LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University baseball team will open ASUN play with a three-game series at Eastern Kentucky.

First pitches between the Knights (5-12) and Colonels (7-9) are slated for 3:30 p.m. (ET) Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Start times were moved up from 6 p.m. on each of the first two days.

Eastern Kentucky is coming off a three-game home sweep of Presbyterian by scores of 4-2, 1-0 and 5-3. The Colonels possess one of the most heralded players in the ASUN in Will King, who was named ASUN Preseason All-Conference and is on the official watch list for the 2023 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award, although he has not played since Feb. 25 after suffering an injury.

Miguel Larreal is leading Eastern Kentucky with a .360 batting average. He's among seven Colonels with two home runs. Jalen Jones is the RBI leader with 11.

Rese Brown, the probable starter for the series opener, is 1-1 with a 3.79 ERA and struck out 28 batters in 19.0 innings pitched. Nathan Lawson, who is expected to start the second game, has largely been utilized in relief, allowing a single run in 10.0 innings while fanning seven.

For Bellarmine, senior right-hander Nolan Pender has allowed one run or less in three of his four starts this season, including most recently in a no-decision at Indiana. Senior right-hander Drew Buhr opened the season with 12.0 scoreless innings in starts against New Mexico State and Southern Indiana, and junior left-hander Gavin Braunecker is coming off his best start of the year after allowing two earned runs with a season-high six strikeouts in 6.1 innings versus Indiana.

Casey Sorg is on a 12-game hitting streak and reached base in 16 straight games. The sophomore right fielder went deep Wednesday against Evansville for his third homer of the season and is hitting a team-high .359. Sorg was also impressive on the mound against the Purple Aces, striking out the side in the first inning on a staff day.

Sorg, junior outfielder Reed Blaszczyk and senior outfielder Will Aubel have launched three homers apiece. Senior second baseman Peyton Back tops the Knights with 13 RBI. Sorg, senior outfielder Tommy Dilz and freshman utility Brady Morse have tallied five doubles each.

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