The Eagles needed some good news after the last mid-week game.
    After Wednesday’s 14-1 loss to Mercer at J.I. Clements Stadium, they got just that. Thursday, the Southern Conference announced Georgia Southern shortstop Eric Phillips as the League’s Player of the Month.
    During 18 games in March, Phillips hit .433, drove in 13 runs, stole seven bases and had eight multi-hit games. The month included a 17-game hitting streak.
    On the season, Phillips is slugging .603, leading the SoCon in batting average at .431 and has the second-highest on-base percentage at .514.
    Now, the team will look to bounce back from Wednesday’s loss — which marked the first of six straight non-conference games — with a three-game set against Marshall (10-17), beginning today at 6:05 p.m.
     “I told our team that there’s a lot of thought that goes into who we play outside the league, and we try to play teams that are good competition, and teams that if we can win against them, we’ll possibly be in a position to earn an at-large bid,” said GSU coach Rodney Hennon. “But you’ve got to win those games, and we definitely have to me more consistent in mid-week games than we’ve been until this point.”
    The series against Marshall is a return of the Thundering Herd’s trip to Statesboro in 2010, a series in which the Eagles (18-12) took two games a year ago.
    Chris Beck (4-0, 3.00 ERA, 48 K, 45 IP) will start today’s game, and will look to set the tone early. The Eagles got behind 6-0 in the second inning Wednesday against Mercer.
“Any time you don’t show up focused and ready to play,” Hennon said, “that could be the one game that keeps you from winning a championship in your league or keeps you from getting into a regional later in the year.”
    Josh Adams (5-3, 3.77 ERA) will start Saturday at 6:05 p.m.
    The usual Sunday starter, Andy Moye, also a third baseman, is taking the week off from pitching, and his replacement for Game 3 has not been announced.

   Matt Yogus can be reached at (912) 489-9408.