McKendree University baseball takes on Great Lakes Valley Conference-foe Illinois Springfield in a non-conference series on March 13-14 in Springfield, Illinois. The series was moved from its original date on March 11-13 due to weather with the Sunday matchup being a double-header and Monday's game a single outing. McKendree enters the series following a 2-2 split weekend on March 4-5 against Hillsdale at Hypes Field.
McKendree sits at 4-7 on the season after its series with the Chargers at home, where it won one of two games each day of the double-header. The Bearcats won their first matchup of each double-header against Hillsdale last weekend, moving their record to 4-7 on the spring. Prior to the home-opening series, McKendree won one game against both Harding and Northeastern State in a mid-February road trip. The Bearcats are 3-21 all-time against the Prairie Stars and will look to snap a 12-game losing streak.
On offense for the Bearcats, senior outfielder Corey Price has opened the spring on a tear with a .477 batting average and an OPS of 1.205, which both lead the McKendree bats this season. Price has amassed 21 hits in 11 starts and 44 at-bats while blasting two homers and four doubles. He has also batted in 10 runs and scored 13. Just behind Price is freshman Gavin Arseneau, who owns 15 hits in 41 plate appearances with three homeruns, 11 RBIs, 11 runs scored on a .366 batting average and 1.019 OPS. Senior infielder Alex Steinbach rounds-out the over-.300 hitters for McKendree with a .314 in 35 at-bats. Steinbach has sent three over the fence with eight RBIs while owning a 1.096 OPS.
On the mound, four hurlers own a win on the year with sophomore Mark Branze leading the way with five appearances and a 2.89 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. Branz has tossed 9.1 innings in his time on the rubber, striking-out nine opponents and allowing a .263 opposing batting average. Junior Garrett Herring has amassed the most innings pitched with 12.2 in three appearances and two starts with an ERA of 7.11 and a WHIP of 1.42.
SCOUTING THE PRAIRIE STARS
The host, UIS, enters its non-conference matchup with the Bearcats on a seven-game winning streak and an 11-3 overall record this spring. The Stars most recently defeated UW-Parkside in a series, 3-0, and Saginaw Valley prior in a four-game series (4-0). UIS boasts five hitters at an above-.300 clip this spring with junior Brandon Bannon hitting .407 so far while teammate Asher Bradd sits narrowly behind at .397. The Stars have out-scored opposing forces 142-71 in 14 games this spring with a combined BA of .320 and .991 OPS.
On the mound, junior Colton Hale has led UIS with a 3-0 record in 22.0 inning thrown, also owning a 1.64 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. Senior Blake Begner follows Hale with a 2-0 slate behind 4.40 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP in 14.1 innings pitched. Combined. the Prairie Stars toss a 4.96 ERA with a 1.51 ERA with an opposing batting average of .239.
WEEKEND SLATE
Game 1 | 12 P.M. | Sunday, March 13 | @ Illinois Springfield | UIS Baseball Field | Springfield, Illinois (DH - Game 1)
Game 2 | 3 P.M. | Sunday, March 13 | @ Illinois Springfield | UIS Baseball Field | Springfield, Illinois (DH - Game 2)
Game 3 | 1 P.M. | Monday, March 14 | @ Illinois Springfield | UIS Baseball Field | Springfield, Illinois
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