OKLAHOMA CITY. – No. 13 MACU Baseball team returns home to the MACU Baseball Field for another SAC matchup against the visiting Central Christian Tigers with a first pitch slated for 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Friday and 12:00 p.m. Saturday.
 
MACU SEASON REPORT

• Record: 13-5
• Last Game: Won vs. College of the Ozarks – 12-1 – Feb. 24, 2025 – Oklahoma City
• Stat Leaders (Hitting):
  • Carlos Medina – SR – SS
    • .423 BA (22-52), 4 2B, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 12 R, 7 BB, .508 OB%, .731 SLG%, 1.239 OPS%
  • Brett Justice – JR – 1B
    • .367 BA (22-60), 8 2B, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 13 R, 6 BB, .424 OB%, .783 SLG% 1.207 OPS%
  • Payton Matthews – SR – OF
    • .306 BA (19-62), 3 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 29 RBI, 19 R, 5 BB, .384 OB%, .677 SLG% 1.061 OPS%, 12 SB
• Stat Leaders (Pitching):
  • Brock Cordes – SR – RHP
    • 2.25 ERA, 2-0 W-L, 5 APP, 3 GS, 20.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 9 BB, 26 SO, .118 OBA
  • Fabian Hernandez – JR – LHP
    • 4.13 ERA, 3-1 W-L, 5 APP, 4 GS, 24.0 IP, 23 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 5 BB, 27 SO, .247 OBA, 1 SV
  • Gabriel Dixon – SR – LHP
    • 4.38 ERA, 3-1 W-L, 5 APP, 5 GS, 24.2 IP, 35 H, 16 R, 12 ER, 8 BB, 24 SO
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian comes off a clean sweep over College of the Ozarks as the visiting team on the MACU Baseball Field. The Evangels executed on both sides of the ball, holding the Bobcats to just two runs while pounding out 35 of their own.
  • Corner outfielders Payton Matthews and Noel McGarry-Doyle crushed the ball all series, Matthews went 3-for-9 with a double and a homer, but all his hits were big ones, allowing him to drive in seven runs to boost his team leading 29. Matthews is tied with two others across all of the NAIA in RBIs. McGarry-Doyle finished 6-for-13 with two doubles, a homer, two stolen bases, five runs and five RBIs.  
  • Evangels pitching was phenomenal in all three games, all three starters in Brock Cordes, Gabriel Dixon and Fabian Hernandez received wins in their outings. The trio combined for 15 innings pitched, one run, eight hits, 19 strikeouts and just two walks. The group was headlined by Hernandez, he tossed six innings of shutout ball surrendering four hits while fanning 11 in the 12-1 victory for the sweep.
  • Carlos Medina and Taiga Sakuma both found success in the batters box, Medina had five hits in the series including a four-hit performance in game three. Sakuma returned to the lineup after missing time due to injury, he recorded a hit in all three games, slashing 4-for-9 with two doubles, a homer and seven runs batted in.
  • With the sweep the Evangels extended their win streak to eight games.

SCOUTING REPORT
Central Christian  

• Record: 10-9
• Last Game: Lost at Panhandle State – 17-12 – Feb. 23, 2025 – Goodwell, Ok.
• Series vs MACU (2004-): MACU leads 24-9
• Last Game vs MACU: MACU won 16-4 – Mar. 16, 2024 – Oklahoma City
• Players to Watch (Hitting):
  • Kurt Ippolito – FR – SS
    • .397 BA (25-63), 6 2B, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 23 R, 12 BB, .481 OB%, .778 SLG%, 1.259 OPS%, 11 SB
  • James Perales – JR – OF
    • .317 BA (20-63), 2 2B, 4 HR, 17 RBI, 11 R, 12 BB, .434 OBP%, .540 SLG% .974 OPS%
  • Braedon Ulrich – FR – 1B
    • .317 BA (19-60), 5 2B, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 12 BB, .440 OBP%, .600 SLG%, 1.040 OPS%,
• Players to Watch (Pitching):
  • Nick Julian – FR – P
    • 3.52 ERA, 3-1 W-L, 5 APP, 5 GS, 30.2 IP, 26 H, 16 R, 12 ER, 11 BB, 39 SO, .212 OBA
  • Nick Clayson – JR – P
    • 3.80 ERA, 3-0 W-L, 5 APP, 5 GS, 21.1 IP, 15 H, 11 R, 9 ER, 13 BB, 15 SO, .192 OBA
  • Matt Gorham – SO – P
    • 0.00 ERA, 0-0 W-L, 5 APP, 7.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO, .148
• Team Notes:
  • Central Christian enters this weekend coming off a 2-1 series win against Panhandle State. The Tigers pushed across 35 runs in the series while allowing 27 to the Aggies. After sweeping the doubleheader Saturday, the Tigers dropped game three 17-12. Down 12-3 in the fifth, CCCK made it interesting by scoring seven unanswered, including three on a three-run homer by shortstop Kurt Ippolito. The Aggies ended up plating five in the ninth to run away with a 17-12 win.
  • Ippolito has been the leader on offense so far for Central Christian, he steps in this series with a .397 average with six doubles, six homers, 23 RBIs, and 11 stolen bags. He is accompanied by James Perales and Braedon Ulrich, both are hitting .317 on the dot through 60-plus plate appearances, the duo both have four homers. The big three has carried the offense that as a team is hitting .302 with 23 homers.
  • On the bump, CCCK relies on freshmen starter Nick Julian. Julian has made five starts, logging a 3-1 record with a team high of 30.2 innings pitched. His 3.52 ERA ranks a team high amongst those who have thrown over 10 innings. Nick Clayson and Matt Gorham are the supporting cast, Clayson has made five starts with a 3-0 record allowing nine earned runs across 21.1 innings of work. Gorham is the main piece out of the bullpen, he has yet to allow an earned run after five appearances of 7.1 innings of work. He has given up four hits while walking none and striking out six.
  • Mid-America Christian will seek to not only further its winning streak in 2025, but against CCCK as well. MACU was won seven straight dating back to 2022.