LEATHERNECKS CONTINUE HOMESTAND: Western Illinois is currently halfway through its eight-game homestand, and it continues this weekend playing host to North Dakota State... The Leathernecks are off to a 3-1 start at home, most recently a 9-0 shutout against St. Ambrose.
SCOUTING THE BISON: North Dakota State is off to a 7-13 overall start, having played five neutral site games in Florida before starting Summit League play at Oral Roberts last weekend... The Bison lost all three at ORU (9-1, 5-1, 8-2)... NDSU owns a .238 team batting average, 5.07 ERA and .967 fielding percentage... Mason Pierzchalski leads with a .338 batting average with seven doubles, two triples and a homer... He is the only starter above .300... Luke Lind (2-2, 4.97), Reed Pfannenstein (1-3, 6.17) and Jordan Harms (0-4, 7.04) are scheduled to start this weekend... Western took 2-of-3 from NDSU last year at home but lost 2-of-3 in Fargo.
SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL: Western was picked to finish fifth in the Summit League preseason poll... The Leathernecks started the 2016 conference season winning their first three series, but 10 Leathernecks who started early in the season suffered injuries that forced them to miss multiple games. Western ended up 11-19 and just missing on qualifying for the postseason tournament... Junior outfielder Roman Visintine was named one of six from the Summit League as a 'Player to Watch'.
LAST TIME OUT: Jimmy Perkins and Connor Rektorski combined on a 2-hit shutout leading Western to a 9-0 victory over St. Ambrose on Wednesday... Perkins set career-highs with six innings pitched and four strikeouts, allowing one single. The sophomore right-hander earned his first victory as a Leatherneck... Rektorski earned his first-ever save, throwing the final three innings... He gave up a ninth inning single... Western turned two double plays and used a pickoff to face just two batters over the minimum.
TSCHIDA APPROACHING CAREER RECORDS LISTINGS: Senior Chris Tschida is approaching a couple of career 'Top 10' categories… With 168 career games played, he overtook ninth place all-time… His 164 hits put him five shy of Ryan Langdon's total for 10th place, and just 17 away from joining the top five all-time… Tschdia also needs two triples to match the current three-way tie for ninth place with nine.
WESTFAHL SAVES THE DAY: Senior Nate Westfahl moved up a spot into a tie for third with his first save of the year and sixth in his career following the 4-1 win over Fort Wayne on Sunday… Westfahl is now tied with Nathan Miller and just five away from the all-time record.
NUMBERS ON THE RISE: Since starting the year 0-11, Western is 4-3 (and 3-1 at home)… The team batting average in that span is .268 (35 points higher), fielding percentage at .954 (eight better) and team ERA at 2.90 (6.65 overall)… In that span and heading into this weekend, Western has allowed just one run in the last 19 innings.
CURRIER RETURNING TO FORM: Senior Conner Currier was second on the team last year with a .315 batting average, but started this year 1-of-20… Over the last eight games, Currier has gone 8-for-27 with seven runs scored.
DIAMOND STEALING: Western recorded a season-high six stolen bases (in eight attempts) against St. Ambrose. Conner Currier set a career-high with two steals. Steve McShane matched his career-high of two stolen bases when in the same sequence he stole both second and third base. Justin Fitzpatrick and Ben Sellers also recorded a stolen base off St. Ambrose.
BACK-TO-BACK JACKS: Western Illinois accomplished a feat not done since March 2008 when in the first inning of game two at Southeast Missouri Adam McGinnis and Drue Galassi hit consecutive home runs… McGinnis launched a 2-run shot followed by Galassi's solo homer… It was the first time since Cooper Stewart (3-run) and Tyler Metcalf hit back-to-back jacks at Oklahoma.
HIT FOR THE CYCLE, SORT OF: Sophomore Drue Galassi enjoyed a productive day at the plate on Saturday in a doubleheader against #14 Texas Tech and Mississippi State... He earned the start in game one batting seventh. After starting 0-for-2, Galassi lined a RBI triple in the seventh inning. During the ninth inning with two outs, Galassi turned on a 3-2 pitch and launched it well over the right field fence... In the nightcap against the Bulldogs, Galassi batted fourth. He doubled and scored in the fourth inning then singled and stole a base in the sixth.
D1BASEBALL.COM PLAYERS TO WATCH: According to the Preseason Summit League preview by D1Baseball.com, seniors Adam McGinnis (C) and Preston Church (LHP) were two of the top 10 prospects in the 2017 MLB Draft Class... Sophomore Deion Thompson was ranked fourth of the five prospects for the 2018 Draft... Freshman right-handed pitcher Javin Drake was one of five Impact Freshman chosen by the website.
TEAM NOTES:
• Ian Koch recorded two pickoffs during his start against Mississippi State and has three on the year. He had just one pickoff in his team-leading 12 starts last year... Koch also leads the team in innings pitched (30.1), strikeouts (23) and second in ERA (4.45).
• Senior Preston Church made his first start of the season at Southern Illinois. The 2016 Preseason Summit League 'Pitcher of the Year' made his first start in nearly a year since missing the final two months due to his injury.
• Drue Galassi's .520 slugging percentage leads the Leathernecks. The sophomore's 10 RBI in 17 games played is tied for the team lead, and he has accounted for three of the team's six home runs. He missed the final two months of the 2016 season with an injury, playing in only 12 games.
• Deion Thompson is 4-for-5 in stolen bases and there's a five-way tie for second with three stolen bases: Cord Church (3-for-3), Johnathan Fleek (3-6), Roman Visintine (3-of-4), Conner Currier (3-4) and Steve McShane (3-3).
• Western's defense has turned 18 double plays this year in 18 games. Last year through 18 games, Western had just seven turned.
• Adam McGinnis increased his OPS to a team-leading .922, followed by Roman Visintine (.886), Drue Galassi (.865), Johnathan Fleek (.839) and Cord Church (.790).
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