ADA – The East Central University baseball team will be fighting for one of the three spots remaining in the 2016 Great American Conference Championship this weekend when they travel to face arch rival Southeastern Oklahoma State, April 30-1 in Durant, Okla.
Saturday, April 30 will be a single nine-inning game starting at 3 p.m., while Sunday will feature a double-header set to begin at 1 p.m.
The Tigers are currently 15-26, 14-16 GAC and in sixth place in the league standings, where eight teams will advance to the first round of the playoffs, May 6-9 at campus sites. Five of the six teams not already in the tournament are fighting for the final three positions and several could end up tied depending on the outcomes of games across the league.
ECU went 1-2 last weekend against Southern Arkansas, with junior
Kaleb Matthews leading the team with a .455 average, five hits, two home runs and five RBIs.
Sophomore
Kyle Britt picked up the win on the mound, with 7.1 innings of action, eight hits and three runs allowed and nine strikeouts. Junior
Dylan Sanchez finished the game and earned the save, with two hits and one run allowed.
The Savage Storm come into the series with a 25-21 record, a 19-11 mark in the GAC and a spot in the tournament, despite being swept in the last series by Arkansas-Monticello and defeating Cameron midweek.
Kaleb Thomas leads the Savage Storm at the plate with a .331 average, 33 runs, 58 hits and 22 RBIs, while Logan Terwilliger adds a .327 averages, 32 runs, 49 hits and 37 RBIs.
SE has four main pitchers with over 50 innings of work. Matt Benedict has a 2.68 ERA and 5-2 record in five complete games. He has allowed 59 hits and 18 runs, while striking out 35. Dylan Luke leads the team with a 7-3 record, allowed 95 hits and 56 runs and striking out 57. Mike Wade has thrown 10 complete games, with 45 hits and 30 runs allowed, 54 Ks and a 5-4 record.
The teams have meet on 67 since 1999, all as league opponents. SE holds an 18-49 lead in the series, including a 6-19 mark when playing in Durant, Okla.
