April 8, 2008

Game Notes in PDF Format

For Immediate Relase
Contact: Brandon Kolditz
wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 871-5475

MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Memphis plays its final in-state series of the season when it travels to the University of Tennessee at Martin for a midweek doubleheader at Bettye Giles Field on Wednesday at 2 and 4 p.m.

The Tigers (19-19) enter the match-up after breaking out of a program worst eight-game losing streak with a three-game Conference USA sweep over UTEP in Memphis. The U of M pitching staff allowed just three runs to the Miners as the Tigers outscored UTEP 12-3.

Memphis and UT Martin have split its all-time series 2-2 with both teams winning both two games on its home field. Last year the Tigers swept the doubleheader in Memphis, winning 7-4 and 2-1. The Skyhawks swept the first meeting between the schools in 2006 in Martin, Tenn., 6-2 and 1-0. Memphis assistant coach Ashley Blanton was a graduate assistant coach on the 2006 UT Martin team. The Skyhawks holds a 12-11 all-time scoring lead. At Bettye Giles Field, UT Martin has outscored the Tigers 7-2.

The Tigers are 1-3 against members of the Ohio Valley Conference this season and 11-10 all-time. Memphis lone victory against the OVC in 2008 came in a 3-1 victory against Southeast Missouri in the Blues City Classic. Morehead State beat the Tigers in the same tournament and Tennessee State won a doubleheader in Nashville last week.

Memphis is 0-2 this season against in-state competition after dropping the doubleheader with TSU. Last year the Tigers went 11-3 against teams from the state of Tennessee with one of the three losses a 4-1 defeat to then No. 1 Tennessee in Knoxville. The Tigers are 18-10 all-time against in-state schools.

UT Martin (16-18) is 4-6 in its last 10 games and enters the midweek match-up after splitting a doubleheader with Tennessee Tech on Sunday. The victory gave Skyhawks' head coach Donley Canary his 200th career victory.

UT Martin is 4-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference and sixth in the league standings. The Skyhawks have an RPI ranked 152, moving up 11 spots from the previous week.

Sophomore outfielder Ashley Benbow leads the team in several offensive categories and ranks 28th nationally among the toughest players to strike out. Sophomore Laurie Lindow ranks 51st nationally in doubles per game with a 0.31 average and has nine on the season.

In the circle, the Skyhawks are led by senior Ashton Strode and junior Kara Harper. Strode is 7-4 on the year with a 2.80 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 70 innings, while Harper is 5-7 with a 2.72 ERA and 68 K's in 92.2 innings of work.

The doubleheader with UT Martin can be followed live through GameTracker. Free live streaming radio is also available through the Skyhawks student radio station WUTM. Links to the live content can be found at GoTigersGo.com.

After the midweek match-up with UT Martin, Memphis will come home for a three-game conference series with Southern Miss on Saturday and Sunday, April 12-13.