Baseball 2/17/2020 8:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

Central Oklahoma Hosts Northwestern

EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma baseball team hosts Northwestern Oklahoma State Tuesday with a 5 p.m. first pitch scheduled for the non-conference game at Wendell Simmons Field.

Central enters the midweek contest with a 5-2 record on the season and winners of two in a row. The Bronchos did not play this past weekend and will take on Northwestern on six days rest. The Rangers, of Alva, Okla., are 5-6 overall this season and bring a three-game win streak to Edmond. NWOSU swept Southern Nazarene this past weekend.

Tuesday will mark the second meeting of the season for the two schools. It was supposed to be the third and final game of the year between the Bronchos and the Rangers, however, weather forced the postponement of the matchup scheduled for Alva two weeks ago. That game will be made up in March.

In the first meeting, Central won 16-3. The Bronchos got the run-rule victory against Northwestern on Feb. 1 in the second game of the season for both schools.

Colton Croft picked up the win in that game, coming out of the bullpen. The sophomore right-hander is 2-0 on the season with both wins coming in relief duty.

Central's staff has been solid through three weeks of the 2020 season. The Bronchos have a team earned run average of 3.48 and opponents are hitting just .243 against UCO. Central also has a combined 89 strikeouts through seven games, a 12.7 per game average.

Offensively, Central Oklahoma has a team batting average of .270. Brett Hopkins leads the way with a .435 mark of his own. The junior outfielder is 10-for-23 at the plate this season, with a one double, one triple, and one home run. He has a team-high 10 RBIs too and has scored five runs. Hopkins also boasts a .552 on-base percentage.

Kyle Crowl, who is hitting .360 on the season, has a team-high .720 slugging percentage through seven games played. Crowl is 9-for-25 at the plate with six doubles and one home run. He has five RBIs and has scored seven runs.

Philip Scott (.346) and Colton Bertus (.304) are also key figures with a bat in their hands. Both have three doubles this season and have combined for 10 RBIs.

Northwestern brings a team batting average of .319 into Tuesday's game. The Rangers are led by Bryce Donovan (.487), Yugo Hamakawa (.447), and Colton Whitehouse (.378). Donovan also leads the team with 19 hits, 16 RBIs and 13 runs scored.

For the Rangers defensively, the team boasts a 7.51 earned run average. NWOSU has opponents hitting .322 and the team has combined for 76 strikeouts, just under seven per game.

Central Oklahoma will be back in action this weekend following Tuesday's matchup with Northwestern. UCO continues a five-game homestand Friday with the first of three non-conference games against Metro State – Denver.

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Players Mentioned

#23 Colton Croft: P/1B; 6' 1"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R

#27 Philip Scott: 2B/3B; 6' 0"; Junior; R/R

#26 Colton Bertus: 2B/3B; 5' 9"; Freshman; R/R

#12 Kyle Crowl: IF; 6' 2"; Junior; R/R

#20 Brett Hopkins: C; 5' 10"; Junior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#23 Colton Croft
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R
: P/1B

#27 Philip Scott
: 6' 0"; Junior; R/R
: 2B/3B

#26 Colton Bertus
: 5' 9"; Freshman; R/R
: 2B/3B

#12 Kyle Crowl
: 6' 2"; Junior; R/R
: IF

#20 Brett Hopkins
: 5' 10"; Junior; R/R
: C