HARROGATE, Tenn. – After concluding a five-game, season-opening road trip, the Lincoln Memorial baseball team makes its much-anticipated Lamar Hennon Field debut this weekend with a three-game series against the Ohio Valley Fighting Scots. 
 
The Railsplitters (2-3) were swept by USC Aiken in the opening series last weekend, falling in three close ones by scores of 6-3, 4-2 and 6-5. However, Lincoln Memorial bounced back by taking both ends of a doubleheader at Claflin on Monday, winning 5-4 in game one and 10-1 in game two. 
 
This weekend will start the season for Ohio Valley, who was picked ninth in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll after finishing 20-31 last season. 
 
Game one is set for a 2:30 start on Friday while the two teams will meet up again on Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. 
 
Schedule / Game Day Links 
 
Friday, February 8 vs. Ohio Valley – 2:30pm
Live Stats
 
Saturday, February 9 vs. Ohio Valley – 1 and 4pm
Live Stats (Game One)
Live Stats (Game Two) 
 
Quick Hits
 
- The Railsplitters have yet to settle into a rhythm at the plate as the team hit just .236 during its five-game road trip. Lincoln Memorial had 12 hits in the opener at USC Aiken, but failed to get more than eight in any of the past four games. 
 
- Junior outfielder Nate Stinson is off to a great start offensively as he currently leads the team in batting average at .476, hits with 10, RBI with five and on-base percentage with a .500 clip. Stinson had multiple hits in all three games against USC Aiken, combining to go 9-for-14 in that series alone. 
 
- Transfer Brent Richey is hitting .316 through the first five games of the season, ranking second on the team with six hits. He connected on his first home run in an LMU uniform in the Railsplitters' game-two win at Claflin. 
 
- After going 0-for-5 in the opener at Aiken, Seth Hunt notched at least one hit in every other game last weekend, including a 2-for-2 effort with a triple, a homer and three runs scored in the Railsplitters' sweep-clinching win at Claflin. He is hitting .278 so far this season. 
 
- No other LMU player is hitting above .250. Chris Salvey and Marco Rios have the next-best averages at .235, respectively. 
 
- Preseason All-South Atlantic Conference selection Tyler Adams was limited to only eight at-bats last week, but the junior shortstop did scatter three hits with a double over that span. Adams was held out of game three at Aiken and sat the entire doubleheader at Claflin. 
 
- The LMU pitching staff was solid at Aiken and Claflin, compiling a 3.49 cumulative earned-run average with 26 strikeouts. Freshman reliever Eli Wright was a standout, as the righty posted two scoreless outings last week, allowing only five hits across six innings of action. 
 
- Reigning SAC Pitcher of the Year Ethan Elliott wasn't at his best in the opener at Aiken, allowing six hits and five runs – two earned – in 4.1 innings of work. He struck out five and walked only one to fall to 0-1 on the season. 
 
- Matt Mullenbach started game two against the Pacers and was also saddled with a loss despite striking out seven in five innings. The senior flamethrower surrendered six hits, three walks and three runs. 
 
- Senior Alex Allen has already drawn a team-leading eight walks and leads the team with a .526 on-base percentage despite accounting for just one hit. 
 
- The Railsplitters went 23-8 at Lamar Hennon Field last season compared to 9-10 on the road. 
 
Notes on Ohio Valley
 
- The Fighting Scots lost a ton of offensive weaponry from last year's team, including its top-five hitters in terms of total hits in Travis Perkola, Mitchell Davis, Charles Emery, Andrew Morales and Nicholas Villazon Jr. 
 
- Bryce Strawderman is Ohio Valley's leading returning offensive player after he collected 36 hits with two doubles and 16 RBI last season. Junior catcher Mitchell Lohr is also back after batting .282 with 29 hits and three homers in 2018. 
 
- The Fighting Scots also have to replace their two leaders in innings pitched in Matthew Carey and Dion Felger, who combined for 28 appearances and over 150 innings of work last season. 
 
- Nicholas Shower and Ryan Valentine are in line to lead the Ohio Valley pitching staff now. That duo combined for 20 starts and 88 strikeouts over 108 innings of work. 
 
- Ohio Valley was one of the worst offensive teams in the nation last season, ranking 237th out of 262 Division II teams with a .252 batting average. The Fighting Scots were also 223rd nationally and last in the GMAC in scoring with 4.8 runs per game. 
 
- The Fighting Scots are underclassmen-heavy this season with 20 either freshmen or sophomores. Ohio Valley has just four seniors on its roster. 
 
Series History
 
- The Railsplitters are 23-6 all-time against Ohio Valley and have won 10 of the last 11 overall. 
 
- All 29 games in the series have been played in Harrogate. 
 
- The Railsplitters swept last season's doubleheader against Ohio Valley, combining for 30 runs in 12-1 and 18-1 victories. 
 
- LMU has scored at least 10 runs in eight of its last 11 games against the Fighting Scots.