Baseball 04/28/16

Baseball Preview Notes: Playoff Spots Up For Grabs When Malone Visits Ashland

Matt Davis is currently on an eight-game hitting streak

The Malone University baseball team will travel to Ashland University this weekend for a pair of critical doubleheaders that will determine the number one seed in the GLIAC South and an automatic bid to the GLIAC postseason. Originially scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, the twinbills were moved to Friday, April 29th and Saturday, April 30th to accommodate for weather concerns. Friday's games will start at 2:00 pm. First pitch for Saturday is set for 12:00 pm. Playoff clinching scenarios are at the bottom of the page.

Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4
Records: Malone (23-17, 15-7 GLIAC, 12-4 GLIAC South) | Ashland (25-14, 16-4 GLIAC, 12-2 GLIAC South)
Rosters: Malone | Ashland
Statistics: Malone | Ashland
All Time Record: Malone is 14-20 in 34 all-time meetings. The Pioneers took three of four from Ashland last season

Malone Notes:

The Pioneers enter the series with the GLIAC's 3rd highest overall batting average (.317) and 4th best on-base percentage (.397)
In 20 conference games, Malone owns the 3rd lowest team ERA (.462)...freshman lefthander Braun Miller is third in the conference and leads the squad with an overall 2.95 ERA
Miller (4-0), reigning GLIAC South Pitcher of the Week Joshua Hurford (2-1, 5.04 ERA), Roscoe Blackburn (2-4, 4.43), Tyler Whitlatch (4-2, 4.34), and Clyde Yoder (3-1, 3.86) are all candidates to make starts this weekend
Gunnar Smeyres (1-0, 4.15 ERA) and Jordan Knight (2-1, 5.19) lead a Malone bullpen that picked up three of the four wins last weekend vs. Tiffin
The Pioneer offense is led by a trio of athletes, Brenden Wells (.407, 5 HR, 36 RBI), Matt Davis (.387, 6 HR, 31 RBI), and Keanan Locke (.371, 6 HR, 31 RBI), who are in the top-15 in the conference in hitting
Wells has been red-hot for the last month, hitting .488 over his last 24 games...Davis owns an eight game hitting streak...Locke is 5th in the GLIAC with 10 stolen bases
Jon Crank (.306, 10 HR, 36 RBI) is 5th in the GLIAC in homeruns
Austin Pachan (.276, 3 HR, 21 RBI) has five hits in his last two games
Since taking over first base duties, Ryan Sarbaugh is 6-for-16 (.375) with three doubles
The Pioneers are 13-3 in their last eight weekend doubleheaders

Ashland Notes:

The Eagles enter the weekend leading the GLIAC in batting average (.338) and on-base percentage (.423) including a .371 team batting average and a .444 OBP in 20 conference games
A dangerous Ashland lineup features seven regulars hitting .340 or better including third baseman J.P. Sorma (.385) who leads the GLIAC in homeruns (12) and is second in RBI (44)
Greg Ludwig (.417, 6 HR, 32 RBI), Lance Myers (.379, 32 RBI), Mike Lewandowski (.376 , 2 HR, 25 RBI), Mackenzie Hampshire (.345, 4 HR, 43 RBI), and Nick Edwards (.340, 5 HR, 28 RBI) will all be tough outs or the Pioneers this weekend
The Ashland pitching staff, which ranks 4th in the GLIAC with a 4.81 ERA, is led by Brandyn Sittinger (8-0)...the sophomore righthander leads the GLIAC with 91 strikeouts and is 2nd with a 2.88 ERA
Sittinger and 2015 All-GLIAC First Team honoree Jake Baldwin, who returned to the hill last weekend, are among probable starters this weekend...Baldwin went 9-1 a season ago...his only loss came against Malone

GLIAC South Standings:

Ashland	12-2	.857
Malone	12-4	.750
Walsh	8-6	.571

GLIAC Tournament Clinching Scenarios (the #1 and #2 seeds in the GLIAC South earn automatic bids):

The Pioneers can clinch the #1 seed in the GLIAC South with three or four victories over Ashland (the Eagles playTiffin in a doubleheader Tuesday)
Malone can clinch the #2 seed with any of the following scenarios:
Malone wins two games and Walsh loses one or more (Walsh plays Ohio Dominican in a four-game series this weekend before playing Lake Erie in a doubleheader on Wednesday)
Malone wins one game and Walsh loses two or more
Malone wins no games but Walsh loses three or more
If none of these scenarios occur, it should be noted that the Pioneers can still clinch one of the two at-large bids next weekend

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Players Mentioned

#20 Jon Crank: 3B; 5' 11"; Senior; S-R

#13 Matt Davis: C; 6' 4"; Senior; R-R

#34 Joshua Hurford: RHP; 5' 9"; Sophomore; R-R

#41 Jordan Knight: RHP; 6' 2"; Junior; L-R

#27 Keanan Locke: OF; 5' 11"; Junior; R-R

#5 Austin Pachan: 2B/OF; 5' 10"; Senior; R-R

#40 Ryan Sarbaugh: 1B; 6' 1"; Junior; L-L

#43 Gunnar Smeyres: RHP; 6' 2"; Junior; R-R

#22 Brenden Wells: OF; 5' 8"; Junior; R-R

#33 Tyler Whitlatch: LHP; 6' 5"; Senior; L-L

#19 Roscoe Blackburn: LHP; 6' 3"; Redshirt Sophomore; R-L

#29 Clyde Yoder: RHP; 6' 1"; Freshman; R-R

Players Mentioned

#20 Jon Crank
: 5' 11"; Senior; S-R
: 3B

#13 Matt Davis
: 6' 4"; Senior; R-R
: C

#34 Joshua Hurford
: 5' 9"; Sophomore; R-R
: RHP

#41 Jordan Knight
: 6' 2"; Junior; L-R
: RHP

#27 Keanan Locke
: 5' 11"; Junior; R-R
: OF

#5 Austin Pachan
: 5' 10"; Senior; R-R
: 2B/OF

#40 Ryan Sarbaugh
: 6' 1"; Junior; L-L
: 1B

#43 Gunnar Smeyres
: 6' 2"; Junior; R-R
: RHP

#22 Brenden Wells
: 5' 8"; Junior; R-R
: OF

#33 Tyler Whitlatch
: 6' 5"; Senior; L-L
: LHP

#19 Roscoe Blackburn
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Sophomore; R-L
: LHP

#29 Clyde Yoder
: 6' 1"; Freshman; R-R
: RHP