Baseball: Mount Union (14-6 Overall, 1-3 OAC), Bluffton (11-11 Overall) at Ohio Northern (9-10 Overall, 1-3 OAC)
Saturday, April 6, 2019, 1 p.m. — Wander Field, Ada, Ohio
Sunday, April 7, 2019, 1 p.m. — Wander Field, Ada, Ohio
| Saturday's Gameday Program (.pdf) |
This Weekend's Preview: The Ohio Northern baseball program continues its 2019 home slate this weekend with an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader against Mount Union on Saturday and a single nonconference game against Bluffton on Sunday at Wander Field ... The Bluffton contest was originally scheduled on March 12, which was postponed due to rain ... The Polar Bears enter this weekend's contests owning a 9-10 overall record and a 1-3 record in the OAC ... They are coming off an 8-5 loss at Thomas More (Ky.) on Wednesday afternoon ... Senior Caleb Thomas led the offensive charge against the Saints, ending three-for-five with a team-high two RBI ... Meanwhile, senior Luke Klinehoffer and freshman Corey McMann each registered two hits on the day ... Through 19 games, sophomore infielder Michael Rocco leads the Polar Bears and the OAC with a .462 batting average ... In addition, he leads the team with six stolen bases, is second with 15 runs scored, and sits fourth with 12 RBI ... Klinehoffer tops the team with 31 hits and 17 runs scored on a .383 batting average ... He ranks second in career doubles (42), eighth in base hits (165), and tied for ninth in batting average (.356) all-time at Ohio Northern ... Classmate Caleb Thomas leads ONU with two home runs and 16 RBI ... On the mound, Klinehoffer and junior right-handers Jack Schaller and Troy Wagner lead the team with two wins each ... Wagner currently ranks eighth among qualifying pitchers in the OAC with a 2.84 ERA ... Meanwhile, junior Nate Bye paces the team with 22 strikeouts in a team-high 23.0 innings ... The Purple Raiders enter Saturday's doubleheader sporting a 14-6 overall record and a similar 1-3 mark in conference play ... Mount Union is coming off a 10-9, nonconference victory over Pitt.-Greensburg Wednesday afternoon at home ... Senior Nick Satovich leads the team with 18 RBI and a .409 batting average, which ranks third in the OAC ... Classmate Billy Goodall sits second on the team with 15 RBI and leads the team with 16 stolen bases, which sits second in the league ... On the mound, senior Phil Mary and sophomore Carson Davis lead the team with three wins each ... Bluffton is currently 11-11 with a doubleheader scheduled Saturday at Franklin (Ind.) ... Sophomore Jaxon Rogan and senior Colin Gregory sit 1-2 in batting average with .327 and .325 marks, respectively ... Gregory also leads the team with nine home runs this season ... Junior Parker Reynolds tops the Beavers with 17 RBI ... On the mound, senior Dante D'Andrea owns a team-best 4-3 overall record and has two saves in 24.2 innings.
Ohio Northern Batting Leaders:
| Batting Ave. | Hits | Runs | RBIs | |||||||||||
| 1. | Rocco | .462 | 1. | Klinehoffer | 31 | 1. | Klinehoffer | 17 | 1. | Thomas | 16 | |||
| 2. | Klinehoffer | .383 | 2. | Rocco | 30 | 2. | Rocco | 15 | 2. | Klinehoffer | 15 | |||
| 3. | Randick | .340 | 3. | P. Buckingham | 23 | 3. | P. Buckingham | 13 | 3. | Davis | 13 | |||
| Thwaits | 13 |
Ohio Northern Pitching Leaders:
| Wins | ERA (Min. 8 Inn.) | Strikeouts | Saves | |||||||||||
| 1. | Schaller | 2 | 1. | Schaller | 1.93 | 1. | Bye | 22 | 1. | Wagner | 1 | |||
| Wagner | 2 | 2. | Buda | 2.16 | 2. | Mohr | 15 | Johnson | 1 | |||||
| Klinehoffer | 2 | 3. | Wagner | 2.84 | 3. | 3 Tied W/ | 10 |
All-Time Series Notes: The Polar Bears lead the all-time series 61-39 over the Purple Raiders ... Last season, ONU swept Mount Union 15-4 and 9-4 on the road.
ONU Head Coach Gene Stechschulte: Stechschulte is in his eighth season leading the Ohio Northern baseball program with a 168-125 record, a .573 win percentage.
