Baseball 3/5/2020 11:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

Central Visits Hays For MIAA Series

HAYS, Kan. – The University of Central Oklahoma baseball team, now ranked 15th in country, returns to Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association play this weekend with a three-game series at Fort Hays State beginning Friday at 3 p.m. from Larks Park.

WATCH LIVE ON THE MIAA NETWORK

Central Oklahoma is 13-3 this season and has a 2-1 record in the MIAA. The Bronchos entered the national rankings earlier this week. Fort Hays State is 11-8 overall this season and has a 1-2 record in league play.

"Fort Hays State is a much better team this year and they're very competitive," UCO head coach John Martin said. "There's no way you can go into any of these games thinking you've already won. We are going to have to go up there and fight and compete and try to win the series."

Fort Hays State's 11 wins through one month of play this season is nearly four times the amount the Tigers won in all of 2019. FHSU finished last year's campaign 3-41.

The Tigers welcome UCO to Hays, Kan. with a team batting average of .295, scoring 5.6 runs per game on 9.3 hits per game. Defensively, Fort Hays has a team earned run average of 6.12, and allows 6.2 runs per game on 9.9 hits per game. The Hays staff also averages 7.2 strikeouts per game.

Central enters the weekend behind its dominant pitching staff. The Bronchos have a team ERA of 3.74, allow just over four runs per game, and just over seven hits per game. UCO makes its living off strikeouts though. The Bronchos have struck out 195 batters this season, an average of 12 per game.

UCO has nine pitchers with double-digit strikeouts this season. Dylan Hall, Friday's starter, leads the way with 36 Ks in 23 innings of work. Hall is 3-1 with 3.91 ERA. Luke Anderson, who is also a weekend starter, has 23 strikeouts in 18 innings. Brayden Nelson (23), Beaux Bonvillain (21), and Colton Croft (20), all have been hard to hit out of the bullpen. Kyler Patterson, who has 16 strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings of work, is one of three pitchers that haven't allowed an earned run this season.

Offensively, Central Oklahoma takes a .288 batting average into Hays, Kan. UCO averages 7.7 runs per game on 9.5 hits per game. The Bronchos have one plus-400 hitter in Brett Hopkins, though the right fielder has only played in seven games this season. UCO has six hitters at .300 or above.

Joe Mondragon leads the team with a .370 batting average, scattering 20 hits, six for extra bases, and scoring 15 runs. Colton Bertus, who is hitting .367, has a team-high 22 hits, six for extra bases, and has scored eight runs. Both players have 12 RBIs.

Garrett Takamatsu is hitting .327, has 18 hits, a team-high four home runs, and has 13 RBIs. Bennett Laurence is hitting .300 in eight games played, but also has four home runs and leads the team with 15 RBIs. Laurence has just six hits, but four homers, including two grand slams.

Central will play Hays Friday afternoon, then meet again Saturday at 1 p.m. before wrapping up the three-game series Sunday at 1 p.m. UCO will continue a four-game road swing with a midweek non-conference game at East Central next Tuesday before opening a four-game homestand next weekend.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

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

#23 Colton Croft: P; 6' 1"; Sophomore; R/R

#13 Dylan Hall: P; 6' 5"; Senior; R/R

#17 Joe Mondragon: 1B; 6' 1"; Senior; L/R

#14 Brayden Nelson: P; 6' 2"; Senior; R/R

#15 Kyler Patterson: P; 6' 0"; Junior; R/R

#33 Garrett Takamatsu: C; 6' 0"; Junior; R/R

#25 Luke Anderson: P; 6' 2"; Junior; */R

#11 Beaux Bonvillain: P; 6' 0"; Junior; */L

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

Players Mentioned

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

#23 Colton Croft
: 6' 1"; Sophomore; R/R
: P

#13 Dylan Hall
: 6' 5"; Senior; R/R
: P

#17 Joe Mondragon
: 6' 1"; Senior; L/R
: 1B

#14 Brayden Nelson
: 6' 2"; Senior; R/R
: P

#15 Kyler Patterson
: 6' 0"; Junior; R/R
: P

#33 Garrett Takamatsu
: 6' 0"; Junior; R/R
: C

#25 Luke Anderson
: 6' 2"; Junior; */R
: P

#11 Beaux Bonvillain
: 6' 0"; Junior; */L
: P

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