Thursday, May 18
Milwaukee, Wis.
1 PM ET
Purdue Fort Wayne
at
Milwaukee
'Dons Head to Milwaukee This Week
5/17/2023 2:45:00 PM | Baseball
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Mastodon baseball team closes the regular season this week with a Horizon League series at Milwaukee.
Game Day Information
Who: Purdue Fort Wayne (11-41, 6-20 Horizon) at Milwaukee (22-28, 10-16 Horizon)
When: Thursday, May 18 | 1 p.m.
Friday, May 19 | 1 p.m.
Saturday, May 20 | 1 p.m.
Where: Franklin Field | Franklin, Wis.
Weather: 70, cloudy | 68, rain | 69, cloudy
Live Stats: Thursday | Friday | Saturday
ESPN+: Thursday | Friday | Saturday
Series History: Milwaukee leads 11-9. Milwaukee won 2-of-3 against the 'Dons in Fort Wayne April 14-15.
Probable Pitchers:
Purdue Fort Wayne: RHP Mac Ayres (2-4), RHP Brody Fine (1-6), TBD
Milwaukee: LHP Riley Frey (4-6), TBD, TBD
Scouting the Panthers: Milwaukee defeated Northwestern 3-2 on May 8th but have dropped four straight games since that contest. That includes a three-game series sweep by Wright State by scores of 9-2, 8-6 and 9-5. The Panthers fell to Northern Illinois on Tuesday 12-1. Milwaukee is hitting .259 on the season as a team. Mark Connelly has a team-best 33 RBIs. The Panthers own a 5.55 team ERA.
Holy Toledo: The 'Dons earned an 8-7 extra inning victory on Tuesday at Toledo. The Mastodons are 2-0 in extra innings this season. Colton Shirley had three hits in the game including the game winning hit in the 10th. He also singled and scored the tying run in the ninth.
Miller is the Strikeout King: Justin Miller owns 225 career strikeouts, passing Jason Horvath (2001-2005) for most career strikeouts earlier this season. Horvath recorded 210. Miller broke the record against Dayton on April 26. Additionally, Miller is averaging 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings, the best for a career in program history during the Division I era.
Down Goes Sparty: The Mastodons defeated Michigan State on April 19 3-2. It is the Mastodons' second straight season with a win over a Big 10 opponent. Last season the 'Dons defeated eventual league champion Michigan.
Return of the SAC: Dylan Stewart is tied for second in the league in sacrifice bunts with eight.
Put His Name in Ink: Jarrett Bickel has started all 52 games at shortstop.
Grant is Fly: In league play only, Grant Thoroman is tied for the lead league in sacrifice flies with four.
Back in Black: Braedon Blackford is third in the league with 14 home runs. He is tied for third in RBIs (59), fourth in slugging (.600), fifth in OPS (.993) and seventh in runs (44).
Record Time: Braedon Blackford set a new school record for single-season RBIs on May 13th against Oakland. He had six RBIs for the day to pass Jared Davis' 54 (2007). Blackford now has 59 RBIs this season.
It Might Be…: Braedon Blackford's 14 home runs has him tied for third place in program history for home runs in a season. The all-time single season record is Shaun VanDriessche's 18 in 2010. Ronald Dull hit 14 home runs in 1981. Greg Kaiser hit 17 in 2016.
"He Gets On Base": Cade Nelis has a current 33 game on-base streak. It is the longest for a Mastodon since Jackson Boyce reached base in 37 consecutive games in 2017. Nelis owns 35 walks, second best in the league.
HL is BH Time: In league play only, Ben Higgins is third in the league slugging (.758) and OPS (1.164). He is fourth in doubles (10), sixth in runs (27) and RBIs (31).
Masto-Slams: The 'Dons hit grand slams in back-to-back games against Northern Kentucky. On March 24 Ben Higgins hit a grand slam and then in game one on March 26 Jarrett Bickel hit a game-tying grand slam in the seventh inning of a 9-5 win.
Save X4: Four different Mastodons have recorded a save this season. Brody Fine, Mac Ayres, JD Deany, and Justin Miller own saves for the 'Dons.
Closing Time: Justin Miller owns eight career saves, fourth most in Mastodon history for career saves.
'Dons Dig The Long Ball: 11 different Mastodons have hit a home run this season, it is the most since 2013 when 11 different 'Dons hit a home run. The 2003 season saw 13 Mastodons hit a home run, the most during the Mastodon Division I era.
Multi-verse: 15 different Mastodons have had a multi-hit game this season.
Smart 'Dons: Dylan Stewart, JD Deany, Ben Higgins and Kevin Fee were named to the 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.
Hey Batter Batter (of the Week): Braedon Blackford hit .429 and slugged 1.357 with four home runs in 16 at bats over four games played in Winston-Salem, N.C. (March 3-5). He also recorded one double, seven RBIs, five runs scored, two walks and 19 total bases to earn the Horizon League Batter of the Week honor.
Hey Batter Batter (of the Week) X2: Ben Higgins was named the Horizon League Batter of the Week on April 4 for his play the prior weekend. His play was highlighted by his thee home run performance at Youngstown State on March 31). Higgins was the first Mastodon to hit three big flys in a game since 2016.
D1Baseball.com Top 40 Daily Top 40:
Hitter
Braedon Blackford
No. 11 – March 4, vs. Cornell – Two home runs and a double
No. 12 – April 15, vs. Milwaukee – Five hits, six RBIs (doubleheader)
No. 37 – May 13, vs. Oakland – Six RBIs, three hits, double
Ben Higgins
No. 3 – March 31, at Youngstown State – Three home runs, five RBIs, intentional walk
Jacob Walker
No. 21 – April 29, at Northern Kentucky – Seven RBIs, three hits, one home run, one double
Caileb Johnson
No. 25 – April 29, at Northern Kentucky – Two home runs, four RBIs, four hits
Pitcher
JD Deany – March 4 vs. Cornell – Five shutout innings, eight strikeouts, win
Up Next: The 'Dons will play in the 4 p.m. game in the 2023 Horizon League Championship on Wednesday, May 24th. Wright State will host the annual event.
RECORD WATCH: Multiple Mastodons are lurking around the top 10 in program history in several stats this season.
Individual Records:
RBIs
Single Season Record: 59 Braedon Blackford (2023)
10th place: 44 (multiple times)
Ben Higgins: 43
Runs
Single Season Record: 53 Brandon Soat (2015) and Terry Johnson (1997)
10th place: 44 (multiple times)
Braedon Blackford: 43
Total Bases
Single Season Record: 150 Greg Kaiser (2016)
Braedon Blackford: 120 (3rd)
Home Runs
Single Season Record: 18 Shaun VanDriessche (2010)
Braedon Blackford: 14 (currently tied for 3rd)
Caileb Johnson: 11 (currently tied for 8th)
Ben Higgins: 10 (currently tied for 9th)
Walks
Single Season Record: 54 Malcolm White (2012)
Cade Nelis: 35 (currently tied for 6th)
Team Records:
Doubles
Single Season Record: 107 (2023)
Home Runs
Single Season Record: 55 (2010)
Currently: 52 (2nd)
Hit By Pitch
Single Season Record: 79 (1999 & 2002)
Currently: 68 (5th)
Hits
Single Season Record: 539 (2014)
Currently: 469 (8th)
Runs Batted In
Single Season Record: 325 (2015)
Currently: 280 (7th)
Runs
Single Season Record: 355 (1997)
Division I era Record: 353 (2015)
Currently: 302 (6th)
Walks
Single Season Record: 230 (2016)
Currently: 209 (7th)
Double Plays
Single Season Record: 70 (1998)
Division I era Record: 48 (2010)
10th place: 40 (multiple times)
Currently: 35
Runners Picked Off
Single Season Record: 25 (2009)
Currently: 12 (tied for 5th)
Strikeouts
Single Season Record: 398 (2015)
Currently: 376 (2nd)
~ Feel the Rumble ~
Game Day Information
Who: Purdue Fort Wayne (11-41, 6-20 Horizon) at Milwaukee (22-28, 10-16 Horizon)
When: Thursday, May 18 | 1 p.m.
Friday, May 19 | 1 p.m.
Saturday, May 20 | 1 p.m.
Where: Franklin Field | Franklin, Wis.
Weather: 70, cloudy | 68, rain | 69, cloudy
Live Stats: Thursday | Friday | Saturday
ESPN+: Thursday | Friday | Saturday
Series History: Milwaukee leads 11-9. Milwaukee won 2-of-3 against the 'Dons in Fort Wayne April 14-15.
Probable Pitchers:
Purdue Fort Wayne: RHP Mac Ayres (2-4), RHP Brody Fine (1-6), TBD
Milwaukee: LHP Riley Frey (4-6), TBD, TBD
Scouting the Panthers: Milwaukee defeated Northwestern 3-2 on May 8th but have dropped four straight games since that contest. That includes a three-game series sweep by Wright State by scores of 9-2, 8-6 and 9-5. The Panthers fell to Northern Illinois on Tuesday 12-1. Milwaukee is hitting .259 on the season as a team. Mark Connelly has a team-best 33 RBIs. The Panthers own a 5.55 team ERA.
Holy Toledo: The 'Dons earned an 8-7 extra inning victory on Tuesday at Toledo. The Mastodons are 2-0 in extra innings this season. Colton Shirley had three hits in the game including the game winning hit in the 10th. He also singled and scored the tying run in the ninth.
Miller is the Strikeout King: Justin Miller owns 225 career strikeouts, passing Jason Horvath (2001-2005) for most career strikeouts earlier this season. Horvath recorded 210. Miller broke the record against Dayton on April 26. Additionally, Miller is averaging 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings, the best for a career in program history during the Division I era.
Down Goes Sparty: The Mastodons defeated Michigan State on April 19 3-2. It is the Mastodons' second straight season with a win over a Big 10 opponent. Last season the 'Dons defeated eventual league champion Michigan.
Return of the SAC: Dylan Stewart is tied for second in the league in sacrifice bunts with eight.
Put His Name in Ink: Jarrett Bickel has started all 52 games at shortstop.
Grant is Fly: In league play only, Grant Thoroman is tied for the lead league in sacrifice flies with four.
Back in Black: Braedon Blackford is third in the league with 14 home runs. He is tied for third in RBIs (59), fourth in slugging (.600), fifth in OPS (.993) and seventh in runs (44).
Record Time: Braedon Blackford set a new school record for single-season RBIs on May 13th against Oakland. He had six RBIs for the day to pass Jared Davis' 54 (2007). Blackford now has 59 RBIs this season.
It Might Be…: Braedon Blackford's 14 home runs has him tied for third place in program history for home runs in a season. The all-time single season record is Shaun VanDriessche's 18 in 2010. Ronald Dull hit 14 home runs in 1981. Greg Kaiser hit 17 in 2016.
"He Gets On Base": Cade Nelis has a current 33 game on-base streak. It is the longest for a Mastodon since Jackson Boyce reached base in 37 consecutive games in 2017. Nelis owns 35 walks, second best in the league.
HL is BH Time: In league play only, Ben Higgins is third in the league slugging (.758) and OPS (1.164). He is fourth in doubles (10), sixth in runs (27) and RBIs (31).
Masto-Slams: The 'Dons hit grand slams in back-to-back games against Northern Kentucky. On March 24 Ben Higgins hit a grand slam and then in game one on March 26 Jarrett Bickel hit a game-tying grand slam in the seventh inning of a 9-5 win.
Save X4: Four different Mastodons have recorded a save this season. Brody Fine, Mac Ayres, JD Deany, and Justin Miller own saves for the 'Dons.
Closing Time: Justin Miller owns eight career saves, fourth most in Mastodon history for career saves.
'Dons Dig The Long Ball: 11 different Mastodons have hit a home run this season, it is the most since 2013 when 11 different 'Dons hit a home run. The 2003 season saw 13 Mastodons hit a home run, the most during the Mastodon Division I era.
Multi-verse: 15 different Mastodons have had a multi-hit game this season.
Smart 'Dons: Dylan Stewart, JD Deany, Ben Higgins and Kevin Fee were named to the 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.
Hey Batter Batter (of the Week): Braedon Blackford hit .429 and slugged 1.357 with four home runs in 16 at bats over four games played in Winston-Salem, N.C. (March 3-5). He also recorded one double, seven RBIs, five runs scored, two walks and 19 total bases to earn the Horizon League Batter of the Week honor.
Hey Batter Batter (of the Week) X2: Ben Higgins was named the Horizon League Batter of the Week on April 4 for his play the prior weekend. His play was highlighted by his thee home run performance at Youngstown State on March 31). Higgins was the first Mastodon to hit three big flys in a game since 2016.
D1Baseball.com Top 40 Daily Top 40:
Hitter
Braedon Blackford
No. 11 – March 4, vs. Cornell – Two home runs and a double
No. 12 – April 15, vs. Milwaukee – Five hits, six RBIs (doubleheader)
No. 37 – May 13, vs. Oakland – Six RBIs, three hits, double
Ben Higgins
No. 3 – March 31, at Youngstown State – Three home runs, five RBIs, intentional walk
Jacob Walker
No. 21 – April 29, at Northern Kentucky – Seven RBIs, three hits, one home run, one double
Caileb Johnson
No. 25 – April 29, at Northern Kentucky – Two home runs, four RBIs, four hits
Pitcher
JD Deany – March 4 vs. Cornell – Five shutout innings, eight strikeouts, win
Up Next: The 'Dons will play in the 4 p.m. game in the 2023 Horizon League Championship on Wednesday, May 24th. Wright State will host the annual event.
RECORD WATCH: Multiple Mastodons are lurking around the top 10 in program history in several stats this season.
Individual Records:
RBIs
Single Season Record: 59 Braedon Blackford (2023)
10th place: 44 (multiple times)
Ben Higgins: 43
Runs
Single Season Record: 53 Brandon Soat (2015) and Terry Johnson (1997)
10th place: 44 (multiple times)
Braedon Blackford: 43
Total Bases
Single Season Record: 150 Greg Kaiser (2016)
Braedon Blackford: 120 (3rd)
Home Runs
Single Season Record: 18 Shaun VanDriessche (2010)
Braedon Blackford: 14 (currently tied for 3rd)
Caileb Johnson: 11 (currently tied for 8th)
Ben Higgins: 10 (currently tied for 9th)
Walks
Single Season Record: 54 Malcolm White (2012)
Cade Nelis: 35 (currently tied for 6th)
Team Records:
Doubles
Single Season Record: 107 (2023)
Home Runs
Single Season Record: 55 (2010)
Currently: 52 (2nd)
Hit By Pitch
Single Season Record: 79 (1999 & 2002)
Currently: 68 (5th)
Hits
Single Season Record: 539 (2014)
Currently: 469 (8th)
Runs Batted In
Single Season Record: 325 (2015)
Currently: 280 (7th)
Runs
Single Season Record: 355 (1997)
Division I era Record: 353 (2015)
Currently: 302 (6th)
Walks
Single Season Record: 230 (2016)
Currently: 209 (7th)
Double Plays
Single Season Record: 70 (1998)
Division I era Record: 48 (2010)
10th place: 40 (multiple times)
Currently: 35
Runners Picked Off
Single Season Record: 25 (2009)
Currently: 12 (tied for 5th)
Strikeouts
Single Season Record: 398 (2015)
Currently: 376 (2nd)
~ Feel the Rumble ~
Players Mentioned
INF/P
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INF/C
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P
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OF
/ Baseball
1B/OF
/ Baseball
P
/ Baseball
INF
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INF
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C/OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF/OF
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