Wheeling, W. Va. - Fresh off their trip to Cary, North Carolina, the Wheeling University Baseball team (4-3, 0-0) hits the road as they continue their Atlantic Regional schedule on the road. The team will travel to Painesville, Ohio for a three-game series against Lake Erie College in a series that was flipped from Wild Things Park due to turf issues. The Cardinals will look to bounce back on the road and pick up a big weekend win before they begin their Mountain East Conference (MEC) schedule.
Last week, the Cardinals made the trip to Cary, North Carolina, and would go 1-2 as part of a three-game weekend. They wrapped up the weekend strong with an 11-4 win over St. Thomas Aquinas, with the offense breaking out in a season-high effort. The Cardinals broke out for 11 hits in the nine-inning effort, getting things started with a five-run top of the third inning. They extended their lead to 7-0 after six innings, before St. Thomas Aquinas made it a game with a three-run bottom of the seventh inning. However, the Cardinals would get those runs back plus one with a four-run top of the eighth that got them to the 11-run mark. The Spartans would get one back in the bottom of the ninth, but the Cardinals were able to hold on for the 11-4 win to salvage a game during the weekend.
It was a breakout effort for catcher Dylan Maltby, who finished 3-5 with three RBI and a run scored in the winning effort. Two of his three hits would go for extra bases, with the biggest of those hits being a two-run double that would start the game. Maltby has had a strong start to the season, hitting .385 across his four games played this season, going 5-13. Of his five hits, four of them have been for extra bases, with one double and one triple among those hits. He has also finished with a multi-hit, multi-extra base hit, effort in two of his four games this season, making the most of his opportunity. With the Cardinals rotating their catchers throughout the season, Maltby is looking to be a leader for the group as they get ready to compete in MEC play next week.
The Cardinal's leading hitter this season has been Brett Johnson, who is hitting .346 through seven games played this season. He is coming off a strong weekend in Cary, North Carolina, going 5-12 (.417) with two doubles across the three-game set. He had two multi-hit efforts across the week, coming against Dominican University and West Chester. Despite the losing weekend, the Cardinals were honored by the conference as pitcher Jaden Wilcox was named the MEC's Pitcher of the Week. Wilcox would get the start against St. Thomas Aquinas, and put together the best start by a Cardinal pitcher this season throwing 6.0 shutout innings allowing just two hits while walking two and striking out six. He looks to be a leader for the Cardinal's pitching staff, giving them a dominant top three heading into conference play.
In their final non-conference weekend of the preseason, the Cardinals are looking to win their second weekend of the season. After losing a weekend against Carolina U early in the season, the Cardinals have put a focus on their in-region opponents throughout the early portion of the season. They have played all region opponents through the first two weekends, with the goal of stacking wins together to help them qualify for the 2025 NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. Among their preseason opponents were #10 West Chester and a Pitt-Johnstown team that was on the outside looking in for the tournament. The Cardinals have one weekend win and one weekend loss under their belt and will look to go 2-3 in non-conference weekends against the Storm.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Storm are meeting for the second time in program history when they kick-off their weekend on Saturday, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 1-0. Their first meeting came in a neutral site location as the Cardinals will be making their first trip to Painesville in program history. The Cardinals would score six runs in the first meeting between the two teams, and the offense looks to lead the way once again as they play their first-ever series.
Their first, and only, meeting came back on February 19th when the Cardinals picked up a 6-4 win at California University of Pennsylvania. Spencer Craig would lead the way for the Cardinals, finishing 2-4 with a pair of RBI and a run scored in the effort. Former Cardinal Scott Kondroik would add a 3-6 effort with two runs scored and an RBI, while Dominic Parker-McDonald got the start on the mound, going six innings and allowing three earned runs on five hits while walking three and striking out five.
The Details
First pitch for Saturday's nine-inning series opener is scheduled for 2 PM inside the Andrews Osborne Academy in Willoughby, Ohio. You can follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
