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Leathernecks Play Host to Omaha in Key Summit League Series

Friday's first pitch moved up to 1 p.m.

#WIUGAMEDAY INFORMATION
 

Omaha Mavericks (24-23, 14-10 Summit League)
at
Western Illinois Fighting Leathernecks (13-30, 10-14 Summit League)


WHEN AND WHERE:
FRIDAY, MAY 13 - 1 p.m.
Tyler Fox (Sr, RHP) vs. Ian Koch (Fr, RHP)

SATURDAY, MAY 14 - 1 p.m.
Sam Murphy (Jr, LHP) vs. Matthew Sturchio (Jr, RHP)

SUNDAY, MAY 15 - 1 p.m.
Corey Binger (So, RHP) vs. TBA

Macomb, Illinois
Alfred D. Boyer Stadium


GAME NOTES:
Leatherneck Baseball

Mavericks Baseball
 
LIVE AUDIO:
WRMSFM.com (Friday)
Leatherneck All-Access (Sat-Sun)

LIVE VIDEO:
Leatherneck Sports Network
   
SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE
     
 
TWITTER:
@WIUBaseball
@WIUAthletics

         
INSTAGRAM:
Western Illinois Athletics
         
        
LIVE STATS:
GoLeathernecks.com


SOCIAL STADIUM:
#W1U Social Stadium (through SIDEARM Sports)
        
    
PRESEASON INFORMATION
     
      
2016 Preseason Quick Facts (.PDF)
2016 Schedule Release
2016 Roster
2016 Record Book
           
MACOMB, Ill. – Western Illinois begins the stretch run of the Summit League schedule, playing host to Omaha in a three-game series this weekend. Friday afternoon's first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. The Leathernecks will honor their six seniors prior to Sunday's game.

THANK YOU SENIORS: Western Illinois' six seniors will play in their final home weekend series and last four games at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium over the next five days... Mark Garton, Erik Maki, Nick Millilgan, Joe Mortillaro, Jordan Pannell and Nathan Pollock will be honored this weekend.

LAST TIME VS OMAHA: Western lost the opener at Omaha 6-1 but rebounded to win the final two games and take the weekend series... Four different Leathernecks recorded four hits in the series and nine players recorded at least one RBI... Joe Mortillaro earned the win in game two, throwing 7.1 innings and allowing two runs on just two hits... Ian Koch earned the finale victory, giving up one earned run on three hits in six innings... Five relief pitchers did not allow an earned run in 6.2 innings... Nate Westfahl earned the save in game two.

LOOKING AHEAD: Western is currently tied for fourth in the Summit League as the top four teams advance to the Tournament... The Leathernecks are just two games out of third place with six to play... If the Leathernecks win out, they will clinch a spot in the tournament... Western will travel to Fort Wayne next week to end the regular season.

CORD FOR FOUR: After entering the North Dakota State series (14 games played) with four hits on the season and no RBI, in the last nine contests Cord Church recorded a pair of 4-hit games and nine RBI... Church is 11-of-24 at the plate with three walks and six stolen bases. He boosted his season average from .138 after the Bradley game to a current .283 mark.
 
RISE TO THE TOP: Sophomore Roman Visintine has risen to the top of The Summit League in batting average. After missing the first 10 games of the year, and pinch-hitting in the next couple games, he met the statistical minimums and ranks first with his .369 batting average. Visintine is tied for the team lead with 22 runs scored and seven doubles, while leading the way with a .459 slugging percentage... Earlier this year he put together a career-best 14-game hitting streak.

CURRIER'S DOZEN: Junior Conner Currier extended his hitting streak to 12 games following a .500 batting average at Oral Roberts... Currier increased to a .321 average and leads the team with his .423 on-base percentage... His 22 RBI ranks second, and he's tied for the team lead with 24 walks.

NATIONAL RANKINGS: Western ranks 55th nationally with 22 sacrifice flies... Thanks to a season-high nine stolen bases at South Dakota State followed by two at Iowa, the Leathernecks jumped up to 75th with 1.26 stolen bases per game... Western's Summit League leading 0.35 triples per game rank 35th nationally... Nick Schrader leads the Summit League and is 63rd nationally averaging 0.22 sacrifice bunts (9) per game.

WESTFAHL IN THE TOP 10: Junior Nate Westfahl put his name in the WIU season 'Top 10' record book when he recorded his fourth save of the year at Omaha... Westfahl moved into a tie for seventh with his four saves... Season leader Brian Loconsole has nine and the last two years the career leader Tyler Owings recorded five and six, respectively... One more save for Westfahl will move him into a potential five-way tie for third place.

TEAM NOTES:
• Two pitchers - Joe Mortillaro and Ian Koch - have earned a Pitcher of the Week award this year.

• Western's six players with two triples are all tied for fourth place in the Summit League, two shy of the lead.

• The Leathernecks have started seven different pitchers during a weekend series this year... Two of the opening weekend starters have missed most of the season with an injury - Jr/LHP Preston Church and Soph/LHP JT Baksha.

• Steve McShane and Cord Church share the team lead and rank ninth in the Summit League in stolen bases... McShane is 9-of-13, and thanks to five steals in the last four games, Church jumped to 9-of-11 on the season.

• Conner Currier and Chris Tschida are the top two on the team in walks with 24.

• Mark Garton became the third active Leatherneck with more than 100 base hits (108), joining Chris Tschida (146) and Adam McGinnis (113).

TRIPLE THREAT: Western knocked another triple on the year, a pinch-hit triple from Nathan Pollock at Iowa... The Leathernecks have as many triples (15) as home runs (15) this year... Pollock moved into a six-way tie for the team lead with Roman Visintine, Chris Tschida, Conner Currier, Drue Galassi and Steve McShane.

SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS: Omaha currently sits in second place and looks to secure a berth in the Summit League Tournament. Cole Gruber (.355) and Clayton Taylor (.335) lead the hitting... Tyler Fox (9-2, 2.72) leads the pitching staff.
    




















































 
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Players Mentioned

Tyler Owings

#34 Tyler Owings

LHP
6' 4"
Senior
L/L
Preston Church

#24 Preston Church

LHP
6' 3"
Junior
L/L
Sam Cottingham-Beard

#42 Sam Cottingham-Beard

RHP
6' 2"
Sophomore
R/R
Mark Garton

#8 Mark Garton

C
5' 11"
Senior
R/R
Erik Maki

#10 Erik Maki

OF
6' 4"
Senior
L/R
Adam McGinnis

#12 Adam McGinnis

C
5' 11"
Junior
R/R
Joe Mortillaro

#21 Joe Mortillaro

RHP
6' 1"
Senior
R/R
Nathan Pollock

#22 Nathan Pollock

OF
6' 1"
Senior
R/R
Chris Tschida

#6 Chris Tschida

INF
6' 3"
Junior
R/R
Roman Visintine

#9 Roman Visintine

OF
6' 0"
Sophomore
L/R
Cord Church

#17 Cord Church

OF
6' 2"
Junior
R/R
Nate Westfahl

#19 Nate Westfahl

P
6' 3"
Junior
L/L

Players Mentioned

Tyler Owings

#34 Tyler Owings

6' 4"
Senior
L/L
LHP
Preston Church

#24 Preston Church

6' 3"
Junior
L/L
LHP
Sam Cottingham-Beard

#42 Sam Cottingham-Beard

6' 2"
Sophomore
R/R
RHP
Mark Garton

#8 Mark Garton

5' 11"
Senior
R/R
C
Erik Maki

#10 Erik Maki

6' 4"
Senior
L/R
OF
Adam McGinnis

#12 Adam McGinnis

5' 11"
Junior
R/R
C
Joe Mortillaro

#21 Joe Mortillaro

6' 1"
Senior
R/R
RHP
Nathan Pollock

#22 Nathan Pollock

6' 1"
Senior
R/R
OF
Chris Tschida

#6 Chris Tschida

6' 3"
Junior
R/R
INF
Roman Visintine

#9 Roman Visintine

6' 0"
Sophomore
L/R
OF
Cord Church

#17 Cord Church

6' 2"
Junior
R/R
OF
Nate Westfahl

#19 Nate Westfahl

6' 3"
Junior
L/L
P