Baseball 3/5/2021 10:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

UCO Opens MIAA Play Saturday

Bronchos Welcome Fort Hays State For Three-Game Series

EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma baseball team begins MIAA play this weekend with a three-game series against Fort Hays State at Wendell Simmons Field. The Bronchos will play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. before finishing the series Sunday afternoon.

Central Oklahoma is 1-2 this season and looking to snap a two-game skid. The Bronchos welcome Fort Hays State, which is 1-6 this season, and just snapped a six-game losing streak.

Offensively, Central opens the weekend with a team batting average .262. The Bronchos have gone a combined 27-for-103 in three games played. UCO has eight extra-base hits out of 27, including four doubles, two triples and two home runs. Central Oklahoma has scored 17 runs in three games, an average of 5.9 per game, and has 15 RBIs on those 17 runs.

Brett Hopkins leads UCO with a .455 batting average, a team-high five hits and a team-high four RBIs. The junior outfielder has two doubles and a home run (a grand slam) this season. He's also scored two runs.

Ryan Harrel is also hitting above .400 in the early season. He has a .444 batting average, going 4-for-9 in the first three games. Harrel has a triple, two RBIs, and two runs scored.

Three Bronchos are hitting .333 this season. Joe Mondragon and Philip Scott have both gone 4-for-12 in three games while Garrett Takamatsu is 3-for-9.

Defensively, UCO comes into the weekend with a 3.81 team earned run average. Central has allowed 13 runs – 11 earned – in three games. The Bronchos also have 36 strikeouts in a combined 26 innings of play.

Luke Anderson (nine), Grant Larson (eight) and Kyler Patterson (seven) lead Central in strikeouts. Larson has allowed just one hit in 6.1 innings.

Fort Hays State has a team batting average of .237, having scored 36 runs in seven games. The Tigers have a team ERA of 9.26, allowing 69 runs in seven outings.

Central Oklahoma will follow this weekend's MIAA series with a single non-conference game Tuesday against Southern Nazarene at Wendell Simmons Field.

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Players Mentioned

#2 Ryan Harrel: SS; 6' 0"; Senior; R/R

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

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

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

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

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

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

#44 Grant Larson: P; 6' 7"; Senior; */L

Players Mentioned

#2 Ryan Harrel
: 6' 0"; Senior; R/R
: SS

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

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

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

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

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

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

#44 Grant Larson
: 6' 7"; Senior; */L
: P