Who | SIUE
Where | Macomb, Ill (Alfred D. Boyer)
When | Apr. 18
Watch | Leatherneck All Access
Social Media | Instagram & Twitter

Pitching Probables
Game 1 | Apr. 18 | 3 p.m.
Cam Howard (0-1, 10.19 ERA) vs. Zeus Ponder (1-1, 9.33 ERA)

Last Weekend
WIU headed to East Lansing this past weekend to take on BIG Ten opponent Michigan State. The Leathernecks looked strong on Friday night as they would take advantage of six MSU errors to give themselves an 8-3 lead heading into the 6th inning. MSU would battle back, scoring seven unanswered runs to pull in front 10-8. WIU would get a run back in the 9th inning as Adam Juran hit his first home run. Michigan State would control Saturday's doubleheader, winning 12-2 and 11-1.

Summit League Success
Jake Armstrong and Jack Bell were recognized by the Summit League last week. Both pitchers are top five in Summit League opponent batting averages. Bell leads the conference through six games in conference play as he has held hitters to a .167 batting average. Armstrong has held Summit League hitters to a .227 average out of the Friday starter spot.

Leathernecks Stat Leader
Nick Mitchell remains at the top of offensive categories for the Leathernecks. The former Summit League All-Freshman teamer leads WIU in batting avg (.411), OPS (1.173), runs (25), hits (44), doubles (11), triples (4), HR (3), RBI (21), total bases (72), SLG% (.673), walks (19) OB% (.500).

Getting On Base Duo
Nick Mitchell has been the catalyst of WIU's offense all year. Mitchell extended his on-base streak to nine games with a single on Wednesday. The sophomore has reached base in 25 of the 27 games he has played this year. Jake Allgeyer has also been getting on base. The Spoon River Community College transfer has played in all 30 games this season, reaching base safely in 27. Predominantly out of the three-hole in the lineup, Allgeyer has hit ten doubles bringing in 17 RBIs.

Bullpen Bell
Jack Bell has been the most used arm out of the Western Illinois bullpen this season. The left-handed reliever broke the school's record for most appearances in a single season last season with 31. He is on pace to beat that record this season, having appeared in 17 of the first 30 games. Bell is also on pace to break the program record for most game appearances in a career. Bell has 60 total appearances and must reach 72 to tie the program's mark. Bell has been very dependable in the bullpen, leading the Summit League in opponents batting average against him during league games. Bell has held other Summit League hitters to a .167 average through the first six games of League play.

History
Western Illinois and SIUE have faced each other three times already this season. The Cougars won all three matchups back in early March. SIUE holds a 32-31 lifetime record over the Leathernecks.

Scouting SIUE
SIUE holds a 20-14 overall record on the season. They currently sit at 5-4 in Ohio Valley Conference play. The Cougars are 8-9 away from home, dropping three of their last four on the road. Brennan Orf and Brady Bunten lead the SIUE offense. Both Cougars are hitting over .325 on the season and have contributed 63 total RBI.

WIU Baseball Alumni Tribute Weekend
Western Illinois baseball welcomes back six decades of Leathernecks baseball players this weekend against Northern Colorado. 22 former Leathernecks, including names such as Connie Kowal (1972-74), Dave Martin (1984-87), Steve Jeffers (1983-86), Grant Hannant (2018-20), and Kory Olson (2019-22).

Up Next
Western Illinois continues its homestand with a Summit League matchup with Northern Colorado. The first pitch of the three-game series is set for 3:00 p.m. on Friday (Apr. 21)