Wheeling, W. Va. - As the quest for the first NCAA Regional tournament appearance for the Wheeling University Baseball team (24-8, 10-2) continues to stack up regional weekend wins. It was a big week of regional play this past week, and the team responded by going 5-2, including winning their third consecutive weekend with a 3-1 stretch against Salem. On Monday, the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association (NCBWA) released their weekly Atlantic Regional Poll, and the Cardinals were able to hold strong to the #10 spot, earning 19 points from the voting board.
Rain would force the week to start a little earlier, with the Cardinals playing back-to-back days at EQT Park to start the week. They would open things up with their weekend finale against Concord, and it was a day dominated by pitching on both sides of the diamond. However, the Cardinal pitching staff outlasted the Mountain Lions, with Wheeling winning by scores of 3-2 and 2-1 to sweep their second consecutive weekend. They would face their toughest challenge in their midweek, hosting what at the time was #5 ranked CAL-U. The Vulcan offense came out fast and strong, putting up 12 runs over the first seven innings and, despite a comeback attempt, it wasn't enough as Wheeling would fall 12-6. It moved their record to 2-1 for the week, and they headed into a big weekend set against Salem, with Atlantic Regional implications.
Pitching continued to lead the way in game one, with the teams combining for just six runs. However, a pair of two-spots by the Cardinals in the third and fourth innings was enough and Wheeling started the weekend with a 4-2 win. Both offenses woke up in game two, but the Tigers proved just strong enough to earn an 8-5 win, splitting the opening doubleheader. As the second day of the series opened, the Caridnal offense continued their success, hitting four home runs to power the team to a 13-3 victory, giving them a 2-1 lead in the series. The final game saw that Cardinal offense clicking on all cylinders once again, scoring six runs over the first five innings. Salem would battle back in the effort, scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the Cardinals were able to hold on for the 6-5 win.
The Cardinal's power stroke led the team throughout the week, with Wheeling hitting five home runs across the four games. Their biggest showing came in the opener on Saturday, with the Cardinals combining for four home runs. Leading the effort was senior Gavin Millians, who finished the weekend 5-11 (.455) with two home runs and seven RBI across the four-game weekend set. Two of those home runs came in the 13-3 win over Salem, with a two-run shot starting the effort in the bottom of the sixth, and a three-run home run following later to open up the scoring. It was also a breakout week for sophomore Caid Heflin, who finished the four-game set 4-9 (.444) with two home runs, five RBI, and three runs scored. They were the first two home runs of the season for the sophomore as he helped add some pop to the middle of the Cardinal's lineup.
The Cardinals were once again one of two Mountain East Conference (MEC) teams ranked in the Week 9 edition of the NCBWA rankings. Frostburg State would move up one spot in the weekly rankings sitting at #3 in the region with a record of 24-6. The Cardinals and Bobcats will meet this week in a big regional and divisional matchup, as the two teams battle for the top spot in the MEC North Division.
The Wheeling University Baseball team returns to action on Saturday, April 11th, when they open up their four-game set with Frostburg State at 3 PM.
