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Sarah Twidwell

Summit League Play Starts at Alfred D. Boyer

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

Friday’s game will mark 677 days since Western last played at home.

Who | Western Illinois (4-9) vs. North Dakota State (11-3) 
When | Friday (March 19) at 3 p.m. - Saturday (March 20) Doubleheader Noon and 3 p.m. - Sunday (March 21) at 1 p.m. 
Where | Alfred D. Boyer Stadium - Macomb, Ill. 
Social Media | Twitter + Facebook #TRADITIONofTOUGH

First Pitch | The Western Illinois baseball team hosts its Summit League and home opener this weekend versus North Dakota State this weekend. 

Tickets / COVID-19 Protocols | After thorough discussion and consultation with university leaders, Western Illinois Athletics decided to decrease seating at all outdoor events this spring; the change limits entry to family members of student-athletes and staff.  Student-athletes will be permitted to have only their families in attendance, admitted via the player pass list. 

Headlines 
  • Western's rotation this weekend is scheduled for Brett Sears, Brian Raymond, Chandler Fochs, and Jace Warkentien.  
  • The all-time series against the Bison is all tied at 37-37 with the Leathernecks owning a 28-13 mark at home. 
  • Friday's game will mark 677 days since Western Illinois last played at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium, which featured a 8-5 win versus the league's champion Omaha. 
  • The home opener will also serve as the first for head coach Andy Pascoe and Volunteer Assistant Chris Monroe along with 23 student-athletes Only 12 current players and graduate assistant coach Adam McGinnis have made an appearance in Macomb. 
  • The Leathernecks recently defeated SIUE 6-5 for the first midweek win of the season. Freshman Jacob Greenan earned his first career victory and Austin Edwards picked up his second save.  
  • After throwing a complete-game shutout at SLU on Saturday, Chandler Fochs was named Summit League Pitcher of the Week on Monday (March 16). The honor was the first of his career, as the last WIU complete-game shutout was in 2014
  • Four Leathernecks have knocked double-digit hits - Raisbeck (16), Trenton Bauer (14), Alex Dorethy (13), Chase VanDerGinst (11), and Luke Schwartz (11). 
  • Raisbeck has stayed over the .300 mark all season and has five multi-hit games this season. 
  • VanDerGinst currently owns a team-high  nine-game on base streak while batting .282 and a OBP of .440 with 10 walks.
  • Pitchers Brian Raymond (13) and Jack Carberry (12), Brett Sears (2), and Jacob Greenan (11) all have recorded double-digit strikeouts. 
  • The Leathernecks upset No. 4 Louisville 8-3 in the season opener to give head coach Andy Pascoe his first career victory. The most recent win over a ranked opponent occurred at No. 24 Iowa in 2015, and the Leathernecks also notably defeated No. 1 Arkansas on opening weekend in 2013.
  • Head coach Andy Pascoe enters his second season at the helm of Western Illinois and is currently the third youngest head coach in Division I baseball. 
  • Prior to the start of the season, Trenton Bauer was named a Summit League Player to Watch, and Austin Edwards was selected as a Summit League Pitcher to Watch. 

Scouting the Opposition | NDSU is 11-3 and is coming off a four-game road sweep of Dayton to total a five-game win streak…the Bison are batting a league-leading .283 and are led by Bennett Hostetler (.447)  and Jake Malec (.407) at the plate… North Dakota State took the 2019 overall series 4-2…head coach Tod Brown earned his 300th career win on Feb. 22 and is the third coach in Summit League history to reach the mark. 

Last Time Out |  The Western Illinois baseball team (4-9) gained some momentum into Summit League play and the home opener this weekend as they defeated SIUE (6-7) 6-5 on Tuesday (March 16) evening. 

After allowing a run in the first, Johnny Beck found his groove and threw four straight scoreless frames. The lefty tossed a career-high five innings and held the Cougars to three hits with three strikeouts. Freshman Jacob Greenan (1-0) completed the sixth and seventh en route to earning his first career victory. He struck out two hitters as he has totaled eight in his last three outings. 

The 78th meeting featured a one-run contest until Western pushed out in front with a three-run eighth. Dillon Sears and Luke Schwartz each knocked their second hit of the game with an RBI single, and Kevin Raisbeck picked up his second RBI of the game on a groundout. SIUE responded in the eighth and pieced together their own three-run half. The late rally required Jack Carberry to come in and pitch out of a one-out bases-loaded threat to hold on to the lead.  

Summit League Preseason Player to Watch, Austin Edwards, came on in the ninth and closed out the final midweek game for his second save of the year. 

On Deck | The Leathernecks continue its three-straight league homestands with South Dakota State coming to town on March 26-28.  
 
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