MACOMB, Ill. – The Western Illinois Baseball team will take the field for its final home series of the season as it hosts Southern Utah in a four-game series beginning at 3:30 p.m., Friday, May 14.
The Fighting Leathernecks (10-32, 2-14 Summit) picked up a 22-3 win over Illinois College their last time out. Western set season highs in both runs (22) and hits (23) in the May 4 contest.
The Thunderbirds (16-30, 9-10 Summit) took three of four games against IPFW in Summit League play last weekend. Southern Utah is a combined 4-3 in its last two series in league play.
Southern Utah at Western Illinois
When: May 14-16
Friday, May 14: 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 15: 12 p.m. (DH)
Sunday, May 16: 12 p.m.
Location: Macomb, Ill.
Field: Alfred D. Boyer Stadium
Coverage
Radio • Rocky Vision
Patrick Osterman, play-by-play
Live Rocky Vision broadcast (Free)
Live Stats (free)
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2010 record: 16-30 Overall, 9-10 Summit
Series: Western trails 21-23
Last: April 18, 2009: Western Illinois won 11-8 at Southern Utah
Head Coach: David Eldredge
Alma Mater, Year: BYU, '83
School record: 137-183 (5th)
Career record: 263-261-1
Leatherneck NotesReturn to Action
The Leathernecks will return to action this weekend with heavy hearts. The Southern Utah series marks the first time Western Illinois has taken the field since junior pitcher Devin VanBrooker died in a motorcycle accident on the evening of May 4.
VanBrooker's brother, Tony, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the first game of Saturday's doubleheader. VanBrooker would have been slotted to start game one on Saturday.
Mascheri streaks into home finale
Junior outfielder Rich Mascheri has been unstoppable at the plate in recent weeks. Mascheri enters the weekend on a 13-game hitting streak, the longest active streak for a Leatherneck and the second longest streak this season.
The Wauconda, Ill., native is batting .404 (19-for-47) with one double and six RBI during the streak. Mascheri drew a season-high four walks in the 22-3 win over Illinois College. He is the fifth Leatherneck this season to hit safely in ten or more games in a row.Late leads = wins Western Illinois is a combined 7-3 when leading after three innings this season and are 10-1 when leading after five innings of play. The Leathernecks have allowed just one game to slip away when leading in the eighth inning posting nine wins and just one loss in those games.
Picking your spots
The Leathernecks have put up great numbers in several situational-hitting categories this season. Western Illinois hitters are batting .328 (154-for-469) with runners in scoring position and are batting .304 against right-handed pitching.
Leatherneck pinch-hitters are batting a whopping .350 (7-for-20) this season, led by Mascheri, who is batting .500 (4-for-8) in pinch-hit situations.Hits in bunches
Western Illinois has seen a total of seven players reach double digits in multi-hit games this season. Jason Summers and Bryan Jordan have recorded 16 multi-hit games followed by Cole Waddell (14), Tom Lilja (13), John Koszulinski (12), Anthony Kaskadden (11) and Dan Dispensa (11).
In addition to those numbers, two players have recorded a game with five or more hits including Waddell and junior infielder Chris Giglio.
The Leathernecks will travel to Centenary for a three game series beginning Monday, May 17 before taking on South Dakota State in a four-game set to end the regular season. The series with the Jackrabbits features back-to-back doubleheaders on May 21 & 22.