Baseball 4/1/2021 8:42:00 AM Chris Brannick

Central Oklahoma Hosts Washburn

EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma baseball team returns to MIAA play this weekend with a three-game league series against Washburn. The Bronchos will play Friday at 6 p.m. before a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.

Central Oklahoma is 10-8 overall this season and has a 6-6 record in the MIAA. Washburn is 7-13 overall and has a 6-9 mark in league play.

UCO is aiming to win its third league series this season. The Bronchos took 2 of 3 from Fort Hays State and Emporia State but lost 2 of 3 against Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State.

Central Oklahoma has an even team batting average of .300 through 18 games played this season. The Bronchos are averaging 7.7 runs per game on 10.5 hits per game.

Garrett Takamatsu leads Central with a .419 batting average. The junior catcher has a team-high 26 hits and is among the team leaders in runs scored (16) and runs batted in (15). Takamatsu has eight extra-base hits this season (four doubles, three home runs and one triple).

Kyle Crowl is second on the team with a .353 batting average. The senior shortstop has 24 hits – six doubles and five home runs – and has a team-high 17 runs batted in. Crowl has also scored 16 runs this season.

Joe Mondragon, hitting .351, is tied with Takamatsu for the team lead with 26 hits through 18 games played. Mondragon has five doubles and two triples to go with 11 runs batted in. He leads the Bronchos with 19 runs scored.

Ryan Harrel (.344) has 21 hits in 18 games and matches 15 runs scored with 15 runs batted in. Philip Scott (.329) has 24 hits and a team-high seven doubles. Scott has 11 RBIs and is second on the team with 17 runs scored.

Defensively, Central Oklahoma allows only 5.4 runs per game on 8.3 hits per game, with opponents hitting just .255 against the Bronchos. Central has a team ERA of 5.17 through 18 games played.

Luke Anderson has thrown a team-high 26 innings in five starts. He is 2-2 this season with a 2.77 ERA and leads the team with 32 strikeouts. Grant Larson has thrown 23.2 innings in four starts and is 1-2 with a 5.32 ERA. Larson has 17 strikeouts. Kyler Patterson, in 21.1 innings, is 2-3 with an 8.44 ERA and has 27 strikeouts, the second-most on the team.

Central Oklahoma has 176 strikeouts in 18 games, just marginally below an average of 10 per game.

Washburn averages an even 6.0 runs per game on 10 hits per game. The Ichabods of Topeka, Kansas have a team batting average of .293 this season. Defensively, Washburn has a team ERA of 6.41 and allows 7.3 runs per game on 9.4 hits per game.

Central Oklahoma and Washburn have met three times in each of Broncho head coach John Martin's five seasons as head coach, minus last year's canceled season. Washburn won 2 of 3 in 2016 but the Bronchos swept the series in both 2017 and 2018. Central took 2 of 3 in 2019. Each of the last three series have been played in Edmond.

UCO will again take a short midweek break from league play to pay a visit to Oklahoma Christian Tuesday, April 6. The Bronchos will then return home for another three-game MIAA series next weekend against Northwest Missouri State.

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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

#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

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

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

#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

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