LAST WEEK: The Yotes baseball team completed the series sweep against Oregon Tech, improving their record to one game above .500, and are currently sitting in a tie for second place with Bushnell in the Cascade Collegiate Conference standings.
COMING UP: at Bushnell (DH), Friday, 2 P.M. (PT); at Bushnell (DH), Saturday, 11 A.M. (PT)
LIVE LINKS: This weekend's series with Bushnell will be streamed on the Beacons Sports Network. Fans can go to
https://bit.ly/3IgbFUA to catch all of the action.
SHUTTING THE DOOR: Sophomore reliever
Erik Wisenor is currently tied for the NAIA lead in saves this season with eight. Wisenor's save totals are also tied for the Yotes single season saves record.
ONE TWO PUNCH: The top of the Yotes lineup, consisting of
Jonah Hultberg and
Skyler Sadora, continue to be a driving force in the Yotes offense. The duo combined for eight RBI's in the sweep over Oregon Tech last weekend, with Hultberg's batting average still at the top of the Yotes stats, entering the weekend hitting .428.
RBI MACHINE: Sophomore bat
Alex McFarland-Smith currently leads the Yotes with 35 RBI's on the season. His totals are good for a top-60 ranking in the NAIA.
STRONG PITCHING: Pitching was a major key in the Yotes success in the sweep over OIT. In game two of the series,
Dimick Wood went for eight innings, throwing 100 pitches and striking out five batters while only allowing three hits.
Colby Durski was a name to watch on the mound, appearing in three of the four contests. Durski totaled a win and two saves on the weekend, allowing five hit and striking out three batters. Durski's ERA is second on the team at 3.16 on the season.
OFFENSIVE OUTBURST: In the series with Oregon Tech, the C of I offense scored 24 runs in the four game series, averaging six runs per game, keeping up with their season average of 6.7 runs per game. The Yotes will look to continue their scoring pace against Bushnell.
WINNING BASEBALL: The Yotes come into the weekend series winners of six of the previous eight games. The sweep over Oregon Tech moved the record to one game above .500, currently sitting at 18-17 on the year, and 6-2 in conference play.
OPPONENT PREVIEW: The Bushnell Beacons come into the weekend sitting in a tie with the Yotes for second place in the CCC standings at 6-2. Overall on the year, Bushnell enters with an 8-22 record. Bushnell had a little bit of a rough patch to start the season, dropping their first 11 contests. Recently, Bushnell has played solid baseball, winning six of their last nine games. Jeff Fripp currently leads the Beacons in batting average (.312), slugging percentage (.591), home runs (7), and RBI's (20). Among qualified pitchers, Jashua Yacapin is leading the Beacons in ERA with a 4.11, and is third on the team in strikeouts with 23.
AROUND THE CONFERENCE: The LC State Warriors continue to run right through the conference, winners of 27 consecutive games. The Warriors sit at 4-0 in conference play, and 33-1 overall. Bushnell and C of I sit in a tie for second at 6-2. Right behind in fourth is Oregon Tech, who sits at 4-4 in CCC play and 22-13 overall. Fifth place in the CCC belongs to the University of British Columbia, who are currently 2-6 in conference play and 14-19 overall. Behind UBC is Eastern Oregon who are also 2-6 in conference play, but are 9-24 on the year. Wrapping up the CCC standings is Corban, who enter play with an 0-4 conference record and are 12-14-1 overall this season.
NEXT AT HOME: Next up for the Yotes at home is a matchup with the Corban Warriors on April 9-10 at Wolfe Field.
