No. 22 Baseball Set to Play Pioneers in Three-Game SAC Series

OKLAHOMA CITY – The No. 22 MACU baseball team will be readying a return to Sooner Athletic Conference play this weekend as the current top two teams in the league standings will go head-to-head as the Evangels host Wayland Baptist for a three-game series at the MACU Baseball Field. The Evangels will open the slate with a twin bill slated for 1 p.m. on Friday before closing out the series with a noon contest on Saturday.

SEASON REPORT

Record: 21-8 (10-2 SAC)
Last Game: Won vs. No. 19 Oklahoma Wesleyan – 10-1 (5 Inn) – Mar. 27, 2024 – MACU Baseball Field
Top Players:
- Noel McGarry-Doyle – JR – OF
  - .462 BA (42-91), 7 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 45 RBI, 33 R, 18 BB, 5 HBP, 6 SB, .560 OB%, .868 SLG%
- Kyle Williams – JR – 1B/OF
  - .454 BA (44-97), 14 2B, 6 HR, 39 RBI, 23 R, 16 BB, 5 SB, .522 OB%, .784 SLG%
- D'Andre Gaines – SO – OF
  - .402 BA (39-97), 10 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 42 R, 14 BB, 2 HBP, 8 SB, .487 OB%, .691 SLG%
Top Pitchers:
- Isaac Baez – SR – RHP
  - 7-1 W-L, 2.72 ERA, 8 APP, 8 GS, 43.0 IP, 34 H, 13 R, 13 ER, 11 BB, 55 SO, .207 OBA
- Zane Robeaux – SR – RHP
  - 4-0 W-L, 2.63 ERA, 8 APP, 2 GS, 27.1 IP, 23 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 4 BB, 26 SO, .228 OBA
- Carlos Escobosa – JR – RHP
  - 3-1 W-L, 2.57 ERA, 7 APP, 4 GS, 21.0 IP, 15 H, 9 R, 6 ER, 14 BB, 30 SO, .190 OBA
Team Notes:
- Mid-America Christian improved to 5-2 against teams ranked in the latest NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll as the Evangels battered No. 19 Oklahoma Wesleyan 10-1 in a rain-shortened five-inning contest at the MACU Baseball Field on Wednesday.
- In that win over the Eagles, the Evangels once again got huge production from its middle of the order in Noel McGarry-Doyle and Kyle Williams. The tandem finished the contest hitting 3-for-4 with two homers, seven RBIs and four runs while McGarry-Doyle mashed a grand slam in the second inning.
- Making a second-straight midweek start, junior pitcher Breyllin Suriel tossed another gem, allowing just one earned run on six hits with no walks and seven strikeouts in a complete five-inning outing.
- The Evangels have only continued to rise up the NAIA ranks statistically as the Evangels are now ninth in the NAIA in team ERA (3.95) and sixth in WHIP (1.30) when it comes to pitching while hitting for the 13^th-best batting average (.342), 19^th in on-base percentage (.438) and 14^th in slugging percentage (.568).

SCOUTING REPORT
Wayland Baptist (Texas)

Record: 17-14 (7-2 SAC)
Last Game: Lost at No. 19 (NCAA D-II) Angelo State – 14-2 – Mar. 26, 2024 – San Angelo, Texas
Series vs MACU (2008-): WBU leads 36-13
Last Game vs MACU: WBU won 11-2 – May 5, 2023 – Chickasha, Okla. (SAC Tournament)
Series Streak: WBU won 3
Players to Watch:
- Arcadio Frausto – SO – 1B
  - .372 BA (32-86), 6 2B, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 22 R, 14 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SB, .465 OB%, .651 SLG%
- Samuel Fabian – JR – OF
  - .317 BA (26-82), 5 2B, 10 HR, 27 RBI, 28 R, 12 BB, 10 HBP, 16 SB, .444 OB%, .744 SLG%
- Felix Polanco – JR – UTL
  - .313 BA (31-99), 7 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 24 R, 5 BB, 6 HBP, 8 SB, .372 OB%, .586 SLG%
Pitchers to Watch:
- Nathan Baca – JR – RHP
  - 2-0 W-L, 1.27 ERA, 7 APP, 2 GS, 1 SV, 28.1 IP, 14 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 14 BB, 22 SO, .146 OBA
- Juan Gil-Franco – JR – RHP
  - 1-1 W-L, 4.50 ERA, 5 APP, 5 GS, 1 CG, 28.0 IP, 29 H, 17 R, 14 ER, 9 BB, 29 SO, .279 OBA
- Tyson Potts – SO – RHP
  - 3-3 W-L, 5.12 ERA, 8 APP, 8 GS, 38.2 IP, 43 H, 28 R, 22 ER, 18 BB, 44 SO, .276 OBA
Team Notes:
- After dropping a 14-10 series-opener to Southwestern Assemblies of God last week, Wayland Baptist bounced back with a pair of 7-1, 5-2 victories to win its third-straight SAC series to start off the season. The Pioneers did face the No. 19 team in NCAA Division II in Angelo State on Tuesday, falling by a score of 14-2.
- WBU enters the series against MACU hitting in the middle of the pack of the SAC, slashing for the fifth-best batting average (.299) with the fourth-best on-base percentage (.413) and slugging percentage (.523). The Pioneers also rank sixth in the league in team ERA (6.10) with the sixth-best WHIP (1.71).
- The Pioneers hitting efforts have been relatively balanced with sophomore first baseman Arcadio Frausto being the most consistent of WBU's every day players, slashing a .372 average to go with 23 RBIs and 22 runs. Junior outfielder Samuel Fabian provides the biggest power bat in the Pioneers' lineup with five doubles and 10 homers for 27 RBIs and 28 runs while Felix Polanco also adds a lot of pop with seven doubles and six homers for 26 RBIs and 24 runs.
- The WBU rotation has primarily contested of sophomore righty Tyson Potts and sophomore lefty Branin Seibert as Potts enters with a 3-3 record and a 5.12 ERA while Seibert owns a 5-2 record on a 5.82 ERA. Junior righty Juan Gil-Franco as also been very effective in his five starts, tallying a 4.50 ERA with a 1-1 record.
- Mid-America Christian will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak to the Pioneers. WBU took two out of three games in the series at Wayland last season before falling to the Pioneers 11-2 in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament at Bill Smith Ballpark in Chickasha on May 5.