IPFW Welcomes Western Illinois For Three-Game League Series

Thursday, May 19

Fort Wayne, Ind.

3 P.M.

Purdue Fort Wayne

Western Illinois

IPFW Welcomes Western Illinois For Three-Game League Series

5/18/2016 3:20:00 PM | Baseball

FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- IPFW will welcome Western Illinois University for a three-game Summit League baseball home series Thursday through Saturday, May 19-21, at Mastodon Field in Fort Wayne. The two schools are currently tied for fourth place in the league standings, entering the final weekend of regular season league competition. The Summit League Baseball Championship, May 25-28, in Tulsa, Oklahoma will include the top four teams in the standings after this weekend's action.

The Mastodons of eighth-year head coach Bobby Pierce enter the league series with a record of 28-24 overall, 11-16 in the Summit League, with seven-straight wins and 15 wins in their last 20 games overall. The visiting Leathernecks are 14-33 overall, 11-16 in the Summit League, including three-straight losses and seven losses in their last eight games overall.

The two teams will play single games on Thursday, May 19, at 3 p.m., Friday, May 20, at 2 p.m. and Saturday, May 21, at 1 p.m. The series finale on Saturday is also Senior Day for the Mastodons.

IPFW-WIU SERIES INFORMATION
Mastodon Field, Fort Wayne
Game One: Thursday, May 19, 3 p.m. / Live Stats / Live Video
Game Two: Friday, May 20, 2 p.m. / Live Stats
Game Three: Saturday, May 21, 1 p.m. / Live Stats / Live Video
2016 Series: IPFW leads 3-0

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

IPFW is expected to use a starting pitching rotation that features Miller in game one, Storie in game two and Pease in game three. Miller, who worked out of the bullpen for the first time last weekend, returns to the starting rotation this weekend and is 4-5 with a 6.39 ERA, one save and 62 strikeouts through 13 appearances/12 starts and 62.0 innings pitched. Storie is 6-5 with a 4.38 ERA and 51 strikeouts through 13 appearances/starts, one complete game and 78.0 innings. Pease is 3-2 with a 4.72 ERA and 33 strikeouts through 13 appearances/seven starts and 34.1 innings.

Miller leads the team in strikeouts and batters struck out looking (22). Storie leads the team in starts, wins, innings pitched and runners picked off (4).

Bullpen: Jordan Martin (Jr., RHP), Jake Weber (R-Jr., RHP), Brandon Phelps (R-So., RHP), Damian Helm (So., LHP), Adam Neal (Fr., RHP), Mitchell Ley (Jr., LHP), Tanner McAninch (Jr., RHP)

The Mastodons have used Martin (26 appearances, 1-0, 3.03 ERA, 2 Saves, 33K, 38.2 IP), Weber (21 appearances/1 start, 3-4, 4.83 ERA, 9 saves, 30K, 31.2 IP), Phelps (19 appearances/1 start, 1-1, 7.82 ERA, 1 save, 19K, 25.1 IP), Helm (16 appearances/3 starts, 2-2, 6.64 ERA, 1 Save, 26K, 39.1 IP), Neal (16 appearances, 1-0, 3.91 ERA, 13K, 23.0 IP), Ley (15 appearances/6 starts, 3-2, 5.83 ERA, 25K, 41.2 IP) and McAninch (14 appearances, 0-1, 2.35 ERA, 9K, 15.1 IP) most frequently this season.

Martin leads the team in appearances, games in relief, ERA and opponent batting average (.240). Weber leads the team in saves and games finished (18).

HITTING
Projected Lineup: CF: Brandon Soat (Sr.), LF: Evan VanSumeren (Sr.), SS: Greg Kaiser (R-Sr.), RF: Shane Trevino (R-Sr.), 1B: Kendall Whitman (Sr.), DH: Brock Logan (R-So.), C: Jonathan Valenzuela-Reece (Sr.), 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, VanSumeren in left field, Kaiser at shortstop, Trevino in right field, Whitman at first base, Logan as the designated hitter, Valenzuela-Reece at catcher, Baker at third base and Boyce at second base. Soat is hitting .327 (.396 in Summit League games) with four home runs, five triples, 11 doubles, 46 runs and 33 RBIs, followed by Kaiser (.302/.327, 14 HRs, 2 3Bs, 18 2Bs, 35 Runs, 42 RBIs), VanSumeren (.300/.373, 2 HRs, 10 2Bs, 28 Runs, 22 RBIs), Boyce (.291/.279, 2 HRs, 3 3Bs, 9 2Bs, 29 Runs, 17 RBIs), Whitman (.279/.255, 1 HR, 1 3B, 8 2Bs, 24 Runs, 24 RBIs), Valenzuela-Reece (.257/.275, 2 HRs, 3 2Bs, 11 Runs, 18 RBIs), Trevino (.254/.224, 11 HRs, 1 3B, 7 2Bs, 33 Runs, 36 RBIs), Logan (.252/.236, 5 HRs, 10 2Bs, 15 Runs, 24 RBIs) and Baker (.223/.244, 1 HR, 6 2Bs, 24 Runs, 24 RBIs).

Soat leads the team in batting average, at bats (217), hits (71), runs, triples, total plate appearances (250) and on base percentage (.407). Soat also leads the Summit League in at bats 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 (126) and slugging percentage (.615). Kaiser also leads the Summit League in homers, total bases and slugging percentage … he leads all Division I shortstops in home runs, as well. Boyce leads the team in sacrifice bunts (4), stolen bases (13) and steal attempts (16). Whitman leads the team in being hit by a pitch (12) and sacrifice flies (4). Trevino leads the team in sacrifice flies (4). Baker leads the team in walks (35). Boyce, Soat, Trevino and Whitman have each played in all 52 games, while Boyce, Soat and Trevino have each started all 52 games played this season.

Depth: Grant Wilson (Sr., OF), Zak Kellogg (So. C), Sean Herberger (Sr., C), Isaiah White (R-So., OF), Alec Reuille (R-Fr., OF)

Kellogg (64), Wilson (37), Herberger (30) and Reuille (26) have seen the most recent at-bats among the reserves for the Mastodons this season.

Series Sweep at Western Illinois Ignited Stretch Run
IPFW swept WIU (April 15-17), outscoring the Leathernecks 28-7 for road wins of 9-1, 11-5 and 8-1 … posting 36 hits in 112 at bats for a .321 team batting average … Greg Kaiser was especially potent at the plate for the Mastodons that weekend in Macomb, Illinois, hitting .692 (9-13) with five home runs, two doubles, 10 RBIs, nine runs, three walks and two stolen bases … Kaiser had 26 total bases for a 2.000 slugging percentage, along with a .750 on-base percentage … Brock Logan hit .500 (5-10) that weekend with one double, three RBIs, two runs and a walk for a .600 slugging percentage and a .583 on base percentage … Jackson Boyce hit .364 (4-11) that weekend with one double, two RBIs, two runs, two walks and a stolen base … the IPFW pitching staff combined for a 2.00 ERA through 27.0 innings with 19 strikeouts, allowing just 22 hits, only three for extra bases, along with just seven walks … Evan Miller (1-0, 1.29 ERA, 5K), Trevor Storie (1-0, 6.00 ERA, 4K) and Brandon Pease (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 4K) earned the mound wins … the three wins at WIU were numbers two, three and four of the current 15-5 mark over the last 20 games.