Leathernecks Battle In State Rival

Thursday, March 02, 2023 | By: WIU Athletic Communications

Who | SIU-Edwardsville
Where | Edwardsville, Ill (Roy E. Lee Field at Simmons Baseball Complex)
When | Mar. 4-5
Social Media | Instagram & Twitter

Schedule Change
Western Illinois and SIU-Edwardsville series schedule has changed. The Leathernecks and Cougars were initially set to square off in a four-game series with single games on Friday and Sunday and a doubleheader on Saturday. The new schedule will have two nine-inning games on Saturday and a single nine on Sunday.

Last Week
The Leathernecks went down to face No. 24 Texas Tech this past weekend. The weather was not great, but the bats were hot. The Leathernecks totaled 41 hits a crossed the four games scoring 25 runs.

Summit League Honors
Nick Mitchel was named TicketSmarter Summit League Baseball Peak Player of the Week. Mitchell kept his hot start at the plate going at No. 24 Texas Tech this past weekend. The Carmel, Indiana native went .500 (9-18) at the plate with six RBIs, five extra-base hits, and six runs scored. Mitchell had a slugging percentage of 1.000 over the weekend with an on-base percentage of .526.

Leading the Pack
Nick Mitchell has been on a tear to start the season. The sophomore outfielder is batting a Summit League high in batting average (.559), OPS (1.579), runs (10), hits (19), doubles (5), triples (2), total bases (34), slugging (1.000), and on-base percentage (.579). Besides leading the conference in hits, Mitchell also leads the nation within that category. Nick also is in the top five in the Summit League in at-bats, home runs, RBIs, and stolen bases.

Scouting SIUE
The Cougars have started the season with a 5-2 record. SIUE is currently 1-0 at home after beating in-state rival Illinois State 6-5 on Feb. 21st. The Cougars were selected to finish 6th in the Ohio Valley Conference, right ahead of UT Martin. Brennan Orf leads SIUE in batting avg. (.357) and hits (10).

History
These two teams have met 60 times, with WIU leading the all-time series record 31-29. The two teams split their two matchups last year, with WIU winning 18-11 at SIUE and SIUE winning 13-5 in Macomb. This three-game series will not be the only time these two teams square up against each other this season, with SIUE coming to Macomb for a weekday matchup in April.

Next Up
WIU will travel to its first-midweek opponent as they head to Columbia, MO, to face off against the Tigers of Missouri. After that one game, the Leathernecks will head back south to Nashville to play Belmont in a three-game set.

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