LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University baseball team is bracing for a busy stretch of four games in five days.

Bellarmine (8-20, 3-6 ASUN) will open the week with a 3 p.m. (ET) contest Tuesday at MAC leader Ball State (20-7) before welcoming ASUN co-leader Stetson (18-11, 7-2) for a three-game series Thursday-Saturday at Knights Field.

First pitches against the Hatters are slated for 2 p.m. Thursday and Friday and then noon Saturday.

Ball State has been rolling, winning 11 of its last 12 games. The Cardinals are atop the MAC at 10-2 in league play and boast a two-game lead over second-place Ohio. BSU won two of three last weekend at Akron.

Ball State is hitting .291 as a team and launched 34 homers in 27 contests while averaging roughly eight runs per game. Ryan Peltier is leading the Cardinals in most offensive categories, including batting average (.406), home runs (seven), doubles (11), RBI (27), runs scored (39) and stolen bases (10). Decker Scheffler (.389) and Adam Tellier (.355) provide BSU three players hitting above .350. The Cardinals' team ERA is 5.07.

Stetson also has a midweek game, hosting Florida International on Tuesday. The Hatters are in a three-way tie with FGCU and Jacksonville State atop the ASUN backed by home sweeps of Kennesaw State to open conference play and of North Alabama last weekend. Stetson defeated the Lions 5-2, 12-7 and 9-7.

Landon Moran (.341, also 23 walks), David Bermudez (.320) and Christian Pregent (.319) are Stetson's hitting leaders. Seven different Hatters have between four to six home runs, while Bermudez is the RBI leader with 26. Stetson has been exceptional on the base paths, swiping 42 bases in 47 attempts, led by 12 thefts apiece from Cameron Hill and Evan Griffis.

Austin Amaral (4-2, 3.05 ERA, 48 strikeouts, 38.1 innings pitched), Brenden Walker (1-2, 7.43, 31, 23.0) and Jonathan Gonzalez (4-2, 5.65, 32, 36.2) comprised Stetson's starting rotation against North Alabama. Amaral was particularly impressive, striking out 10 while allowing only two hits in 7.0 scoreless innings. He's fourth in the ASUN in strikeouts.

Bellarmine won last week's ASUN series opener at Austin Peay, 8-6, but the Governors captured the next two games. Several Knights had strong performances at the plate in the series: senior utility Dylan Byerly went 4-for-8 with a double; senior third baseman Colin Bertsch was 4-for-9 with a triple and three RBI; junior outfielder Reed Blaszczyk was 5-for-12 with a homer, double and four RBI; and senior center fielder Will Aubel was 4-for-11 with two RBI.

Blaszczyk's eight home runs lead the team and are tied for ninth in the ASUN while his 23 RBI are tied for 16th. Senior right fielder Casey Sorg is hitting a team-high .337, and Byerly is at .329.

Senior right-hander Nolan Pender is the ASUN leader in innings pitched at 44.2, while senior right-hander Drew Buhr is tied for 10th at 37.0. Both have notched three wins. Pender is tied for 10th in the league in strikeouts with 42. Senior right-hander Matt Craven ranks fifth in the conference with four saves.

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