GAME DAY LINKS -- 
McKENDREE vs. DRURY -- Wednesday, March 14, 2018, 2 p.m.
Hypes Field -- Lebanon, Ill.
WATCH LIVE (Bearcat Sports Network)
LIVE STATS
McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
DRURY SEASON STATISTICS

(LEBANON, Ill., March 13)--The McKendree University baseball team will make its long-awaited home debut on Wednesday when the Bearcats play host to Drury University in non-conference play. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at Hypes Field.

McKendree was slated to open its home schedule last Wednesday against the University of Missouri-St. Louis, but a last-minute scheduling conflict postponed the contest. The Bearcats have played their first 14 games on the road, going 3-11 to open the year. In its last action over the weekend, McKendree dropped two of three games at William Jewell College. The Bearcats won the opener 8-1 behind a stellar performance on the mound from senior Nick Yung. He went 5 2/3 innings without allowing a hit, finishing his six-inning stint with one earned run on one hit. Yung collected his first victory of the 2018 season as the Bearcats backed him with a 15-hit attack. Junior Levi Brening paced the offense in the contest with four extra-base hits, which included three doubles and a triple. 

Thanks to a big weekend at William Jewell, Brening has taken over the team lead in hitting at .383. Brening also paces the Bearcats with three home runs and 14 RBI. Matt Klosterman is next at .377 with a team-leading 20 hits and 10 runs scored. 

On the mound, Brening has made two starts, going 0-1 with a 1.64 earned-run average. Yung and freshman Jack Strieker are the only McKendree pitchers to start a game in each of the first four weekends for the Bearcats. Both have a victory to their credit and have combined for 25 strikeouts. 

Following Wednesday's home opener, McKendree will host a four-game series at Hypes Field this weekend against Missouri S&T. The Bearcats and Miners will play doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday, with first pitch set for noon each day. 

ABOUT DRURY
The Panthers enter Wednesday's contest with an overall record of 5-9. Drury was defeated twice in a three-game series over the weekend at Trevecca Nazarene University to move to 1-5 on the road this season. The Panthers are led at the plate by K.K. Daniels, who is hitting .326 with two home runs and 10 RBI. Ryan Kayhill has also started all 14 games and is batting .300 with a team-best 15 hits while adding seven runs batted in. Caleb Essick has stolen seven bases to show the way on the base paths for Drury.

In four starts this season, Austin Simms is 2-2 with a 3.75 ERA. Ryan Wedermyer, Nick Costantino and Alex Austin have all added victories on the mound for the Panthers. Spencer Witherspoon has already appeared in seven games for Drury.