Dallas Baptist University Athletics

THE RUNDOWN
DBU commenced the 2023 campaign with a convincing 8-0 win over the Fordham Rams at Horner Ballpark. With the win, DBU has won five of its last six season openers.
 
Nebraska transfer Braxton Bragg made his DBU (1-0) debut, getting the ball from Head Coach Dan Heefner for the season's first pitch. Bragg was electric for the Patriots, punching out four straight batters on two occasions. The righty held the Rams (0-1) to only 1 hit in 5.0 innings of work with 12 strikeouts and 0 walks, which doubled his previous career-high of six.
 
After 5.0 innings of one-run baseball, the floodgates opened for the Patriots. Luke Heefner led off the 6th by taking a pitch on the elbow from the hand of Trey Maeker. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases and set the stage for newcomer Kodie Kolden, who drove in 2 runs on a single. Jaxon Holder followed with a double to score Nathan Humphreys, and Tom Poole and Ethan Mann used a fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly respectively for the last 2 tallies of a 6-run inning.
 
The trio of Brady Rose, Reece Beuter, and Peyton Smith kept the scoreboard spotless for the Patriot defense. The bullpen combined for 6 strikeouts and only 1 walk in 4.0 innings of relief to seal the win for DBU on opening day.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Friday's win was the first time the Patriots shutout their opponent on Opening Day since 2019.
- Kodie Kolden went 4-for-4 with a run and 3 RBI in his first game in a DBU uniform.
- The Patriots scored eight runs without the aid of a home run.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
18 - The Patriots' 18 strikeouts was one shy from tying the program record for strikeouts in a game set on Opening Day last year verus Southeast Missouri and also against Oklahoma State on April 24, 2018.
4 - DBU scored on four consecutive plate appearances in the sixth inning.
.600 - The bottom 3rd of the lineup (Nathan Humphreys, Kodie Kolden, and Jaxon Holder) collectively hit 6-for-10 for a .600 batting average.
  
BRAXTON BRAGG ON HIS APPROACH TO THE GAME
"My mindset going into tonight was [to] trust my defense behind me. It's pretty much what we try [to] do…trust everyone around [us]. Knowing that, it was easier just to let [Fordham] try and beat us.…The biggest thing going into tonight was just playing for audience of One and just playing for one another...that's the biggest thing that we try to emphasize here."
 
UP NEXT
The season-opening series continues on Saturday with first pitch schedule for 2:00 pm.