Blue Raiders finish up road swing this week

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - After winning the series finale against Louisiana Tech on Sunday, the Middle Tennessee baseball team will conclude their recent five-game road swing with a trip to Belmont on Tuesday before traveling to take on Kentucky on Wednesday.

The Blue Raiders will begin the week with a short trip up the interstate to face Belmont of the Atlantic Sun Conference. Middle Tennessee and Belmont have squared off in each of the past 10 seasons and have met 23 times under the direction of head coach Steve Peterson. The Blue Raiders hold 19-4 series edge over the Bruins and have won each of the last nine meetings. In games held in Nashville, MT carries an 11-1 advantage.

Belmont will be entering Tuesday with a 4-8 record, including a 3-5 mark at Shelby Field. Over the weekend, the Bruins dropped two out of three to Mercer.

On Wednesday, the Blue Raiders will head up Lexington, Ky., to take on SEC foe Kentucky. The meeting will mark the first between the two schools since Middle Tennessee posted an 11-2 victory on the road in April of 1996. Overall, MT holds a 7-6 record vs. the Wildcats and a 3-4 mark in Lexington.

UK ended the weekend with a 2-1 win over Utah after falling to 17th-ranked Rice and Houston. The Wildcats are 5-6 this season, but hold a 3-1 mark at Hagan Stadium.

The Blue Raiders will look to be led by Tyler Acker with a .463 average, including five three-hit games this season. The senior catcher has scored a team-best 11 runs and is third on the squad with seven runs batted in.

Will Skinner has been the primary power hitter in the middle of the lineup, knocking out a team-leading four home runs with 14 RBI. He carries a .409 average into the week, and has shown a propensity for getting on base, boasting of eight walks and a .518 on-base percentage.

Eric Gilley is slated for the start on Tuesday. In his last outing, the senior right-hander tossed seven strong innings, allowing just one earned run and striking out eight.

The Blue Raiders will face the Belmont Bruins at 3 p.m. on Tuesday at Shelby Park in Nashville before taking on the Kentucky Wildcats at 3 p.m. at Cliff Hagan Stadium in Lexington on Wednesday. The radio broadcast for the game vs. Kentucky will be available through the Blue Raider Network.

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