GAME DAY LINKS --
McKENDREE vs. ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD -- Friday, Sunday, March 24 and 26, 2017
Doubleheaders each day at Noon
Hypes Field -- Lebanon, Ill.
WATCH LIVE (Bearcat Sports Network)
LIVE STATS
McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD SEASON STATISTICS
VIDEO UPDATE WITH COACH DANNY JACKSON
(LEBANON, Ill., March 23)--The McKendree University baseball team will kick off its Great Lakes Valley Conference schedule this weekend by hosting the University of Illinois Springfield in a four-game series. The adjusted schedule for the series has the Bearcats and Prairie Stars meeting in doubleheaders on Friday and Sunday, with first pitch each day set for noon. The teams were originally slated to face off Saturday and Sunday, but heavy rains in the forecast for Saturday precipitated the change.
After opening the season with a 1-6 record, McKendree has started to find its groove, winning seven of 11 contests entering its first GLVC series of the year. The Bearcats improved to 8-10 on the season following a doubleheader split Wednesday afternoon at Maryville University. McKendree was edged in the opener, 4-3, before bouncing back with a 4-0 triumph in the nightcap. A trio of Bearcat pitchers combined to toss a five-hitter in game two in handing the host Saints their first home loss of 2017.
Hayden Bodine (Washington, IL/Washington), who has been one of the team's top hitters over the last few weeks, continued his torrid pace on Wednesday with five hits in six at-bats at Maryville. Over the last six games, Bodine has 12 hits in 20 at-bats (.600) to raise his batting average to a team-leading .435. He also paces the Bearcats with six doubles and 14 runs batted in. Bodine is currently fifth among all GLVC hitters in batting average.
The Bearcats' pitching staff continued its strong work of late, notching its second shutout victory of the year in the game two triumph at Maryville on Wednesday.
Brandon Tatum (Vero Beach, FL/Vero Beach) collected his first win in a McKendree uniform, working the first 3 2/3 innings in the pre-determined outing. He allowed just two hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
Matt Wasche (Kansas City, MO/Rockhurst) and
Matt Henning (Wichita, KS/Bishop Carroll) combined to shut down the Saints the rest of the way to preserve the victory to help the Bearcats gain the midweek split.
The four-game series with UIS begins a season-long nine-game home stand for McKendree. The Bearcats will host Bellarmine University in GLVC play next weekend (April 1-2) before closing out its long home stretch with a non-conference tilt versus Maryville on April 4.
ABOUT ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD
The Prairie Stars are 10-9 entering this weekend's four-game set with McKendree. UIS is currently third in the conference with an overall team batting average of .319 while sitting second in the league with 20 home runs. Michael Rothmund has half of the Prairie Stars' round-trippers as he sits second in the GLVC with 10 home runs. Rothmund is also second in the conference with 29 RBI. Ben Schandling paces UIS with a .419 batting average in 11 starts. In all, the Prairie Stars have six regulars hitting above the .300 mark.
On the mound, Adam Gregory shows the way for the Illinois Springfield pitching staff. Gregory has a 4-1 record in his five starts with a 3.42 earned-run average. Ethan Howard, who is 3-1 on the year, has a team-leading 30 strikeouts in just 27 1/3 innings of work for the Prairie Stars.
Last season, McKendree and Illinois Springfield split their four-game GLVC series played in Springfield, Ill. The Bearcats posted shutouts in both of their victories, winning the opener 8-0 before
Nick Yung (Smithton, IL/Freeburg) struck out 12 batters over the first seven innings of a 1-0 triumph in the finale. The Prairie Stars won the middle games of the series, 7-0 and 7-1.
