ELLENSBURG, Wash.— After back-to-back weeks at home in Ellensburg, Wash., Central Washington baseball is headed to Western Oregon for their first four-game Great Northwest Athletic Conference series with the Wolves this season.
The Wildcats and Wolves will play doubleheaders on Friday, Mar. 11
th, and Saturday, Mar. 12
th, both starting at 12:00 p.m. PST.
"Another tough GNAC opponent," Central Washington Head Coach
Desi Storey said. "It's another opportunity to compete, we just have to play consistently all series."
Central Washington (7-12 Overall, 1-3 GNAC) swept Western Oregon (9-7, 3-1 GNAC) 7-6 and 9-2 in a non-conference doubleheader just two weeks ago.
CONFERENCE LEADING WOLVES
Western Oregon currently sits atop the GNAC standings with Northwest Nazarene. While both programs boast a 3-1 conference record, the Wolves have the edge with a .563 overall win percentage this season.
The Wolves are riding high at home fresh off of a 3-1 series win in their conference-opener against Montana State Billings, and a lone win against George Fox. Western Oregon took games one through three against MSUB by way of 10-2, 8-1, and 2-1, but dropped the final game 7-2. In the non-conference midweek matchup, the Wolves defeated George Fox 8-5.
The WOU pitching staff leads the conference with a 3.95 earned run average as a unit. Arturo Alvarez (2-0) leads the staff as a whole in innings pitched with 20. Alvarez has allowed 16 hits and just 5 earned runs across his four starts this season. In his last start against MSUB, Alvarez held the Yellowjackets to only four hits and two earned runs on 6.2 innings of work.
At the plate the Wolves own a .231 batting average as a team, led by Jacob Maiben (.327). Maiben, J. has 17 total hits including one double, one triple, and five runs batted in.
LAST OUTING FOR CENTRAL
The Wildcats dropped their conference-opening four-game series to Northwest Nazarene 3-1 last weekend. Central took the opening game on day one 14-9 but could not keep pace dropping games two through four 6-5, 13-10, and 11-4.
As a whole Central owns the most productive offense in the GNAC leading in team batting average (.290), hits (189), on-base percentage (.378), runs scored (122), and a close second in slugging percentage (.436).
Adam Fahsel (.392) and
Austin Ohland (.352) own the two highest batting averages in the conference. Fahsel leads the GNAC in hits (31), runs scored (22), and on-base percentage (.467). Ohland, the reigning GNAC Player of the Week, leads the conference in doubles (14) and sits tied for second alongside teammate
Austin Hauck for home runs (4).
Jake Bradley (0-1) is likely to be Central's game one starter. The right hander owns an 8.72 earned run average and leads the Wildcats pitching staff with 15 strikeouts.
Ryan Arredondo (2-1) has been the Wildcats go-to on day two. The Freshman owns a 6.14 earned run average while holding opponents to just a .323 average at the plate.
