Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Baseball team (17-14, 7-9) opened Mountain East Conference (MEC) North play last weekend, earning a split with Notre Dame College at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Complex. They currently sit in third in the MEC North and prepare for a date with the top team when they hit the road Friday and Saturday to take on Frostburg State. It is a big series for the Cardinals as they look to further strengthen their hold on third in the division on the road to the MEC Tournament in early May.

Last time out, the Cardinals bats came to life as they put up 19 runs in a non-conference game against Clarion as they won 19-2. The Cardinals got started right away, putting up a four-spot in the top of the first inning as they led 4-0 after one inning of play. Both starters would settle in over the next four innings as the score remained 4-0 Cardinals heading into the top of the sixth. Wheeling would then explode for 10 runs in the top of the sixth, the most runs scored in a single inning by Wheeling this season, as they went up 14-0 after six. Clarion would get their only two runs of the game in the bottom of the eighth, but five more Cardinal runs in the top of the ninth would be enough to seal the deal as Wheeling picked up their 17th win of the season and a big in-region win.

It has been a big week for infielder Lucas Rawlins as he has hit milestones and been on fire at the plate. Over his last three games, the senior is hitting .545 (6-11) with three doubles and six RBI as he raised his batting average to .292 for the season. Rawlins's biggest moment of the week came in game two of the doubleheader on Sunday when he became the 10th player in program history to pick up his 100th career hit. The hit came in the bottom of the second with two outs as Rawlins singled up the middle to put runners at the corners before the inning was retired. Rawlins has been splitting time with sophomore Spencer Craig at first base this season and looks to keep his recent hot streak alive heading down the stretch.

One thing that was lost among the 19 Cardinal runs scored against Clarion was the work of starting pitcher Sonny Peluchette. Peluchette got into some trouble in the first, allowing runners on the corners and two outs, but worked his way out of it to keep the Golden Eagles off the board, He would end up throwing 5.0 shutout innings on the day, the most of his career, while allowing four hits, walking one, and striking out five. Peluchette continued the success of the Cardinal's starting staff this season as the Cardinal's starters have combined for a 5.38 ERA this season. The Cardinal's bullpen was also strong with Hayden Wilcox, Malkolm Barrett, and Hunter Dyck each throwing scoreless innings. Dyck lowered his team-best ERA to 1.33 for the season as he continues to be a leader in the Cardinal's bullpen.

Entering the weekend, the Cardinals have a one-game lead over Notre Dame College for the final playoff spot in the MEC North sitting at 7-9. Their next two weeks of games don't get any easier as they face Frostburg State this weekend and follow it up with a four-game set against Fairmont State next week. Wheeling is looking to get some big wins to not only separate them from the pack but also work towards climbing the seeding ladder in the division. Wheeling will once again rely on their starting pitching staff to lead the way as they focus on the current MEC North leaders in Frostburg State this season.

The Matchup

The Cardinals and Bobcats are meeting for the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and 12th time this weekend, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 5-3. The Cardinals have been much more successful on the road, where they are 4-0 against the Bobcats and they will be making their first trip to Frostburg, Maryland since the 2021 season. Last year, the two teams met in a neutral site game that was played at Monongalia County Ball Park in Morgantown, West Virginia, and the teams ended up splitting the day while the first matchup of the year saw Frostburg get a sweep.

In the final doubleheader, game one saw Wheeling pick up five hits, but they were not able to bring anyone home in a 7-0 loss. Former Cardinal J.R. Heavilin was the lone Cardinal with two hits in the game, finishing 2-4 as Wheeling fell to 0-3 against the Bobcats. Game two saw the Cardinal's offense get going early and ride that performance through the end as they won 4-2. Jacob Murray led the way in that game, going 2-3 with an RBI while Kobe Hill and former Cardinal J.R. Heavilin each drove in runs in the win.

The Details

The opening doubleheader of the four-game weekend set is scheduled for Friday, April 14th, with first pitch at 1 PM at Bob Wells Field on the campus of Frostburg State. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.