Wheeling, W. Va. - Mountain East Conference (MEC) North Division Play rolls on through the month of April and the Wheeling University Baseball team (12-20, 8-8) opens up another four-game set this weekend. They take on Frostburg State in a four-game, two-day set, featuring a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 1 PM and the final two games being played on Saturday at 1 PM. After going 1-3 in their divisional opener last week, the Cardinals are looking to bounce back on the diamond as they get to play in front of their home fans.

The Cardinals played a rare nine-inning mid-week game on Wednesday as they went to regional play to take on Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) opponent Clarion at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Complex. Both teams brought their bats to the yard with a combined 21 runs scored, but the Cardinals ended up on the losing side of things 12-9. Both teams scored two first inning runs, but a three spot in the second by Clarion ended up making the difference. Wheeling was down 8-2 heading into the bottom of the third and rallied for five runs that made it an 8-7 game, but the Cardinals couldn't add on and ended up dropping the regional matchup.

Leading the way on the offensive side of the ball was designated hitter Riley Cameron who went 2-2 with a home run, a walk, and three RBI. He reached base in all three of his plate appearances and hit his team-leading eighth home run of the season. It was his third bomb in the last five games as Cameron has been on a tear hitting .307 (4-13) with three home runs and six RBI over those five games. He currently sits fourth in the MEC in home runs and sits third on the team with 25 RBI after having a big week. Cameron has been one of the most consistent hitters for the Cardinals this season and continued his trend this past week.

On the mound, the Cardinals were forced to use six pitchers against the Golden Eagles, but none were more effective than Dan Matos. Matos came in in the top of the third with one out and was able to keep the Golden Eagles at bay. He was charged with one run in that top of the third but threw up three straight zeroes in subsequent inning to keep it an 8-7 game. In total, he worked 3.2 inning allowing one run on three hits while walking one and striking out one. It was Matos's best outing of the year as he continues to mature as a reliever and thrive in higher pressure situations.

As the Cardinals continue in MEC North Division play, they look to find their footing on their home field against division leading Frostburg State. As it stands now, Wheeling sits in fourth in the division at 8-8 and are three games back of Notre Dame for the third spot in the division. With the top three teams from each division making the tournament, the Cardinals are looking to fight back into the divisional playoff race. They have already wrapped up their season series with Fairmont State, but have four-game series each remaining with Frostburg State and Notre Dame. There are four weeks left in regular season play, and a lot can change during that timeframe, but Wheeling looks to rack up as many wins as possible to get them back in that top three position.

The Matchup