GAME DAY LINKS --
McKENDREE vs. HILLSDALE -- Saturday/Sunday, March 4-5, 2017
Hypes Field -- Lebanon, Ill.
Saturday, March 4 (DH) -- Noon | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
Sunday, March 5 (DH) -- Noon | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
HILLSDALE SEASON STATISTICS
(LEBANON, Ill., March 2)--The McKendree University baseball team will open the home portion of its 2017 schedule this weekend by hosting Hillsdale College in a four-game, non-conference series. The Bearcats and Chargers will play doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday, with first pitch each day set for noon at Hypes Field. Fans unable to attend the contests can watch all of the action live (weather permitting) on the Bearcat Sports Network at
www.glvcsn.com/mckendree.
Both McKendree and Hillsdale enter the weekend's action with identical 1-6 season records. The Bearcats dropped two of three to open the year at the University of Montevallo before being swept in a four-game set last weekend at Drury University. McKendree will be looking to rebound within the friendly confines of Hypes field, where the Bearcats won 12 games a year ago. That marked the highest home win total for McKendree since an 18-8 campaign in 2013, which was the program's first season competing as Great Lakes Valley Conference members.
Four McKendree starters begin the weekend hitting above the .300 mark.
Ryan Cates (Anderson, IN/Yorktown) leads the quartet at .333.
Luke Johnson (Barrington, IL/Barrington) and
Chris Deaville (Rantoul, IL/Rantoul) are next at .318 each with
Hayden Bodine (Washington, IL/Washington) rounding out the group at .308.
Brad Groleau (Peru, IL/St. Bede Academy) has driven in a team-leading six runs through the first seven games of the 2017 campaign. In addition to his .318 average, Johnson has swiped a team-best two stolen bases.
On the mound,
Nick Yung (Smithton, IL/Freeburg) paces the Bearcats with a 2.45 earned-run average in two appearances. Cates, who has pitched twice out of the bullpen for the Bearcats, leads the squad with eight strikeouts.
Matt Wasche (Kansas City, MO/Rockhurst) collected the Bearcats' lone win of the season in relief at Montevallo back on Feb. 19.
The four-game series with Hillsdale is the first part of a seven-game home stand for McKendree. The Bearcats will also entertain William Jewell College in a three-game, non-conference set between the Great Lakes Valley Conference foes Friday through Sunday, March 10-12.
ABOUT HILLSDALE
The Chargers earned their lone victory of 2017 back on Feb. 18 in the second game of a doubleheader against Alderson Broaddus University, 8-4. Since then, Hillsdale has dropped its last five outings, which includes being swept in a three-game series last weekend at Bellarmine University.
Colin Boerst has led the Chargers' offense in the early portion of the season. Boerst is batting a team-leading .333 to go along with a home run and six runs batted in. He also also draw six walks in 33 plate appearances. Colin Hites is hitting .300 for Hillsdale, joining Boerst as the only two Chargers to top the .300 mark to date. Ryan O'Hearn has collected a team-leading six stolen bases for Hillsdale.
Will Kruse, who is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in two starts this season, leads the Chargers with 14 stirkeouts in 9 1/3 innings of work. Phil Carey earned the only win of the season so for for Hillsdale in relief.
