Baseball 3/8/2021 10:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

Central Hosts Southern Nazarene

EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma baseball team will host Southern Nazarene Tuesday at 5 p.m. in a non-conference matchup at Wendell Simmons Field.

Central Oklahoma is 3-3 this season. Southern Nazarene is 0-8.

"We've got to come out and fight and we've got to believe in ourselves," UCO head coach John Martin said. "We've been inconsistent, and we need to tighten that up and focus on getting the job done."

Central, with a .500 record, split its four games last week. The Bronchos lost at Southwestern before winning the first two of a three-game MIAA series with Fort Hays State.

UCO did post a .303 batting average in four games last week, pelting 43 hits in four games. The Bronchos had 11 extra base hits including three home runs. Central put up a 5.66 earned run average last week, with opponents hitting .243 against the Bronchos. UCO also struck out 48 batters in four games, with a high of 18 in a win over Fort Hays State.

Ryan Harrel leads Central with a .429 batting average through six games played. The senior outfielder is a combined 9-for-21 with a double and a triple. He's got three RBIs and has scored six runs.

Brett Hopkins is second on the team in hitting with a .391 average. The junior outfielder is a combined 9-for-23 with two doubles and one home run. He has a team-high six RBIs and is tied with Harrel for a team-high six runs scored.

Garrett Takamatsu (.368), Joe Mondragon (.360), and Kyle Crowl (.304) all add a punch on offense. Takamatsu has seven hits and five runs scored. Mondragon is tied with Harrel and Hopkins for a team-high nine hits. And Crowl, who has seven hits, has four for extra bases. The senior shortstop has three doubles and one home run.

Central has a team ERA of 5.09 through six games played. Opponents are hitting just .239 against the Bronchos though and UCO has posted 76 strikeouts in six games.

Southern Nazarene is hitting .249 as a team, averaging 7.1 hits per game and 3.1 runs per game. The SNU pitching staff has a team ERA of 14.65, while they are allowing 12.5 hits per game and 13 runs per game.

Central will return to conference play following Tuesday's matchup with Southern Nazarene. The Bronchos visit Emporia State this weekend for a three-game series beginning Friday in Emporia, Kansas.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

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

Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

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