The Malone University baseball team is slated to close out the regular season this weekend with a pair of doubleheaders on Thursday, May 2nd and Friday, May 3rd at Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, Kentucky. Much will be on the line for the two teams, who enter the week in first and second place, respectively, in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Standings.
 
The Pioneers, who own a two-game advantage over the rest of the field, can clinch at least a share of the G-MAC Regular Season Championship with two wins or claim the title outright with three victories this weekend. The Panthers, however, have spoiled the Pioneers' season each of the last two years and could be on the prowl to do so again.
 
Malone, the only team so far to clinch a berth in next week's G-MAC Championship Tournament, also enters the week in eighth place in the NCAA Division II Midwest Region Rankings. The top-8 teams, including three automatic qualifiers and five at-large selections, will advance to the NCAA Tournament. A strong performance this weekend can only aid the case further for Malone, which remains in search of its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
GameDay
5/2 Malone at Kentucky Wesleyan (DH) – 1:00 pm ET (12:00pm CT)
5/3 Malone at Kentucky Wesleyan (DH) – 1:00 pm ET (12:00pm CT)
Live video/stats: portal.stretchinternet.com/malone
Twitter: @BaseballMaloneU
 
Series History
Over the past two seasons, Malone is 6-3 against Kentucky Wesleyan, although two of the three losses have come during the G-MAC Championships where the Panthers have eliminated the Pioneers in both 2017 & 2018. The Pioneers have never played in Owensboro as all nine games in the series have been at Malone or at a neutral site.

Team Comparison 

Malone	Category	KWC
31-15 (20-8)	W-L (G-MAC)	26-19 (18-10)
.279	Avg	.271
.376	OBP	.383
.386	Slugging	.411
5.7	Runs/GM	6.4
22	HR	33
63	SB	32
3.57	ERA	4.71
1.41	WHIP	1.55
7.7	K/9IP	8.3

Malone Notes

• The Pioneers were idle last weekend and have not played a game since last Tuesday when they were swept at Walsh. Overall, Malone is 9-6 away from home this year.
• Entering the final week of the regular season, the Malone pitching staff leads the G-MAC and Midwest Region and ranks 13th in NCAA Division II in team ERA. Five different Pioneers rank among the top-15 in the G-MAC in individual ERA.
• Tommy Walker (4-0, 2.06 ERA, 34 K, 52.1 IP) is second in ERA, Clyde Yoder (7-2, 2.88 ERA, 57 K, 50 IP) is fourth in ERA and tied for first in wins, Tyrus Jones (4-1, 3.28 ERA, 25 K, 46.2 IP) is seventh in ERA and first in opponent batting average (.195), Christian Specht (4-2, 3.35 ERA, 48 K, 51 IP) ranks ninth in ERA, and Eric Mullet (6-3, 4.24 ERA, 56 K, 70 IP) is 15th in ERA, second in innings pitched.
• Reliever Clay Cooper (3-2, 3.72 ERA, 38 K, 36.1 IP) fails to meet the minimum innings threshold for ERA leaders, but ranks first in the G-MAC in appearances (20) and saves (8).
• Sophomore rightfielder Turner Hill leads the Malone offense with a .337 batting average and a .424 OBP. Over the last nine games, Hill is batting .484 and remains one of the toughest players in the country to strikeout. Since March 23rd, a span of 23 games and 75 at-bats, Hill has just one strikeout.
• Senior catcher Matt Noel is batting .290 and leads the team with 38 RBI. Noel is a .371 (13-for-35) career hitter against Kentucky Wesleyan.
• Second baseman Zach Mottice has batted .440 (11-for-25) in his career against KWC. This season, Mottice is tied for the G-MAC lead in walks (37). He hit his second homer of the season in Malone's most recent game at Walsh.
• First baseman Austin White, third baseman Clay Wisner, and leftfielder Josh Haygood also found power alleys at Walsh, delivering their first, second, and sixth homeruns of the year, respectively. Haygood leads the team in homers and slugging (.517).
• Centerfielder Jacob Mottice is second on the team with five homers while twin brother Cade Mottice is second on the team with a .310 batting average.
• Shortstop Tyson Gingerich has reached base by way of hit or walk in 14 of the last 15 games. He has doubled in three straight and in four of his last five games.
• Malone is 21-2 when out-hitting its opponent and 19-6 when scoring first. When the pitching staff holds opponents to five runs or fewer, Malone is 28-4. The Pioneers are also 23-1 when leading after six innings.
   

Kentucky Wesleyan Notes - Roster | Schedule | Stats

• The Panthers have won 12 of their last 14 games, while scoring over nine runs per game and holding opponents to a shade over three runs per game during the stretch.
• The Wesleyan pitching staff ranks third in the G-MAC in team ERA and second in strikeouts per nine innings. G-MAC Pitcher of the Year candidate Devin Smith (7-0, 1.94 ERA, 73 K, 60.1 IP) leads the rotation.
• A potent KWC lineup is led by third baseman Brayden Sisson (.352, 4 HR, 40 RBI) and catcher Chase Andrews (.336, 7 HR, 38 RBI).