THE RUNDOWN
No. 14 DBU (42-13, 25-5) took both games of a modified doubleheader versues WKU (31-24, 16-14) on Saturday to conclude the 2023 regular season with a series win over the Hilltoppers. Before the game, four Patriot seniors (Zach Heaton, Kodie Kolden, Kyle Rich, and George Specht) were honored as part of the Senior Day festivities.
 
The Patriots were the first to light up the scoreboard on Saturday. Jace Grady started the day with a leadoff single, advanced to second on a groundout, and crossed the plate on a Nathan Humphreys single to become the game's first run. Later in the inning, Humphreys scored on a wild pitch, and Miguel Santos scored Ethan Mann on a single to complete a three-run first inning.
 
DBU put up another multi-run frame in the third. Facing the Hilltoppers' second pitcher of the game, Dalton Mesaris, Grant Jay walked with one out and touched every bag thanks to back-to-back singles by Santos and Tom Poole. Up, 4-0, George Specht added another tally with a sacrifice fly to drive in Santos. The Patriots then took advantage of two WKU errors to allow Poole to score and set up Grady for an RBI single and a 7-0 DBU lead.
 
Zach Heaton worked four scoreless innings and struck out five Hilltoppers before Brady Rose relieved him in the fifth. Rose surrendered an inherited runner but prohibited any other WKU runners from coming home in his three innings of work, giving up only one hit without walking a batter.
 
The Hilltopper reliever trio of Beau Coffman, Cole Heath, and CJ Weins kept the Patriot offense at bay, but Bryson Hammer and Kyle Amendt held down the fort for DBU, sealing a 7-1 victory to close the regular season.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The Patriots won every Conference USA series in their inaugural season as a member of the league.
- Jace Grady (3-4, one run, one RBI, one walk) and Miguel Santos (2-4, one run, one RBI) both had multi-hit games.
- DBU pitching recorded at least 10 strikeouts in all three games of the series against WKU.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
33 - With 10 strikeouts on Saturday, Patriot pitchers fanned double-digit batters in 33 of 55 games in the regular season.
42 - DBU's 42 wins set the program Division I record for wins in the regular season.
115 - Jace Grady's steal of second base in the bottom of the third broke the 2004 squad's record for stolen bases in a season (113). The Patriots have now swiped 115 bags on the year. 
 
DAN HEEFNER ON THE UPCOMING POSTSEASON
"Very proud about how [the players] went about their business all through the conference season. I think [they were] very consistent—a testament to the work they put in, the way they showed up every day…. The consistency is a result of being great teammates and really liking each other.
 
I think we're in a good position right now. [The] postseason is what we all love and why we work so hard. I think we're in a position now where we get to go enjoy that. A big thing we talk about [as a program] is… Colossians 3:23, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord," and if you do that every single day, [when] you get to the postseason you don't have to change anything. I think that's a pretty freeing feeling for guys."
 
UP NEXT
DBU heads to Reckling Park on the campus of Rice University for the Conference USA Baseball Championship. The top-seeded Patriots' first game is scheduled for 4:00 pm against Rice.
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