2023 Baseball Notebook (Week 3)

FOLLOW ALONG: Links to follow along with the Yotes this weekend can be found on yoteathletics.com.
 
HISTORY VS. NNU: In a series dating back to 2002, the Yotes currently hold a 25-17 record in matchups vs. the Nighthawks. The last meeting came on February 9^th of 2022 and saw NNU take a 14-11 victory.
 
RED HOT START: The 7-1 start from the Yotes is the best start to a season through eight games since 2016, when the Yotes started off 7-1, going 10-2 through 12 games. The 2016 season saw the team finish with a record of 39-22 and capped it off with a trip to the NAIA Championships.
 
ALMOST IMMACULATE: Freshman pitcher Nate Vidlak nearly threw an immaculate inning last week against Park-Gilbert. Vidlak struck out the first two batters on six pitches, and had an 0-2 count on the third batter before a ball was called. Vidlak would go on to strike out the side in the inning, on his way to six strikeouts in the second and third innings combined.
 
CONSISTENT BATS: Three payers on the Yotes currently possess a batting average over .400, with Dillon Danner (.467), Trevor Watkins (.444) and Tristen Garland (.406). The Yotes have four players with an OPS (On Base + Slugging %) above 1.000, with Danner, Watkins, Garland, and Jonah Hultberg leading the way among qualified batters.
 
HIT MACHINES: Four players currently have 10 or more hits on the year: Garland (13), Ben Gaff (11), Hultberg (10), and Alex McFarland-Smith (10). The four players have driven in a combined 31 runs out of the Yotes team total of 75.
 
DUAL THREAT: In the field, Kris Kirkpatrick is batting .263 with five hits and five RBI's, while also drawing seven walks. On the mound, Kirkpatrick has been stellar, an ERA of 0.00 in two mound appearances with eight innings pitched and eight strikeouts.
 
OFFENSIVE OUTPUT: The Yotes are currently better than their opponents in almost every offensive category, with the exception of home runs and doubles. Through eight games, the team is hitting at a .315 average with 90 hits and 141 total bases, while batting in 75 runs.