SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- After outlasting a rain delay and staving off elimination on Saturday, the William Woods University baseball team looks to continue in the AMC Postseason Tournament on Tuesday as they take on Benedictine University-Springfield in an elimination game at 2 p.m. The game - originally scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday - has been rescheduled three times due to continuing rains in the Springfield area.
Quick Look - William Woods
After a pair of lengthy contests to open the tournament, William Woods looks for a shorter game in today's contest. The Owls split the season series with Benedictine-Springfield, with all but one of the contests close affairs.
Brian Carr leads the Owls offense, with his batting average of .455 good for third-best in the nation. He is also ranked 26th in the country with 18 doubles, posting a slugging percentage of .643. Four other Owls are also batting at or above .333 on the year, with
Jacob Harrison just three hits behind Carr, collecting 62 hits for a .352 average.
Austin Clapp and
Matt Thomas both boast .346 averages on the season, with Robert Butvin rounding out the crew with 46 hits for a .333 average.
As a team, WWU has posted a .313 batting average on the year, stealing 72 bases in 90 attempts. The team batting average is the 42nd-highest in the NAIA, with the team total of 93 doubles 49th-best in the nation. They have drawn 185 walks and been plunked 47 times, including seven apiece for Chris and
Derek Fletcher on the year.
Pitching has been a strength for the Owls on the year, with
Adam Brush and
Matt Thomas ranked nationally. Thomas is ranked 20th in saves with seven, while Brush holds down a number of top 50 ranks. Brush is 11th in the NAIA with 11.59 strikeouts per nine innings and 24th in total strikeouts with 85. He ranks 39th in the country with eight wins on the season.
The squad has also been fairly efficient in the field, with a fielding percentage of .959. The Owls have been charged with just 70 errors on the season. Thomas and
Justin Elmore are among a logjam at the top of the association of players with perfect fielding percentage who have played in a minimum of 75% of their team's respective games.
Next Up
With a win in this evening's game, the Owls will face the winner of the 11 a.m. game between Park University and Missouri Baptist University. That game is scheduled for May 2, with first pitch slated for 10 a.m.
