DALLAS BAPTIST @ BRADLEY UNIVERSITY  
March 28-30 | Peoria, Illinois | Dozer Park
 
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
Road Audio: Patriot Broadcasting Network
Facebook: DBU Athletics
 
SERIES INFORMATION
Dates: March 28-30, 2014
Time: 6 PM (Fri.), 2 PM (Sat.), 1 PM (Sun.)
Stadium: Dozer Park (7,500)
Broadcast: Patriot Broadcasting Network
Talent: Reagan Ratcliff, Brendan Smith, and Nate Frieling
 
PROBABLE STARTERS
 
Friday, March 28
DBU – RHP Paul Voelker (3-2, 3.35 ERA, 37.2 IP, 14 BB, 41 K)
vs.
Bradley – LHP David Koll (2-2, 3.64 ERA, 29.2 IP, 12 BB, 29 K)
 
Saturday, March 29
DBU – RHP Cy Sneed (3-1, 2.27 ERA, 39.2 IP, 13 BB, 32 K)
vs.
Bradley – RHP Stephen Toma (1-1, 6.29 ERA, 24.1 IP, 8 BB, 18 K)
 
Sunday, March 30
DBU – RHP Cory Taylor (2-0, 2.60 ERA, 34.2 IP, 14 BB, 41 K)  
vs.
Bradley – LHP Cameron Roegner (4-0, 0.90 ERA, 20 IP, 3 BB, 17 K)
 
FIRST PITCH – The Dallas Baptist Baseball Team opens Missouri Valley Conference play for the first time in program history this weekend, March 28-30, at Bradley University. First Pitch is slated for Friday at 6 PM, Saturday at 2 PM, and Sunday at 1 PM.
 
The Patriots (17-7) dropped last weekends' series to non-conference foe, Utah Valley University, its first series loss occurring at home. However, DBU has won two in a row, including its most recent outing at Stephen F. Austin on Tuesday.
 
Seven of the next eight contests for the Patriots are away from Horner Ballpark, where they are 6-4 on the season.  DBU claimed its lone sweep away from the friendly confines in its last three-game set on the road over Missouri Valley Conference opponent, Missouri State. All three games counted as non-conference affairs for the Patriots.  DBU and Missouri State will meet again May 2-4 in a three-game conference series.
 
LAST TIME OUT – Exploding for a season-high, 20 runs, and 16 hits, the offense for the Patriots carried the visitors to a 20-10 final on Tuesday evening at SFA.  DBU opened with a three-spot in the top of the first, thanks to some thump in the middle of the order. Freshman, David Martinelli, smashed a two-run homer, his third on the campaign.  The native of Waxahachie, Texas, would go on to rack up a season-high 5 RBI on the night.
 
Two batters later, sophomore, Daniel Salters, would drive in the next run for DBU, tallying a double to drive in Austin Listi.
 
Things unraveled in the home half of the frame, as the Lumberjacks responded with six runs of their own. Patriot starter, Cody Beam, would walk three batters prior to being lifted for sophomore, Philip Orr.
 
Seven pitchers total would toe the rubber on the evening for DBU, with sophomore, Joseph Shaw, bridging the way with a team-high, three innings thrown.
 
Trailing 6-4 in the early going, DBU would knot the game in the fifth inning and recapture the lead an inning later. A four-run seventh extended the edge to 12-7, but an eight-run eruption in the top of the eighth sealed the victory for the Patriots.
 
A quartet of DBU hitters notched three-hit performances including: junior, Drew Turbin, Martinelli, Listi, and Salters.
 
Junior, Nash Knight, tallied three RBI, while another four Patriots knocked in a pair apiece including: Mike Wesolowski, Turbin, Listi, and Salters.
 
HEATING UP AT THE PLATE – Wesolowski remains the top batter on the squad, carrying a .315 batting average, 25 runs scored, along with 28 hits for a team-best in each. The first baseman combined for three hits this past weekend, including a multi-hit display in Sunday's triumph. On Tuesday, he walloped his second long ball of the year and scored four times in the high-run output.  
 
Martinelli has smacked a base hit in eight of the past 10 games. In his last four contests, the rookie has combined for six hits, crossed the plate six times, driven in eight, and pounded two homers.  
 
The outfielder's efforts have helped compile a .311 batting average for second on the team, and landed him third in the batting order the first time on Tuesday. Martinelli continues scorching the ball, hitting .351 in the previous ten affairs.
 
Salters, is second on the squad with 24 runs scored, combining for five in the past three games. The catcher produced a three-for-five showing at the dish, while recording a pair of runs scored and RBI's in the victory. Salter's average is up to .261 with his latest multi-hit efforts two of the last three affairs.
 
Drew Turbin has earned a start in three of the club's last four games. The infielder nabbed season-highs in hitting (three), runs scored (four), and RBI (two) against SFA. He's totaled six starts overall, and has gotten five hits in his last 14 at bats.
 
Listi leads the club with five long balls on the season. He also managed a three-for-five night at the plate for the Patriots, posting two RBI, and scoring three times for the second time this year.
 
ON THE BUMP – Through 221.2 innings, DBU hurlers have allowed 96 runs, 71 earned, to compile a 2.88 ERA for third in the MVC. In addition, the Patriots lead the league with 225 punch outs.
 
On Friday, looking for a bounce back performance will be junior, Paul Voelker. The righty is tied for first on the staff with 41 strikeouts, but allowed a season-high, six runs in a 10-5 setback last weekend with Utah Valley State. Prior to that outing, Voelker led the club with a 2.23 ERA and tied as the team leader with three wins.
 
Boasting the lowest starters' earned run average now is junior, Cy Sneed. The Twin Falls, Idaho, native owns a 2.27 clip after seven innings of one-run ball last Saturday's outing verus Utah Valley. He also scattered just five hits and fanned five in a no decision.
 
The right-hander has gone at least six innings in five of six appearances this year, and at least seven total in the past trio of affairs. Sneed also leads the staff with 39.2 innings on the mound this year.
 
Sophomore, Cory Taylor, is perhaps the hottest hurler in the pitching corps for the Patriots right now.  The Owasso, Oklahoma, product lowered his ERA to 2.60 and is tied for the team-lead with 41 strikeouts.  Taylor currentyl ranks No. 21 in the nation in strikeouts per nine inings (10.64).
 
In his most recent pair of weekend outings, Taylor has gone seven innings in each and blown hitters away with double-digit strikeouts in each appearance. Altogether he's sat down 21 guys via strikeout.
 
SCOUTING THE BRAVES – Bradley (15-5, 1-2 MVC) has won two-straight, including the finale of the conference opening series last weekend at Illinois State. The Bear's suffered setbacks in the first two by finals, 13-1, and 7-6, respectively. A 3-1 triumph in Saturday's matinee last weekend avoided the sweep.
 
Bradley took care of a 7-0 decision over non-conference opponent, University of Iowa, on Wednesday. Despite the final score, BU led only by a narrow 1-0 margin after seven frames. A six-run eighth put the game out of reach, as the Braves went on to complete the shutout.
 
Spencer Gas led the team with three of the team's eight hits on the night. Also notching a multi-hit affair was Chris Godinez with two. A trio of hitters drove in a pair of RBI's a piece with Max Murphy, Isaac Smith, and Godinez all accomplishing the feat.
 
The club is hitting .301 altogether, led by Smith, who is third in the nation with a .474 batting average. Also right at the .400 mark is Tyler Leffler, who is also tied for a team-high in doubles with eight and is second with a pair of long balls. Murphy is the home run leader with four total and carries a .329 average. Rounding out the group of hitters with above a .300 average is Greg Partyka, swinging the bat at a .318 clip.
 
For the first time this year, the Patriots will face two left-handed starters in a series. Sunday's series finale pits Bradley's, Cameron Roegner, who is tied for the club-lead with wins and boasts the best ERA at 0.90, against DBU's Cory Taylor. Both pitchers have allowed only a run or less in their past two starts.  
 
SERIES HISTORY – The Patriots lead the all-time series 2-1 against Bradley, having met only once for a three-game set in 2012. DBU traveled to Peoria, Illinois and opened with a nail-biting, 5-4 victory. BU claimed the second game, 12-7, and the Patriots nabbed the rubber game, 16-7, which also closed out the regular campaign prior to DBU participating in the NCAA Division I Regional.
 
One player did see time that weekend on the current roster, Sneed. This Saturday's starter did get the nod in the club's lone setback after surrendering seven runs in 5.1 innings. He gave up seven hits while walking two and striking out five.
 
UP NEXT – Following the trio of conference affairs, Dallas Baptist is back at Horner Ballpark on April 1 versus Texas Southern University for a 6:30 first pitch. After that, DBU travels to face Illinois State University April 4-6 in consecutive MVC three-game slates.