Xavier at Miami (Ohio) Preview

OXFORD, Ohio (Interstat) — The Xavier Musketeers (20-25) visit the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks (29-13) on Tuesday afternoon at Stanley G. McKie Field at Joseph P. Hayden Jr. Park, with first pitch scheduled under partly cloudy skies and a 75-degree forecast. Rain is in the area, but the game is expected to proceed as scheduled.

Xavier enters on a high after a 16-6 win over Saint John’s on Sunday, snapping a two-game skid. Right fielder Clay Burdette powered the offense, going 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs. Burdette has been streaky: He homered in each of his last three wins but went hitless in two losses. Over his past 10 games, he is batting .346 (9-for-26) with four homers and eight RBIs.

Miami (Ohio) rides a three-game winning streak, most recently a 5-2 victory over Central Michigan on Sunday. Right-hander Clayton Burke threw 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing five hits with six strikeouts. Burke has been dominant in his last three appearances: over 17 1/3 innings, he has allowed only one earned run while striking out 18. He is expected to start Tuesday.

The Redhawks have won 10 of their last 12, boasting a powerful offense that averages 7.5 runs per game. Their only recent hiccup was a 20-4 loss at Toledo on April 19, but they rebounded with a series sweep of the Rockets.

Xavier’s pitching has been inconsistent. The Musketeers surrendered 41 runs in a three-game series against Saint John’s last week, though they held Seton Hall to five runs in three games the prior weekend.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-6 win for Miami (Ohio).

After Tuesday, Xavier travels to Georgia Tech for a three-game series starting Friday. Miami (Ohio) visits Western Michigan for a three-game set beginning Friday.

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