The Malone University baseball team is slated to host the University of Findlay this weekend in a pivotal three-game series that could have major postseason implications. The two teams will meet for a single-nine inning game on Saturday, April 28th at 4:00 pm before squaring off in a doubleheader on Sunday, April 29th beginning at 1:00 pm. All three games will be played at Jackson High School.
Findlay comes into this weekend's series in third place in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) North Division while Malone is fourth, just one game back in the loss column. On a larger scale, Malone comes into the series ranked ninth in the
NCAA DII Midwest Region Rankings while the Oilers are slotted in 10th. The top eight teams in the Midwest Region, including three automatic bids from the G-MAC, GLIAC, and GLVC and five at-large selections, will advance to the NCAA Tournament.
GameDay
4/28 Malone vs. Findlay – 4:00 pm
4/29 Malone vs. Findlay (DH) – 1:00 pm
Live Stats:
portal.stretchinternet.com/malone
Twitter:
@BaseballMaloneU
Series History
Malone owns a 30-18 all-time advantage over the Oilers. In the most recent meeting, the two squads split a doubleheader in Beckley, West Virginia in 2016.
Team Comparison
| Malone |
Category |
Findlay |
| 28-14 (14-7 G-MAC) |
Record |
20-11 (13-6 G-MAC) |
| .289 |
Avg |
.261 |
| .395 |
OBP |
.356 |
| 6.0 |
Runs/Gm |
5.8 |
| 12 |
HR |
6 |
| 79 |
SB |
31 |
| 4.16 |
ERA |
4.38 |
| 1.36 |
WHIP |
1.56 |
| 7.5 |
K/9 IP |
8.8 |
Malone Notes - Roster |
Schedule |
Stats
- The Pioneers are riding a three-game win streak in which they outscored Tiffin and Wheeling Jesuit 27-3 on Wednesday and Thursday, collecting 13 extra-base hits and a pair of shutouts.
- The top of the order continues to thrive at reaching base as Nate Cobb (.424 OBP, 38 R), Turner Hill (.466 OBP, 30 R), and Joe Crank (.448 OBP, 35 R) have all been exceptional at setting the table.
- Hill, a frontrunner for G-MAC Freshman of the Year, is batting a team-high .347 and has at least one base hit in 14 of his last 15 games, including seven in a row.
- Crank leads the team with 18 extra-base hits and a .477 slugging percentage. The junior shortstop is coming off of a 5-for-6 performance in Thursday's doubleheader sweep of WJU.
- Cobb remains among the top-10 in the G-MAC in runs, walks (33), and stolen bases (27) while playing phenomenal defense in center field.
- Cleanup hitter Austin White has been the beneficiary, tallying 24 RBI this season, including a team-high 13 in G-MAC games.
- First baseman Todd Ropp has settled in nicely into the five spot in the order, hitting .326 with a team-high 30 RBI. Ropp has been as crucial as anyone to the success of the Pioneers this season. In the 28 wins, he is hitting a team-high .400 with 27 RBI, compared to a team-low .174 mark with three RBI in 14 games the Pioneers have lost. The senior slugger totaled four XBH (two homers, two doubles) and five RBI during Thursday's sweep.
- Consistency has been key for the rest of the Malone order which continues to produce tough at bat after tough at bat. Matt Noel (.273 avg, 18 RBI) had two doubles in game one over WJU. Damian Maglione (.284, 23 RBI) has at least one hit in each of his last seven starts.
- Jacob Mottice (.283, .378 OBP, 8 SB) and Zach Mottice (.270, .441 OBP, 16 SB) have been outstanding at turning over the order. The latter brother has reached base in 11 straight games from his number nine spot in the lineup.
- Led by Roscoe Blackburn (7-2, 1.72 ERA, 59 K, 68 IP) and Eric Mullet (6-0, 1.93 ERA, 53 K, 56 IP), the pitching staff ranks second in the G-MAC in ERA. The duo go 1-2 in the conference in both ERA and wins while Blackburn is also 2nd in the league in WHIP (1.01) and Mullet is 4th (1.11).
- Joshua Hurford, who missed his last start, ranks third in the G-MAC in ERA (2.17) while leading the conference in WHIP (0.88) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (40:6). Since tossing a one-hit complete game shutout against Alderson Broaddus on March 30th, Hurford was hit hard in his next two starts, but will look to bounce back Sunday against a Findlay offense that has scored just 10 runs over the last five games.
- Christian Specht, who is 4th in the G-MAC with five saves, and Jordan Yoder, who owns a team-best 1.65 ERA over the last calendar month, anchor the Malone bullpen. The Pioneers are 27-1 when leading after six innings this year and 79-3 over the last three seasons combined.
- Malone is 20-2 when out-hitting their opponents and 24-6 when scoring first. The Pioneers are also 13-4 at home.
Findlay Notes - Roster |
Schedule |
Stats
- The Oilers are just 4-6 over their last 10 games, including a pair of wins by just one run. Despite being nine games over .500, Findlay is just 4-5 on the road this season.
- Starting pitchers Colin Gossard (5-1, 3.94 ERA, 59 K, 48 IP) and Alex Harter (3-2, 3.34 ERA) lead the rotation. Closer Josh Robinson (12.5 K/9IP) leads the G-MAC with 11 saves.
- Second baseman Casey Gould (.305, 20 RBI, .410 OBP) and rightfielder Nic Varda (.288, 19 RBI, .423 OBP) pace the Oilers offense.
