After Tuesday’s game against Saint Louis was canceled due to expected rain, the Eastern baseball team will have a chance to hit the field Wednesday.

The Panthers will wrap up a six-game home stand against Indiana State after the first matchup between these two teams was postponed from earlier in the season.

But with scheduled rain still in the forecast for Wednesday, there is a possibility that this game could be canceled as well. Eastern coach Jason Anderson said the chance of playing is not looking good because of the rain.

If the game is held, the Panthers will attempt to improve on their struggling record. Eastern comes into the game at 7-33 on the year, but two of its wins have come in the last five games.

With that being said, the struggles have still continued for the Panthers this season. Eastern is still without a series victory this year and has also not won back-to-back games either.

The Panthers are hoping to turn this rebuilding season around and end the year on a strong run.

At the matchup against Indiana State, it is junior Jake Haberer that will start on the mound for Eastern. Indiana State has seen a bit more of success than the Panthers, and comes into the game with a 24-16 record this season.

The Sycamores are also being led by a relatively new skipper, as head coach Mitch Hannahs is 87-60 in his 2nd season with the team.

Anderson has not seen the same amount of success so far but is trying to meet or exceed the 13 wins Eastern had all of last season.

He will have a chance at contributing to that total in this single-game matchup. The first pitch Wednesday is set for 3 p.m.

While the Panthers attempt to rack up more wins, the rest of the Ohio Valley Conference has seen plenty of success.

As Eastern sits at the bottom of the standings with just two conference wins, teams continue to battle at the top. Southeast Missouri State is standing as the top dog in the OVC right now, as they hold an 18-3 record against conference opponents.

The Redhawks earned the top spot after taking two of three games against second-place Jacksonville State over the weekend. Southeast Missouri has won eight of its last ten games, and three of those came in a sweep over Eastern.

Although Jacksonville State lost its last series, the Gamecocks are still atop the OVC. Jacksonville State is 14-4 this season, and one game ahead of a 15-6 Austin Peay team.

Austin Peay has impressed throughout the season; the Governors handed Southeast Missouri state its first losses of the season.

While those teams headline the top of the OVC, teams like Belmont, Murray State, and Morehead State are sitting in the middle of the conference.

Belmont is the most notable, sitting in fourth place and coming off two wins against Eastern.

Morehead State is not far behind at 10-8, and Murray State is also nearby at 9-9 in the OVC.

But Eastern isn’t the only team struggling in the conference. Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and Tennessee-Martin are also at the bottom of the standings.

Between those three teams, there are 11 wins and 46 losses combined in the conference so far.

The struggles seem to be multitudinous for those clubs, and Eastern has seen the worst of it.

But with the Panthers searching for rebuilding success, its next series offers more hope.

Eastern will follow Wednesday’s midweek matchup with a three-game conference series against Eastern Kentucky. That series will be on the road, and the Panthers are 4-24 in away games this season.

The Panthers have 15 games left on the year, and four more conference series remain.

Maher Kawash can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]