WJU hosts WV State on Friday and travels to Charleston on Sunday.

Baseball 3/29/2017 10:09:00 AM Michael McDonald, Assistant Sports Information Director

WJU Baseball -- Weekend Preview – Cardinals Host Yellow Jackets, Travel to Golden Eagles

WHEELING, W.Va. – The Wheeling Jesuit baseball team continues Mountain East Conference play this weekend.

The Cardinals host the West Virginia State Yellow Jackets on Friday afternoon before traveling to the Charleston Golden Eagles on Sunday. Both doubleheaders are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

WJU Notes:
The Cardinals completed their first pair of home doubleheaders of the 2017 season last weekend. WJU split Friday's doubleheader with the Virginia Wise Cavaliers by scores of 3-1 and 4-5 before dropping both games to Concord University on Saturday, 2-12 and 7-11.

Michael Finch started game one for the Cardinals and shut down the Cavaliers. Finch tossed a complete game four-hitter and UVa-Wise's only run was unearned. Finch improved his season ERA to 1.44.

Concord scored 11 runs in the fifth inning of game one to pull away from the Cardinals, but WJU did not go down without a fight in game two. After falling behind 3-0 in game two versus the Mountain Lions, WJU clawed its way back and took a 7-5 lead heading into the ninth and final inning. Concord erupted for six runs, however, and downed the Cardinals 11-7 for the series sweep.

In 13 at bats, Finch is hitting a team-high .385 with a double, five hits and six total bases. Dillon Sunnafrank returned to the Cardinals lineup for the first time since the club's Florida trip, and is now hitting .333 with five hits and five RBI's. Sunnafrank blasted a three-run homer against UVa-Wise on Friday. RJ Harris hit his first collegiate home run over the weekend and now is hitting .325 with 13 hits and a team-leading nine RBI's. Drake May is the fourth Cardinal to be hitting above .300, coming into this weekend with a .304 mark including 17 hits and four RBI's.

On the hill, Finch leads the WJU staff with his 1.44 ERA and 25 innings pitched. Finch has tossed one complete game and struck out 11 hitters. Josh Bell is 1-3 on the year with a 3.48 ERA over 20.2 innings of work. Benjamin Standiford occupies a 3.75 ERA over his 12 innings of work.

WV State Yellow Jacket notes:
West Virginia State is 9-12 on the season and 2-6 in MEC play. The Yellow Jackets split last weekend's two series with Urbana and Notre Dame College.

Chris Ruppenthal leads State, hitting at a .371 clip in 62 at bats. Ruppenthal has 23 hits, 14 runs, and seven RBI's. On the hill, Colby Gainer has tossed 41.1 innings and has a 1-3 record. Gainer has compiled a 1.96 ERA and struck out 28 hitters.

2016 Season Series:
West Virginia State swept the 2016 series from WJU by scores of 2-3 and 4-6.

Sunnafrank started on the bump for WJU in game one, lasting six innings while striking out five and allowing only two runs to score.

Standiford started game two, lasting six innings as well and fanning two hitters. Sunnafrank and Christopher Brake finished with a pair of hits apiece in game two while Logan Schickler added the Cardinals final hit.

Charleston Golden Eagle notes:
Charleston comes off a series sweep of Notre Dame College by scores of 3-1 and 7-3. On the season, Charleston is 15-7 and 4-4 in MEC play. The Golden Eagles have won four of their last five outings.

Nick Wilson leads Charleston with a .456 batting average on the season. Wilson has drove in 20 runs while tallying 31 hits and scoring 14 runs. Gianfranco Morello is hitting .360 with 15 RBI's, two home runs, 27 hits, and 16 runs.

On the mound, Adam Jafine has made six starts and tossed a team-high 35.1 innings. Jafine has tallied a 3.82 ERA and a 3-2 record. Jonathan Carr is 3-1 on the season over his 32 innings and six starts.

2016 Season Series:
WJU and UC split last year's series, one game apiece. WJU lost in game one, 2-6, before flying past Charleston, 11-1, in game two.

Schickler went 3-3 with a pair of runs scored in game one while Jagger Bruck finished 2-3 at the plate.

In game two, WJU cranked out 10 hits led by Brake and Sunanfrank's two apiece. Sunnafrank scored twice and drove in another run while Brake finished with a game-high three RBI's.

Print Friendly Version