After 20 straight games on the road, the Malone University baseball team will play its long-awaited home opener this Saturday, April 1st as part of a doubleheader against 2016 Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Champions Alderson Broaddus University at 2:00 pm. The Pioneers will return to the diamond on Sunday, April 2nd with another doubleheader beginning at 12:00 pm. All four games will be played at the Massillon Jackson High School baseball field.
 
GameDay
(4/1) Malone vs. Alderson Broaddus (DH) – 2:00 pm
(4/2) Malone vs. Alderson Broaddus (DH) – 12:00 pm
Live Stats (4/1 only): sidearmstats.com/malone/baseball
Twitter: @BaseballMaloneU
 
All-Time Series
Malone and Alderson Broaddus have never met before on the baseball diamond.
 
Last Time Out
On Wednesday, Malone bounced back from a 9-8 walk-off loss to earn a doubleheader split against Walsh with a 10-2 victory in the nightcap. Alderson Broaddus, meanwhile is coming off of an 8-6 loss to Seton Hill, a team in which Malone lost to a week prior.

Team Comparison

Malone	Category	Alderson Broaddus
12-8 (2-2 G-MAC)	Record	11-10 (3-1 G-MAC)
.320	Avg	.301
.413	OBP	.376
6.2	Runs/Gm	6.4
6	HR	7
24	SB	13
4.19	ERA	4.76
1.53	WHIP	1.62
8.7	K/9 IP	6.8

Malone Notes - Roster | Schedule | Stats

• Against Walsh on Wednesday, sophomore catcher Matt Noel went 5-7 with 5 RBI and clubbed his first career homerun in the game two win. In 62 at bats this season, Noel has already collected six extra-base hits (5 2B, 1 HR). As a freshman, Noel produced just one, a double, in 68 at bats.
• Noel leads Malone with a .452 batting average which is good for 2nd in the G-MAC. He is one of several Pioneers to leads the conference in a statistical category as his .533 on-base percentage ranks first in the league.
• Leadoff man Nate Cobb (.362 avg, .483 OBP) leads the G-MAC in runs (21), steals (11), and walks (15). Cobb has reached base in all 20 games this season.
• Brenden Wells (.347 avg, .440 OBP, 20 R, 13 RBI) is tied for the G-MAC lead in doubles (8) and is second in runs, Wells blasted his first homerun of the season on Wednesday to extend his hitting streak to 10 straight games.
• Keanan Locke (.411, .450 OBP) leads the Pioneers with two homers and 21 RBI. He leads the conference in slugging percentage (.679) and RBI per game (1.5).
• Joe Crank (.284, .391 OBP) leads the G-MAC with four triples.
• Designated hitter Michael Mathieu (.356) is second among G-MAC freshmen with 11 RBI. Fellow freshman Zach Mottice is hitting .323 with a .400 OBP.
• Outstanding junior lefthander Roscoe Blackburn not only leads the G-MAC, but he is one of just three starting pitchers in the country with a spotless 0.00 ERA. Blackburn, who is 1-0 with 24 strikeouts in 22.1 innings, also leads the G-MAC in WHIP (1.03) and batting average against (.215)
• Joshua Hurford, another outstanding arm in the Pioneer rotation, is 3-0 with a 0.87 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 20.2 innings this season. He is second in the conference in ERA and wins.
• Kyle Kovach tossed four scoreless innings against Cedarville last weekend in his first collegiate start and has yet to allow an earned run in 10 innings this season. Kovach is expected to get the call to the mound on Sunday.
• Lefty reliever Jordan Yoder (2-1) leads the bullpen with a 2.70 ERA in 16.2 innings pitched.
   

Alderson Broaddus Notes - Roster | Schedule | Stats

• The Battlers are led by Canton GlenOak graduate Marquis Collier and his team-best .375 average. The AB first baseman was a First Team All-Midwest Region selection in 2016.
• The middle of the lineup also features outfielder/designated hitter Chuck Hooker (.358, 14 RBI) and All-Midwest Region shortstop Jordan Martin (.311, 2 HR, 18 RBI). Second baseman Tyler Amedure (.338) leads AB with 19 runs scored and 19 RBI.
• The pitching staff is led by senior righthander Randy Dobnak, another All-Region First Teamer, who leads the team with 29 strikeouts in 28.1 innings.  Dobnak sits behind only Blackburn and Hurford among G-MAC starting pitchers in ERA (2.22).
• Sophomore righty Zach Salmon is 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA. Salmon boasts complete game shutouts against Ashland and Davis & Elkins this season.