PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle baseball team returns home for the first time since April 4 when it hosts Saint Louis in a three-game Atlantic 10 series beginning on Friday. The contest on Friday will be video streamed, the first of a baseball game in La Salle history.

Probable Starters
LHP Eric Van Wyk (3-5, 3.78) vs. RHP Clay Smith (5-2, 2.24)
LHP Ryan Donahue (1-2, 2.83) vs. RHP Alex Alemann (5-0, 2.71)
RHP Kevin Christy (1-2, 2.59) vs. TBA

Scouting the Explorers (17-23, 4-8 A-10)

The Explorers are coming off a 7-2 mid-week loss at Delaware State on Wednesday. Dan Klem and Marc Schoch each had two hits for La?Salle.

LU?will send Eric?Van Wyk (3-5, 3.78 ERA), Ryan Donahue (1-2, 2.83 ERA)?and Kevin Christy (1-2, 2.59 ERA) to the mound this weekend. The Explorers currently lead the A-10 in ERA (2.78)?in conference games.

Christy needs 15 strikeouts to become La?Salle's all-time leader in whiffs. Van Wyk has moved into sixth on the all-time strikeout list. Pat Christensen continues to lead the A-10 in saves (eight) and has four wins with a 2.97 ERA.

Jeff Flax (.313) and Dan Klem (.306) are the only Explorers batting over .300. Brendan Norton is second in the nation in walks (48) and has set a school record in the category. He needs eight more to set the Atlantic 10 and Big 5 record set by Rick Burns of Temple in 1985, who walked 55 times.

Scouting the Billikens (26-14, 8-7 A-10)

Saint Louis comes into this weekend's series following a 3-1 mid-week loss at SIU?Edwardsville on Wednesday. The Billikens lost two of three to UMass last weekend to fall to 8-7 in Atlantic 10 play. Overall SLU?is 26-14 and was nationally ranked earlier in the season (#30 by Collegiate Baseball on March 26).

Saint Louis leads the league in ERA (3.39) and has walked the least amount of batters in the A-10 (88). Individually, Steve Fernandez is batting .350 and has 31 RBI, both team highs. Alex?Kelly (.329), Grant Nelson (.317) and Mike Vigliarolo (.306) are all batting over .300.

On the mound, Clay Smith (5-2, 2.24 ERA) and Alex Alemann (5-0, 2.71 ERA)?are tied for second in the A-10 in wins. Alemann was recently selected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher of the Year watch list. 

Live Coverage

To watch Friday's game, click here. Live stats for all three games this weekend can be found here.