SLIAC Game of the Week: Webster at Spalding
Posted: Mar 19, 2019

SLIAC Game of the Week: Webster at Spalding

 

At a Glance

The first spring SLIAC Game of the Week is a baseball showdown between Spalding University and Webster University. The two teams are off to strong starts this season, with each notching wins over ranked teams. Spalding and Webster will play a doubleheader in Louisville, Ky. on Wednesday afternoon.

       
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Spalding University 'GOLDEN EAGLES'

Spalding comes in with a 10-6 overall record but has dropped two straight after losing a series to Thomas More over the weekend. The Golden Eagles have scored 116 runs this season, the second most in the SLIAC; averaging 7.3 per game. They are hitting .275 as a team and lead the SLIAC with 11 home runs and 36 stolen bases.

Garrett Wilson sets the table and currently has a .439 average but has been held to just four stolen bases so far this season. Eric Meyer is coming off a red-hot weekend in which he hit 3 home runs and drove in 10. Those numbers pushed his season totals to 4 home runs and 18 RBI while hitting .353 this spring. Quenton Brownlee is hitting .304 with 3 home runs and a conference-leading 19 RBI. The pitching staff features Dillon Sievert and Zach Jones. Sievert holds a 2.39 earned-run average with 1 win while Jones is 2-0 with a 2.51 earned-run average and 35 strikeouts.
        

Webster University 'GORLOKS'

Webster is currently ranked #15 in the latest national poll and is 10-3 this season, having won two straight. The Gorloks are averaging 5.2 runs per game and have a team E.R.A. of 1.80 this season. 

A.J. Smith is off to a fast start for the Gorloks, hitting .424 this season with 10 runs scored and 11 RBI. Nate Tholl and Ben Swords are tied for team lead with 15 hits while Aron Hopp has a team-high 9 stolen bases. The Gorloks pitching staff is once again controlling the games thanks to their depth. Sean Beaver holds a 0.70 earned-run average in three starts while Brendan May has a team-best 3 wins to go with his 1.47 E.R.A. Matt Mulhearn carries a 2.73 earned-run average into the week to go with his 25 strikeouts. Meanwhile, Adrian Santiago is a force out of the bullpen with 3 saves and 14 strikeouts.
 

Last Series
 Webster took all three meetings last year against Spalding, taking both games of the regular season doubleheader and adding a win in the SLIAC Tournament. The Gorloks limited the Golden Eagles to seven runs (winning 6-2 and 7-5) in the regular season doubleheader and then outslugged the dangerous Spalding offense 16-10 in the tournament game.

Game Notes

  • Webster leads the all-time series against Spalding 21-8 and has won four straight in the series.
  • Both teams have already registered wins over ranked teams with Spalding knocking off #2 Wisconsin-Whitewater and #8 Concordia-Chicago while Webster has a win over #9 UMass-Boston.
  • Spalding and Webster are two of just three teams to have already reached double-digit wins this season.
  • Garrett Wilson (Spalding) and A.J. Smith (Webster) are both in the top four of the conference in batting average.