Wheeling, W. Va. - Over the last three weeks, the Wheeling University Baseball team (14-12, 5-7) has been battling it out with the Mountain East Conference (MEC) South Division. With inter-divisional play in the rearview mirror, the stretch run for the 2023 MEC Tournament is on as the Cardinals set their sights on their MEC North schedule for the rest of the season. They open MEC North play this weekend at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Complex when they take on Notre Dame College in a pair of doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday.
Last time out, the Cardinals played their first nine-inning game since March 6th when they took on Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) opponent Walsh on Tuesday. It was a pitcher's duel early, with neither team getting on the board through the first three innings, but Walsh would be the first to strike with a run in the top of the fourth. The Cavaliers added a run in the fifth and four in the sixth before Wheeling got on the board to make it 6-2 after six. The Cardinals were not done, scoring three runs over the final two innings of play, but it wasn't enough as two Walsh runs in the top of the ninth sealed the deal. Wheeling fell 8-5 and dropped to 14-12 overall as they head into MEC North play.
The Cardinal's starting pitchers have led the way on the mound this season, and Dominic Parker-McDonald kept that trend going on Tuesday. He threw 2.0 scoreless innings to start Tuesday's game and has now thrown 6.0 consecutive scoreless innings heading into the weekend. The Cardinal's starting pitchers have combined for a 5.05 ERA this season, with Kody McCarley leading the way with a 2.25 ERA, sitting second in the conference. The Cardinals are looking for strong starting pitching throughout the weekend to set them up for success at the plate.
On the offensive side, the Cardinals have been led by infielder Braden Killens, who has driven in 11 RBI over his last seven games. He did not record a hit against Walsh, but over those last nine games, Killens has hit .407 (11-27) with one double, two triples, four home runs, and 15 RBI, hitting mostly in the #3 hole. Killens leads the team with five home runs and 22 RBI and looks to continue being a big contributor for the Cardinals. Wheeling Baseball enters the weekend with a milestone on the line as well with first baseman Lucas Rawlins needing just one more hit to reach the 100-hit mark for his career. He went 1-1 in the game against Walsh and looks to get the 100th hit of his career out of the way early this weekend.
As the Cardinals begin MEC North Division play this weekend, the Cardinals currently sit in a second-place tie with rival West Liberty at 5-7 overall. They both sit two games behind Frostburg State, who sits at 7-5, for the top spot and one game ahead of both Fairmont State and this weekend's opponent Notre Dame College. With the top three teams from each division making the tournament, the Cardinals are looking to get off to a strong start this weekend to further cement themselves as one of the top three teams in the conference. The Cardinals will see all five of their MEC North rivals over the next five weeks and will look to use strong pitching and timely hitting to propel them back to the playoffs.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Falcons will meet for the 35th, 36th, 37th, and 38th times in program history this weekend, with Notre Dame College leading the all-time series at 20-14. The Cardinals have a much better record at home against Notre Dame College, going 8-8 across 16 games compared to a 6-10 record when the teams meet in South Euclid, Ohio. Wheeling has won seven of the last eight meetings between the two teams and are looking to keep their success going this weekend.
Last season, Wheeling got the better of Notre Dame College, winning three of the four games in South Euclid, Ohio, with Wheeling splitting day one before coming back and getting the sweep on day two. It was a big series for the Cardinal's offense, with the team scoring 37 runs across the four-game series. Former Cardinal Riley Cameron led the way in game one of the second game, going 3-5 with four RBI and a triple while Garth Charlton was the game two leader going 2-4 a double and five RBI.
The Details
The first two games of the four-game weekend set are set to begin on Friday, April 7th, with first pitch scheduled for 1 PM at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Complex. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
