A preview of our Hughes Bros. opponents. Butler appears to be the toughest of the 3 squads:
Eastern Kentucky Colonels
2017 Record: 24-32
2017 OVC Record: 10-20 (11th)
Picked to finish last in the Ohio Valley Conference for a 2nd straight season, the Colonels also have no players/pitchers selected to the preseason All-Conference team. Senior
LHP Jack Piekos (3-5, 5.92 ERA) projects to get the start for EKU on Friday, after earning 11 starts last season and striking out 62 batters in 59.1 innings. Junior slugger
Alex Holderbach returns as the top hitter after batting .355 with 11 HR and 49 RBI last season, 2nd on the team in the latter two categories.
Butler Bulldogs
2017 Record: 31-20
2017 Big East Record: 7-10 (5th)
Butler was picked by the Big East coaches to finish 5th in 2018, the same position they held in 2017. Senior
RHP Garrett Christman and senior
OF Tyler Houston both made the All-Conference team, with Houston being tabbed as Preseason Co-Player of the Year with St. Johns' Anthony Brocato. Christman went 3-2 with a 2.60 ERA in 7 starts last season, striking out 54 and walking just 12 in 55.1 innings. Houston, meanwhile, batting .287 and slugged .550, with 12 HR, 38 RBI and 18 Stolen Bases.
Lehigh Mountain Hawks
2017 Record: 21-29
2017 Patriot League Record: 8-12 (5th)
The Patriot League coaches project a slightly better result for the Mountain Hawks in 2018, picking them to finish 4th this season. No Lehigh players made the preseason All-Conference team, though junior
RHP Levi Stoudt made the team as a sophomore. Stoudt went 4-5 with a 2.34 ERA and tossed 61.2 innings last season. Senior
INF Chris Kersey batted leadoff for Lehigh in '17 and hit .315 with 4 HR and 21 RBI.