IPFW Welcomes North Dakota State For Three-Game Series

Saturday, May 14

Fort Wayne, Ind.

12 P.M.

Purdue Fort Wayne

North Dakota State

Photo by: Lucas Carter

IPFW Welcomes North Dakota State For Three-Game Series

5/13/2016 2:22:00 PM | Baseball

FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- IPFW will welcome North Dakota State University for a three-game Summit League home baseball series Saturday and Sunday, May 14-15, at Mastodon Field in Fort Wayne. Sunday's series finale has been designated the program's Vs. Cancer Day.

The Mastodons of eighth-year head coach Bobby Pierce enter the league series with a record of 24-24 overall, 8-16 in the Summit League, with three-straight wins and 11 wins in their last 16 games overall. The visiting Bison are 27-21 overall, 10-14 in the Summit League, including two-straight wins and 10 wins in their last 14 games overall.

The two teams will open the series with a doubleheader on Saturday, May 14, at 12 p.m., followed by a single game on Sunday, May 15, at 1 p.m.

IPFW-NDSU SERIES INFORMATION
Mastodon Field, Fort Wayne
Game One: Saturday, May 14, 12 p.m. / Live Stats / Live Video
Game Two: Saturday, May 14, 3 p.m. / Live Stats / Live Video
Game Three: Sunday, May 15, 1 p.m. / Live Stats
Series History: NDSU leads 23-19
2016 Series: NDSU leads 3-0

PITCHING
Projected Rotation: Brandon Phelps (R-So., RHP), Trevor Storie (Sr., RHP), Brandon Pease (R-Sr., LHP)

IPFW is expected to use a starting pitching rotation that features Phelps in game one, Storie in game two and Pease in game three. Phelps is 1-1 with an 8.46 ERA and 18 strikeouts through 18 appearances and 22.1 innings pitched … he'll be making his first start of the season. Storie is 5-5 with a 4.83 ERA and 48 strikeouts through 12 appearances/starts and 69.0 innings. Pease is 2-2 with a 5.40 ERA and 28 strikeouts through 12 appearances/six starts and 28.1 innings.

Storie leads the team in starts, wins and innings pitched.

Bullpen: Jordan Martin (Jr., RHP), Jake Weber (R-Jr., RHP), Damian Helm (So., LHP), Adam Neal (Fr., RHP), Mitchell Ley (Jr., LHP), Tanner McAninch (Jr., RHP), Evan Miller (So., RHP), Kyle Orwig (Sr., RHP)

The Mastodons have used Martin (24 appearances, 1-0, 3.28 ERA, 2 Saves, 30K, 35.2 IP), Weber (20 appearances/1 start, 3-4, 4.99 ERA, 8 saves, 27K, 30.2 IP), Helm (16 appearances/3 starts, 2-2, 6.64 ERA, 1 Save, 26K, 39.1 IP), Neal (15 appearances, 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 13K, 20.0 IP), Ley (14 appearances/6 starts, 2-2, 6.07 ERA, 24K, 40.0 IP), McAninch (13 appearances, 0-1, 2.51 ERA, 9K, 14.1 IP), Miller (12 appearances/12 starts, 4-5, 6.60 ERA, 60K, 60.0 IP) and Orwig (12 appearances/8 starts, 4-2, 4.39 ERA, 26K, 41.0 IP) most frequently this season.

Martin leads the team in appearances, games in relief, ERA and opponent batting average (.244). Weber leads the team in saves and games finished (17). Miller leads the team in starts, strikeouts and batters struck out looking (22) … he'll be pitching out of the bullpen for the first time this season.

HITTING
Projected Lineup: CF: Brandon Soat (Sr.), 1B: Kendall Whitman (Sr.), SS: Greg Kaiser (R-Sr.), RF: Shane Trevino (R-Sr.), DH: Brock Logan (R-So.), C: Jonathan Valenzuela-Reece (Sr.), LF: Alec Reuille (R-Fr.), 3B: Shannon Baker (R-So.), 2B: Jackson Boyce (Jr.)

IPFW is expected to open the series with a probable lineup that features Soat in center field, Whitman at first base, Kaiser at shortstop, Trevino in right field, Logan as the designated hitter, Valenzuela-Reece at catcher, Reuille in left field, Baker at third base and Boyce at second base. Soat is hitting .342 (.430 in Summit League games) with four home runs, five triples, 11 doubles, 45 runs and 33 RBIs, followed by Boyce (.298/.291, 2 HRs, 3 3Bs, 8 2Bs, 28 Runs, 15 RBIs), Kaiser (.296/.327, 12 HRs, 1 3B, 17 2Bs, 32 Runs, 38 RBIs), Whitman (.295/.275, 1 HR, 1 3B, 8 2Bs, 24 Runs, 24 RBIs), Logan (.262/.250, 4 HRs, 10 2Bs, 13 Runs, 22 RBIs), Valenzuela-Reece (.250/.267, 2 HRs, 3 2Bs, 9 Runs, 18 RBIs), Trevino (.247/.221, 10 HRs, 6 2Bs, 29 Runs, 34 RBIs), Baker (.226/.256, 1 HR, 6 2Bs, 24 Runs, 21 RBIs) and Reuille (.048/.071, 1 2B, 5 Runs).

Soat, the reigning National and Summit League Player of the Week, leads the team in batting average, at bats (202), hits (69), runs, triples, total plate appearances (234) and on base percentage (.422). Soat also leads the Summit League in at bats, hits, triples and total plate appearances. Kaiser, one of 10 finalists for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award, leads the team in home runs, doubles, RBIs, total bases (111), slugging percentage (.587) and stolen bases (12). Kaiser also leads the Summit League in homers, doubles, total bases and slugging percentage. Whitman leads the team in batting average, on base percentage (.432) and being hit-by-pitch (10). Boyce leads the team in sacrifice bunts (4), stolen bases (12) and steal attempts (15). Baker leads the team in walks (33). Whitman leads the team in being hit by a pitch (12) and sacrifice flies (4). Trevino leads the team in sacrifice flies (4). Boyce, Soat, Trevino and Whitman have each played in all 48 games, while Boyce, Soat and Trevino have each started all 48 games played this season.

Depth: Grant Wilson (Sr., LF), Zak Kellogg (So. C), Sean Herberger (Sr., C), Isaiah White (R-So., OF), Brandon Yoho (Fr., IF)

Wilson is expected to see time in left field this weekend, as well, while Kellogg should see time behind the plate. Kellogg (61), Wilson (34), Yoho (30) and Herberger (28) have seen the most at-bats among the reserves for the Mastodons this season.