Baseball Heads to Ann Arbor to Face Concordia Wednesday

COMPLETE WEEK SIX NOTES (PDF)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8
Marygrove (2-25, 1-15 WHAC) at Concordia-Ann Arbor (11-23, 4-10 WHAC)
Time: 2 p.m. (doubleheader)
Location: Concordia University Baseball Field – Ann Arbor, Mich.
Coverage: Live Audio | Live Stats (1:50 p.m.)

FRIDAY, APRIL 10
Marygrove (2-25, 1-15 WHAC) at Cornerstone (11-23, 3-13 WHAC)
Time: 2 p.m. (doubleheader)
Location: DeWitt Field – Grand Rapids, Mich.
Coverage: Live Video | Live Stats (Cornerstone coverage)

SATURDAY, APRIL 11
Marygrove (2-25, 1-15 WHAC) at Cornerstone (11-23, 3-13 WHAC)
Time: 1 p.m. (doubleheader)
Location: DeWitt Field – Grand Rapids, Mich.
Coverage: Live Video | Live Stats (Cornerstone coverage)

BY THE NUMBERS
5: One of only a few sophomores on the team, catcher Kyle Hartwick (Oxford, Mich./Rend Lake Community College) has emerged as a leader at the plate for the Mustangs during WHAC play. To date, Hartwick has hit a team-leading five (5) doubles in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, leading the sophomore to a .300 on-base percentage.

16: The landscape has changed for freshman Trey Blandford (Louisville, Ky./Fern Creek High School) since stepping onto the diamond at the collegiate level. Originally recruited as a catcher out of Kentucky’s Fern Creek High School, Blanford now is among the league leaders in pitching appearances, stepping onto the mound 16 times this season for the Mustangs.

3: With three (3) steals each, speedsters Drew Johnson (Trenton, Mich./Trenton High School), Jon Weatherspoon (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron High School), Raleigh Wilson (Harrison Twp., Mich./West Texas College) and Chase Younkin (Macomb, Mich./Culver-Stockton College) have combined for 12 of the Mustangs 18 stolen bases through 27 games this season.

RELIVE IT! HARTWICK WALKS OFF CUAA
Spanning two days and a total of six-and-a-half hours, the Mustangs doubleheader against Concordia-Ann Arbor Wednesday (March 18) ended at 1:26 a.m. (March 19) when sophomore catcher Kyle Hartwick (Oxford, Mich./Rend Lake CC) sent a sharp single past the Cardinals’ third baseman that scored Chase Younkin and James Edwards (Detroit, Mich./Shaw University) to lift the Green and Gold to a 2-1 victory in 10 innings.

MUSTANGS READY FOR BUSY MONTH
We’ve hit the home stretch, sort of. The month of April will be a busy one for Marygrove baseball as the Mustangs are set to play 24 games on 13 different dates throughout the month of April as WHAC play and the 2015 regular season begins to wind down. The Mustangs return home Wednesday (April 15) for a WHAC doubleheader against Siena Heights. Game site is still TBD.

PLAYING THE BEST OF THE BEST
Head coach Ryan Kottke and the Mustangs have not backed down from day one, facing some of the NAIA’s top teams, including No. 5 Northwood (Fla.), No. 23 St. Thomas (Fla.), No. 24 Northwestern Ohio and now No. 3 Davenport (Mich.). With their recent series against Davenport, the Mustangs finished a stretch of games that included the other top two teams in the WHAC, Madonna and Northwestern Ohio. Davenport, Madonna and Northwestern Ohio own a combined WHAC record of 43-3 heading into this week’s action.

EDWARDS’ STELLAR SEASON
Senior outfielder/pitcher James Edwards has continued to roll this season for the Green and Gold. Through 19 games, Edwards is hitting a team-best .302 with a .377 slugging percentage and a .362 on-base percentage. Edwards has hit a team-high tying one triple to go along with two doubles this season.

MUSTANGS MISS YOUNKIN
The absence of Chase Younkin has hurt the team over the past 10 games (0-10 since his departure). Younkin was hitting .268 with 15 hits and nine runs scored through 17 games.

A LOOK AT CONCORDIA
The Cardinals have been on a roll as of late, winning five of their last six contests heading into Wednesday’s WHAC doubleheader with the Mustangs. At 11-23 overall and 4-10 in the WHAC, the Cardinals will be looking to avenge the 2-1, extra innings defeat at the hands of the Mustangs beginning with Wednesday’s first pitch at 2 p.m. Jeremy Maas leads three Cardinal hitters over .300 with a .311 average through 32 games.

A LOOK AT CORNERSTONE
At 10-23 overall and 3-13 in WHAC play heading into Tuesday (April 7), the Cornerstone Golden Eagles have put together a balanced game through the first half of the season. A difficult out, Jonny Abbadusky leads the Golden Eagles in stolen bases (16) and is in the top three in runs (15) and walks (13). Luke Heller (2.86 ERA) leads all Golden Eagles with 36 K’s in nine appearances.

DUBE’S BIG DAY VS. NO. 3 DAVENPORT
Freshman outfielder Mavrick Dube (Warren, Mich./Mott High School) came alive offensively for the Mustangs on Saturday (April 4) in the Green and Gold’s “home” series against No. 3 Davenport. Dube went 2-for-3 in the opener Saturday, posting singles in the second and fifth innings. In the nightcap, Dube turned out another fine performance by going 2-for-4. The freshman doubled down the right field line to get the second half of Saturday’s doubleheader started and later singled to right field in the third inning.

BASEBALL VS.  OTHER FIRST YEAR TEAMS AT MARYGROVE
At 2-25, the Mustangs are on target to achieve similiar or better first-year status than any other Marygrove team outside of the year-one national champion women’s soccer team. Now a perennial power in the WHAC, the Mustang men’s soccer team finished their inaugural campaign 4-11 with no NAIA wins.

EXTENDED COVERAGE ALL SEASON!
Join Jeremy Otto, Jimmy Stewart and Brendan Johnson as they bring you Marygrove baseball on the Mustang Sports Network at marygrovemustangs.com/live!

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