eastern Illinois. The Govs-Panthers series, May 8-10, wrapping up the 2020 home schedule. Austin Peay will travel to Tennessee Tech, Belmont, Morehead State, SIUE and Jacksonville State during league play.
During Austin Peay’s off week in league play, it will travel to North Carolina State for a three-game series, May 1-3, in its final nonconference tests. It will be the second time in four seasons the Govs have faced the Wolfpack during the regular season, the teams last meeting in 2017.
The 2020 OVC Baseball Championship returns to Rent One Park in Marion, Illinois for a May 19-24 run before the start of the NCAA Baseball Championship with regional play, May 29-June 1.
Austin Peay returns 18 letterwinners from last season’s team that finished second in the Ohio Valley Conference regular season race. Sophomore Garrett Spain, the OVC Freshman of the Year last season, returns to patrol center field. On the mound, senior Ryan Kouba returns after posting five wins in 2019.
Season tickets for the 2020 baseball season are available for purchase now and 2019 season ticket holders will be receiving information on how to renew for 2020 from the Austin Peay Athletics Ticket Office. The quickest way to renew or purchase season tickets is to visit LetsGoPeay.com/buytickets and click on the Baseball Season Tickets link. Fans may also call the Austin Peay ticket office at 931-221-PEAY (7329) to complete the purchasing process.
NOTES AND NOTABLES
Fans will have to wait until April for the much-anticipated Austin Peay-Vanderbilt rematch, with the teams scheduled to meet April 28 at Hawkins Field. The Govs downed the eventual 2019 national champions in a Feb. 28 meeting last season.
Austin Peay will face six teams that finished 2019 ranked in the Top 100 of the NCAA’s RPI, accounting for 14 games. Four of those opponents pop up in the second half of the season: Morehead State, Vanderbilt, North Carolina State and Jacksonville State.
Vanderbilt, the 2019 national champion, North Carolina State and Jacksonville State each played in the 2019 NCAA Baseball Championship and are the opposition in seven of the Govs’ last 10 games.
The Govs’ 2020 slate is heavy with Missouri Valley Conference opposition with Bradley, Evansville, Missouri State and Southern Illinois on the schedule. Austin Peay will play six nonconference tilts against the MVC.
Saint Louis and Western Illinois return to the Austin Peay schedule after long hiatuses. The Govs and Billikens last met in 1988 while the Leathernecks and Govs last met in 1985.
The Govs home-and-home set against Evansville will feature a pair of former Govs: Purple Aces pitching coach A.J. Gaura and volunteer assistant coach Keirce Kimbel.
