Listen HereBy: Dylan DeWitt
Email: Dewittd@findlay.edu
Twitter: @dd_witt
As the spring rolls into full swing so are the baseball and softball teams of the University of Findlay.
As the projected No. 7 team in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, the baseball squad will look to make some noise in the spring. Coming off a 23-17 season in 2018, the Oilers prepare for the challenges ahead. The team returns with many notable contributors from last year`s conference tournament qualifiers along with adding some valuable new additions.
Returning for the Oilers to name a few from last season are Casey Gould, Derrick Herd, Ethan St. Clair, Tyler Burley, Ryan O` Malley, and Nic Varda. These were some of the few players that were big contributors at the plate last season. Alex Harter, Tyler Rendlesham, and Tyler Kennedy are a few to names to watch for on the mound.
Burley and Gould have started off strong for the Oilers batting over .320 with over 35 plate appearances and 26 combined hits. The new pitchers on the team have begun to see action on the mound so far in the early stages of the season. Trey Bame and Ryan Mohr have made a combined six appearances with a 16 strikeout count as well. Bame currently holds the low ERA of the season at 1.13 after four appearances through the 5-4 start.
The team has begun there season a game over .500 after nine games after the spring break in Auburndale, Florida and Cary, NC. They are coming off an 18 inning win against Mansfield College. Their next contest will be against the defending conference tournament champions, Hillsdale Chargers, March 16 and 17 beginning at 1:00 p.m.
For the softball team, the projected No. 2 team in the conference will begin their season of making a run at a conference championship. The team is coming off a 29-22 season where they were 17-5 in the conference in 2018. Like the baseball team, the softball team will continue to rely on some notable contributors from last season to take the next step towards a successful 2019 campaign.
At the plate, Rebecca Harvey, Salwa Al-Hajabed, and Devyn Zuro will return from last season. All three have come out of the gates with a great start to the year. Harvey currently holds a team high batting average on 45 at bats with 18 hits and a homerun. Through the first 18 games, the team holds a .247 batting average.
On the mound, sophomore Megan Fisher, and G-MAC Pitcher of the Week honoree has a team best ERA at 1.56 on 5 appearances and a 2-1 record. Hailey Bryan leads the team in innings pitched with 53.1 and holds a 3.54 ERA.
The softball team holds an 8-10 record as they prepare for the home opener against Saginaw Valley before conference play begins this weekend. Their game against Saginaw Valley is set for a double header with the first game beginning at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, March 14.
