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Western Illinois University Athletics

2017 Baseball Roster

Bill Powell
WIU Visual Productions Center
WIU Visual Productions Center
WIU Visual Productions Center

24 Preston Church

  • Position Left-Handed Pitcher
  • Height 6-3
  • Weight 210
  • Class Senior
  • Hometown Ogden, Iowa
  • Highschool Ogden

Biography

SENIOR (2017): Second Team All-Summit League... team-leading 3.82 ERA in 63.2 innings... 3-5 record making 11 starts in 13 appearances... struck out 52 batters to 33 walks... 3-2 record and 2.70 ERA in Summit League play... in 36 career games made 27 starts... 5-14, 4.04 ERA in 164.2 innings... 144 career strikeouts... came on in relief in the weekend finale at Mississippi State... suffered the loss in game two at Southeast Missouri, giving up two earned runs in game two... earned a no-decision in his game two start at Dayton... pitched 6.0 scoreless innings against Fort Wayne, scattering three hits, but came away with a no-decision... set a career-high of 10 strikeouts against North Dakota State and matched his personal-high of eight innings pitched... gave up one run on two hits and just one walk in the 5-1 victory... earned the win at Oral Roberts, going 7.0 innings with five strikeouts... defeated South Dakota State by striking out five in six innings... turned in his first-ever complete game in The Summit League Tournament opening round at Oral Roberts, striking out five in his eight innings of work.

JUNIOR (2016): Started five times before an injury forced him to miss the remainder of the season... 0-2 record and 4.88 ERA in 27.2 innings... Baseball America ‘Preseason Pitcher of the Year’ for the Summit League... started the Tennessee Tech opener... left the game with the lead after not allowing a hit from the start of the second inning to the start of the seventh, with a career-high nine strikeouts... started the opener at Southern Illinois, suffered the loss... no-decision in the series opener against Northern Kentucky, despite just two hits allowed on 4.0 innings... pitched six innings at Arkansas, striking out four... went 5.1 innings against North Dakota State allowing two runs on five hits, striking out three.

SOPHOMORE (2015): Started 11 times in his 18 appearances... picked up his first win of the season throwing eight scoreless innings with season-high eight strikeouts against Evansville... struck out seven Fort Wayne batters in his next start in 4.2 innings... 3.0 scoreless innings of relief at Fort Wayne... 1.2 scoreless innings at Bradley... appeared twice in the series at North Dakota State, throwing 2.0 scoreless innings each time... earned the win with 2.0 innings of relief against SIU-Edwardsville... threw 7.1 innings in a start against Omaha, allowing one run on four hits... ended the season with 7.1 innings at Oral Roberts, giving up two runs on seven hits and six strikeouts... recorded at least one strikeout in each appearance... 71 strikeouts in 73.1 innings, both team-leading numbers.

FRESHMAN (2014): 15 appearances during his freshman campaign with five starts... first career appearance came on 2/20 vs. Louisiana-Monroe, recorded two strikeouts in 1.2 innings of work... first career start came on 3/11 at #10 Louisville... threw 4.0 innings with two strikeouts... 2.2 innings pitched in a start vs. North Dakota State on 3/30 with two strikeouts... four strikeouts in 3.1 innings of work at Fort Wayne on 4/13... four strikeouts in 2.0 innings at North Dakota State... season-high 5.0 innings pitched and four strikeouts vs. Omaha on 5/17... made three appearances in The Summit League Championship... threw 1.0 inning vs. Fort Wayne in the opening round with two strikeouts... earned the win in the elimination game vs. South Dakota State after throwing 1.1 innings with one strikeout... got the start in the Summit League Championship game vs. North Dakota State... 28.1 innings of work on the season with 29 strikeouts... recorded at least one strikeout in 14 of his 15 appearances

HIGH SCHOOL: Four-year baseball letterwinner at Ogden High School… First Team All-State, First Team All-District, First Team All-Conference his senior year… 137 strikeouts in 62.2 innings pitched in 2013… also had a 0.90 ERA and held opponents to a .110 batting average… recorded a .453 batting average at the plate… First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-District in 2012… 0.86 ERA in 2012 is a school record… Second Team All-Conference as a sophomore in 2011… ended his baseball career with a 25-5 record on the mound, 0.98 career ERA and over 300 strikeouts… also a four-year letterwinner in track, three-year letterwinner in football and two-year letterwinner in basketball… Second Team All-District and team captain in football in 2012.

PERSONAL: Son of Scott and Gina Church… born March 31, 1995… number one sports highlight was recording 20 strikeouts in one game his senior year… lists his dad as a major influence on his sports career, “He has coached me in every sport I have participated in and he has been there for me even when I wanted to give up”… lists his high school baseball coach, Dick Smith, as a coach he most admires… hobbies include fishing, baseball and hanging out with friends… favorite professional teams are the Chicago Cubs and Green Bay Packers.

MAJOR: Business

Statistics

Season:
2017

Season Statistics

Season Statistics

No statistics available for this season.

Career Statistics

There are no statistics available for this player.

Historical Player Information

  • 33

    2014Freshman

    Left-Handed Pitcher
    6'3" 200 lbs
    33
  • 24

    2015Sophomore

    Left-Handed Pitcher
    6'3" 200 lbs
    24
  • 24

    2016Junior

    Left-Handed Pitcher
    6'3" 210 lbs
    24
  • 24

    2017Senior

    Left-Handed Pitcher
    6'3" 210 lbs
    24