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McKENDREE vs. SOUTHERN INDIANA
Saturday, April 16, 2016, Noon (DH) | WATCH | LIVE STATS
Sunday, April 17, 2016, Noon (DH) | WATCH | LIVE STATS

McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
SOUTHERN INDIANA SEASON STATISTICS
GLVC BASEBALL HOME PAGE

(LEBANON, Ill., April 15)--For the second consecutive weekend, the McKendree University baseball team will host a Great Lakes Valley Conference foe that is perched atop the league's East Division standings.

The Bearcats will host a four-game weekend series Saturday and Sunday with the University of Southern Indiana. The two squads will meet in doubleheaders each day beginning at noon. Prior to Saturday's game, McKendree will host athletes from the Southwestern Illinois Area 12 chapter of Special Olympics. The Bearcat players will have a meet-and-greet with the Special Olympic athletes and be involved in special pre-game ceremonies. One of the special guests will also throw out a ceremonial first pitch before the first game on Saturday at Hypes Field. 

One week ago, McKendree split its four-game series at home against the University of Indianapolis, which came to Lebanon in first place in the GLVC standings. The Bearcats took the middle games against the Greyhounds, and will face another stiff test against Southern Indiana. McKendree is 12-20 overall and 4-8 in GLVC play. 

Junior outfielder Grant Anderson (Mackinaw, IL/Deer Creek-Mackinaw), who went 10-for-14 in the four games with Indianapolis, continued his torrid pace in the Bearcats' 5-4 non-conference loss on Tuesday at the University of MIssouri-St. Louis. Anderson was a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate, including his team-leading eighth home run of the season. He is now tied for second in the GLVC in round-trippers. By hitting .750 in his last five contests, Anderson has boosted his season average to .359 and has taken over the team lead with 21 runs batted in. 

The games with Southern Indiana are part of a short five-game home stand for McKendree. The Bearcats will play a nine-inning contest at Hypes Field on Wednesday against Maryville University, which was originally slated to be played April 6 but was postponed due to rain. 

ABOUT SOUTHERN INDIANA
The Screaming Eagles bring a 19-13 overall mark to Lebanon. Southern Indiana is tied with Indianapolis and Bellarmine University for the GLVC East Division lead at 8-4. USI has hit a collective .301 as a team, with six regulars hitting above .300 for the year. Senior outfielder Kyle Kempf leads the way with a .346 average. Senior infielder Kyle Niemeyer is close behind at .343. Both Kempf and Niemeyer have driven in 20 runs. Sophomore infielder Sam Griggs, a .331 hitter entering the weekend, paces the Screaming Eagles with three home runs and 25 RBI. 

USI boasts the lowest earned-run average in the GLVC at 3.52. In nine starts this season, junior right-hander Devin Williams is 4-3 with a stellar 1.84 ERA. Junior righty Lucas Barnett, who also has four victories on the mound for the Screaming Eagles, has struck out 53 batters in 50 1/3 innings. 

Last season in Evansville, Ind., Southern Indiana swept McKendree in a four-game series. In USI's last visit to Hypes Field in 2014, the Bearcats gained a split of the four-game series. 

WHAT'S NEXT
McKendree will host Maryville University Wednesday at 2 p.m. in non-conference play. The Bearcats will be on the road next weekend to visit Rensselaer, Ind., for a GLVC series at Saint Joseph's College.