McLean County Times

After a road victory, the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team is set to continue its College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) journey against Carthage College. The Titans will head to Kenosha, Wisconsin for a Sunday game on April 21 at 1 p.m. Currently, IWU holds a 20-9 overall record and stands at 9-3 in conference play. Carthage prepares for two games against North Park before facing IWU, with an overall record of 18-8 and a CCIW record of 6-4.

The history between these teams is extensive, having faced each other 110 times since 1989. IWU leads the series with a narrow margin of 58-52 victories. The Titans have won their last five encounters with the Firebirds, including a doubleheader sweep on April 7, 2023.

Carthage's recent outing was against the fourth-ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on April 16, where they suffered a loss in seven innings with a score of 16-4.

IWU's latest win came against Wheaton College on April 17, ending in a decisive 9-2 scoreline. Sophomore Cole Shamhart from Oak Park pitched five innings and struck out eight batters during the game. He currently maintains an ERA of 2.64 this season with a total of 47 strikeouts.

Senior Louis Perona from Chicago leads the team's batting average at .402 and was named CCIW Hitter of the Week on April 15. Junior Justin Gadomski from Schaumburg follows closely with a .393 batting average and has driven in 28 RBIs this season.

As it stands before the weekend games, IWU ranks second in conference standings with North Park leading at a record of 10-1. The two teams have yet to meet this season.

Live stats and video stream will be available for those interested in following Sunday's game.