OKLAHOMA CITY – Coming off its winningest season since joining the NAIA in 2008, the Mid-America Christian baseball team will be looking to build upon successful 2020 campaign when it opens the season with a four-game series in Dallas, Texas this weekend.
The Evangels will start things off on Friday when they face Central Baptist (Ark.) at Dallas Christian for a noon first pitch. MACU will then follow it up with a 2:30 p.m. matchup with the host Crusaders. MACU will then take on the Mustangs once again at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6 before closing out the weekend against Dallas Christian at 2:30 p.m.
Despite the 2020 campaign being cut short amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Mid-America Christian put together its first winning season since 2007 when it went 24-20 as the Evangels wrapped up the year with a 21-10 overall record.
The Evangels will be looking to replicate the success it had last February, when it completed its winningest month in the NAIA era by going 13-7 over the 28-day stretch. MACU was also off to a strong start in March, opening the month with a 7-2 record before the season was abruptly halted on Mar. 13, 2020.
Since its inaugural year in the NAIA, MACU pieced together its all-around best team. The program scored an NAIA era record 7.4 runs per game while the pitching staff allowed a record low 3.53 ERA. The Evangels also had their best season defensively, turning in a program-best .960 team fielding percentage while turning 24 double plays in just 31 games.
Mid-America Christian returns some of its top bats from last year's roster, headlined by All-Sooner Athletic Conference catcher Yan Ely Adames. Last season, the Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic product swatted a team-high .372 batting average and placed second on the squad with a .566 slugging percentage when he ripped 10 doubles and four home runs for the season. Adames also ended up finishing second on the team in both runs-batted-in (29) and runs scored (26).
The Evangels will also be looking to get veteran leadership from shortstop Edgar Martinez. Also batting .372 a season ago, Martinez was the team leader in hits (42), runs (30) and doubles (11) while also stealing the second-most bases on the team with eight. Martinez was a powerful bat in the lineup, ripping three homers to help post the squad's third-highest slugging percentage (.549) as well as on-base percentage (.439).
MACU should also get some strong returning veteran leadership from Grant Roberts and Andres Gonzalez. Last year, Roberts turned in a .338 batting average while slapping eight doubles and two home runs with 16 RBIs and 14 runs scored. Despite missing a portion of the season due to a broken hand, Gonzalez batted a very productive .351 with five doubles and a triple to go with 18 runs and 10 RBIs in just 18 games of action.
The Evangels added some talented bats to the lineup, which include Lewis & Clark State transfer Blake Diggle, who put up major power numbers at Mission College prior to joining the Warriors. MACU also expects some big contributions from Southeastern (Fla.) transfer Francisco Soriano, John Wood Community College transfer catcher Raymond Palmero and Rose State College transfer infielder Joe Balak this season.
Mid-America Christian also brings back a large portion of its pitching staff, headlined by a 6-5 junior in Jaily Paredes. During the 2020 season, the Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native turned in only the program's second sub-one earned run average with a 0.99, the second-lowest to only All-SAC Second Team honoree Wyatt Glasgow in 2015. Paredes went 2-1 with two saves over 27.1 innings of work, tallying 32 strikeouts to go with just one 10 walks. Paredes earned NCCAA Pitcher of the Week honors after he gave up only one hit and two walks while striking out a career-best 10 batters in six innings of work during an 11-0 victory over Bacone on Mar. 7.
Frensly Leito will also look to return to 2020 form after he closed out the year with a 2.00 ERA over 18 innings in six appearances and three starts. The Curacao product was especially electric in his Evangels debut as he garnered NCCAA Pitcher of the Week honors after throwing seven no-hit innings, allowing just two walks and striking out a career-high 12 batters in the season-opener against Bethany on Jan. 31, 2020.
The Evangels will also look to get similar production from senior pitcher David Lechuga. A stalwart out of the MACU pen, the long reliever saw action in nine games and made two starts, throwing 22.1 innings in those appearances. The Altus, Oklahoma product finished tied for the team-lead in wins after going 4-1 and recorded 22 strikeouts to only seven walks.
Mid-America Christian will be looking to bolster its rotation with some big additions, headlined by junior Brayan Garcia. A 6-4 starting pitcher transfer from NAIA powerhouse Southeastern (Fla.), Garcia was the No. 1 rated prospect according to NAIA Ball ahead of the 2020 season. Garcia will be looking to bounce back from a tough shortened 2020 campaign where he went 2-0 with a 6.57 ERA, seeing action in seven games and making four starts with the Fire.
A junior transfer from Texas College, Brad White will be looking to add strength to the MACU rotation after a stellar season with the Mavericks. The Houston product went 1-1 with a 2.59 ERA, as he struck out 31 and walked only 17 in 31.1 innings of work during the COVID-19 shortened season.
The Evangels will be challenging themselves with a very tough non-conference schedule to prepare for SAC competition, competing in four-game series against Bethany (Kan.), Evangel (Mo.) and Our Lady of the Lake (Texas), as well as some traditional matchups against baseball powers in Central Baptist (Ark.), University of the Southwest (N.M.), Southern Nazarene (Okla.) and Friends (Kan.).
Mid-America Christian will official host its home opener on Tuesday, Feb. 9 against Friends. Opening pitch is slated for 1 p.m. at James Curtis Field.
