This week: Notre Dame College travels to Tusculum College for its first games of the 2019 season this week. The Falcons and Pioneers will play two doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday, February 15 and 16. Both doubleheaders are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

Records: The Falcons have yet to play in 2019. Tusculum is 1-7 after winning its first game of the year at Barry and falling in seven straight since.

Coaches Corner: Len Barker is in his eighth season as the head coach at Notre Dame. Barker is 152-185-1. Brandon Steele is in his first season as the head coach at Tusculum after spending 15 seasons with the team as an assistant coach. He is 1-7 as a head coach and was 545-271-1 as an assistant.

Rankings: Neither team was ranked in the January 29 National College Baseball Writers' Association Poll.

Series History: Notre Dame is 0-6 against Tusculum after going 0-4 against the Pioneers and losing two games last season. In 2018, the Falcons opened their season with a 6-3 loss at Tusculum before losing in the highest-scoring game of the year for NDC when lost 25-12.

Noting the Falcons: Notre Dame returns a plethora of players from last season, when the team went to the Mountain East Conference Semifinals. Of the 1,651 at bats by the Falcons in 2018, 1,355 were taken by players who return in 2019, an 82.1 percent mark. Of the strikeouts thrown in 2018, nearly 60 percent were from players returning this season (165 or 278). Along with these returning Falcons, Notre Dame also brought on over 15 players, highlighted by two transfers. Left-handed pitcher Ty Shoaff comes to NDC after stints at two Division I schools (Missouri and West Virginia). While at Mizzou, Shoaff was a relief pitcher and struck out 24 batters in 19 innings. Catcher/outfielder Matt Richards landed in South Euclid after playing two years at Moraine Valley Community College. In two seasons at MVCC, Richards totaled 52 hits, 46 runs, 10 extra-base hits, 34 RBIs and 25 stolen bases.

Noting the Pioneers: Tusculum is on a tough skid to start the season, dropping each of its last seven games. Over the course of their eight-game season, the Pioneers have given up 63 runs while only scoring 31 of their own. TU has struggled hitting this season with a team average of just .202. Only two players for Tusculum average over .300. Jaden Steagall leads the team with 11 hits in 26 at bats (.423 average). Steagall has recorded four runs and five RBIs. Daulton Martin has a .364 average and has scored six runs while batting in another five. Martin has a team-high 10 drawn walks. Only one starting pitcher for the Pioneers has an ERA under 5.90. Charles Hall has been the ace for Tusculum this season, allowing zero earned runs in 11.0 innings. Hall leads the team with 22 strikeouts and has only allowed seven hits and one walk.