OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian baseball team will look to turn some heads entering the 2020 season, as the Evangels were tabbed sixth in the Sooner Athletic Conference Preseason Baseball Poll.
MACU was picked to finish ahead of Southwestern Assemblies of God, Oklahoma Panhandle State and Central Christian and just behind Wayland Baptist in the poll. Science & Arts was selected as the preseason favorite, followed in the poll by Oklahoma City and Texas Wesleyan in second and third, respectively.
The Evangels are coming off a 19-26 season and went 12-14 in SAC play, but MACU will look to surpass last year's mark with the return of some key players from injury.
While the squad replaces most of its pitching rotation from last season, redshirt senior Keisy Portorreal will look to bolster the lineup after missing nearly the entire 2019 season. The righty from the Dominican Republic will look to return to 2018 form after garnering NCCAA All-American Second Team and NAIA All-American Honorable Mention accolades. Portorreal finished the 2018 campaign with a 9-3 record on a 2.82 ERA, striking out 131 batters and walking just 26 in 95.2 innings of work.
Senior righty Arcangel Soto is the top returning starter from last year's rotation after going 4-5 with a 5.81 ERA while registering a team-leading 92 strikeouts with only 34 walks after seeing 66.2 innings of action in 2019.
After spending most of his freshman season in the pen last year, sophomore right-hander Pedro Reyes makes his return after appearing in season-high 16 games and striking out 34 batters while posting a 5.58 ERA.
MACU Head Coach Adrian Savedra has added to the rotation with a pair of community college standouts in Frenseley Leito and Ryan Wimbush. Leito appeared in 21 games last season for Western Oklahoma State Junior College, notching a 4.94 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 27.1 innings. Wimbush ended his 2019 campaign with a 5.40 ERA in three appearances for the Palm Beach State College Panthers.
The batting lineup will be headlined by sophomore infielder Edgar Martinez. In his first season with the Evangels a year ago, the Sosua, Dominican Republic product recorded a team-leading 43 hits and stole a squad-leading 18 bases, finishing the season with a .285 batting average with 29 runs and 18 RBIs.
Senior infielder Felix Martinez will also look to get back to 2018 form. Last season, Martinez slashed .256 from the plate with six homers, 23 RBIs and 25 runs scored, but the 2018 NCCAA Second Team All-American put together one of the best seasons in program history the year prior, going .402 with 11 home runs, 53 RBIs, 47 runs and eight stolen bases.
Sophomore infielder and designated hitter Colin Minor played a major impact after seeing his first action of the 2019 season on Mar. 1, ending the campaign as the team's most prolific hitter with a .315 batting average while driving in 10 and scoring 10 runs in just 24 games.
Mid-America Christian will officially open the season at home on Friday, Jan. 31 as the Evangels host Bethany (Kan.) for a four-game series at Jack Allen Field. The first games of the Friday and Saturday doubleheaders are each slated for a noon first pitch.
