Wheeling, W. Va. - Throughout the preseason schedule, the Wheeling University Baseball team (9-4, 0-0) have been climbing the ladder in the Atlantic Region, with eight of their first 13 games coming against Regional opponents. They ended up cracking the top 10 poll in the Atlantic Region this past week at #9 and are riding a five-game winning streak as they prepare to open Mountain East Conference (MEC) play this weekend. They open things up against #6 The University of Charleston on Saturday and wrap up the weekend against West Virginia State on Sunday.
The Cardinals wrapped up their non-conference preseason schedule with a rain-shortened two-game series against Salem University. Pitching rolled the day in game one as Kody McCarley took the mound and went pitch for pitch with Salem. He tossed his second straight complete-game shutout and got one run of support as the Cardinals came away with a 1-0 victory. The second game saw the Cardinal's offense get the bats going, putting up seven runs and building a 6-1 lead through the first five innings. Although Salem would come back with three runs in the bottom of the sixth, the Cardinals would hold on for the 7-4 win as they took their fifth win in a row.
Junior pitcher Kody McCarley continued his strong start to the season, putting together his second straight complete-game shutout. He has not allowed a run over the last 15.0 innings of work and has struck out 30 batters over his last three starts. He currently sits fourth in the MEC with a 1.48 ERA and tied for seventh with 35 strikeouts. McCarley has not allowed more than two earned runs in any start this season and has been a big boost for the Cardinal's pitching staff. He looks to continue his success into conference play as the team prepares to take on the top team from the MEC South in the annual MEC Preseason Poll.
On the offensive side of things, it was a big series for infielder Jacob Murray, who went 3-6 between the two games. Murray is chasing down history this season on two fronts, sitting just 54 hits away from the career hits record and just 28 RBI away from becoming the first Cardinal's player to reach the 100 RBI mark for his career. Outfielder Kobe Hill also turned in a big showing in the second game of the series, going 1-3 with a team-high three RBI. Hill has already surpassed his career-high in RBI from last season and is currently tied for the team-lead in RBI with 11 in 13 games played. Hill looks to be a continued spark at the top of the lineup while also driving in runs when his team needs it.
As the Cardinals kick-off MEC play this weekend, they are looking to climb back into the MEC Playoff race after just missing out on a spot last season. The Cardinals finished fourth in the MEC North Division last season and were picked #3 in this season's poll. With the top three teams from each division making the tournament, the Cardinals are hoping to hold on to at least that number three standing to make it back to the tournament. The Cardinals enter conference play with the best preseason record in the North Division but will face a test this weekend with two of the top teams from the MEC South standing in their way.
The Matchups
Charleston: The Cardinals and Golden Eagles are meeting for the 37th and 38th times in program history on Saturday, with Charleston leading the all-time series with a record of 20-16. When the teams meet in Charleston, West Virginia, the Cardinals have a 6-10 record against the Golden Eagles, but the Cardinals are trying to a seven-game losing streak against Charleston dating back to the 2018 season. Last season, Charleston would sweep the season series, with wins of 13-3 and 9-6. In the most recent meeting, the Cardinals were led by Garth Charlton, who finished 1-1 with two RBI on the day.
West Virginia State: The Cardinals and Yellow Jackets are meeting for the 36th and 37th times in program history, with West Virginia State leading the all-time series with a record of 11-24. Wheeling is just 8-20 on the road against West Virginia State and is looking to up their status this year. Last season, the two teams split their annual doubleheader, with the Cardinals winning the most recent matchup 3-1. Jacob Murray and former Cardinal J.R. Heavilin each drove in runs in the win.
The Details
First Pitch for Saturday's doubleheader with Charleston is scheduled for 1 PM at the Welch Athletic Complex on the campus of The University of Charleston. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
