Wheeling, W. Va. – Over the weekend, the Wheeling University Baseball team (8-16, 2-10) wrapped up March with Mountain East Conference (MEC) Crossover play in an 0-4 weekend. As the calendar turns to April, the team is looking to rebound as they hit the road for a midweek matchup with #9 CAL-U Tuesday at 1 PM. Wheeling is looking to turn the page on a new month as they make a push towards the 2025 MEC Tournament.
Last time out, the Cardinals wrapped up their MEC Crossover weekend with a wet doubleheader Sunday against Glenville State. The Cardinals would get out to an early lead with a run in the top of the first in game one, but Glenville State responded in the bottom half to keep the game tied at 1-1. Both teams got strong starting pitching early, with the Cardinals riding a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the fourth, but the Pioneer would add on over the final three innings. They scored two in the fourth, one in the fifth, and three in the sixth to bring the game to an end in a 7-2 win for Glenville State. Game two was a classic pitcher's duel between the two teams, with the score sitting tied at 1-1 after three innings. However, it was a two run bottom of the fourth that would be the difference maker and, despite scoring a run in the top of the sixth, the Cardinals would fall 3-2 to end their MEC crossover play.
Despite the offensive struggles, it was another big day at the plate for Spencer Craig, who finished a combined 4-7 with a run scored and an RBI between the two contests. His biggest showing came in game two of the day, when he helped the Cardinals tie things early with an RBI single to score Christian Boyles. He would come around to score the team's second run of the day in the bottom of the sixth, when he came home on a Nicholas Schulz single. Craig has been on a tear over his last four games, going 6-14 (.429) with two RBI, a double, and a run scored in the effort. He leads the Cardinals this season with a .307 batting average through the team's first 24 games and looks to continue his success into April.
The other bright spot for the Cardinals on the offensive side has been Nicolas Ancelet, who combined to go 3-5 (.600) with an RBI, a double, and a stolen base across the two games. In game two, Ancelet was a table setter, finishing 2-3 in the effort, and added is lone RBI in the first game with a single in the third inning. Ancelet sits right behind Craig, hitting .297 this season, and has found a home in the team's clean-up spot. On the mound, the Cardinals had another quality start from Jaden Wilcox in game two, who threw 6.0 innings allowing three runs on six hits while striking out a career-high nine batters. It was the second straight complete-game effort for Wilcox, who lowered his season ERA to 4.13 to lead all Cardinal starters on the season.
As they head into April, the Cardinals will have a week of non-conference play ahead of them as they try to get back on track for the final push for the 2025 MEC Baseball Tournament. Their first opponent is a familiar one, as they battle #9 ranked CAL-U for the second time this season. In the first meeting of the season, the teams would combine to score 28 runs in a nine-inning affair as the Cardinals fell 15-13. The Cardinals scored seven runs in the first two innings of play and battled back with a five-run top of the seventh to take a late lead. The Cardinals will look to build off that offensive success as they head into the second meeting between the two teams on Tuesday.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Vulcans are meeting for the 31st time in program history, with CAL-U leading the all-time series at 28-3. The Cardinals are looking to shake an eight game losing streak against the Vulcans, however, all three of their wins in the all-time series have come in road efforts. Wheeling is looking for their first win against CAL-U since March 1st, 2021, as they head to Wild Things Park looking to get revenge.
Their first meeting of the year came back on March 18th when CAL-U picked up a 15-13 win at Wild Things Park. The Cardinals had three different players finish with three RBI in the game, with Spencer Craig leading the way going 2-4 with a double, and three RBI. Nicolas Ancelet and Nicholas Schulz would each add three RBI in the effort to round out the game.
The Details
First pitch for Tuesday's midweek game is scheduled for 1 PM inside Wild Things Park. You can follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
