McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team is gearing up for a busy week in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). The Titans will first host Carroll University at Jack Horenberger Field on Tuesday, April 1, at 6 p.m., before traveling to take on Millikin University at the Workman Family Baseball Field on Wednesday, April 2, at 6 p.m.

The Titans, currently holding a 7-10 overall record and 0-2 in the CCIW, are coming off a challenging face-off against North Park University. A significant highlight from the series was senior Jimmy Gurgone's performance, where he matched the school record by hitting three home runs in a single game—echoing a feat last achieved by Garrett Shea in 2019.

Illinois Wesleyan will compete against Carroll University (11-8, 2-1 CCIW) after a previously scheduled game had been postponed due to inclement weather. Historically, the Titans have enjoyed success against the Pioneers, maintaining a 16-6 lead in their all-time matchups and emerging victorious in the last five encounters. In their previous season, then-junior William Duff secured a memorable win with a critical hit in extra innings, leading to a 7-6 victory.

The Titans' next challenge will be against Millikin University (10-10, 0-2 CCIW), a team they've met 121 times since 1988, holding an 80-41 series advantage. However, recent meetings have seen Millikin winning eight out of the last ten games. In a recent encounter, then-junior Justin Gadomski was the sole Titan scoring as the result of a crucial hit by then-freshman John Philip Ferraro.

Offensively, Illinois Wesleyan boasts a robust lineup, leading the conference with a batting average of .323. In pitching, they rank third with a 5.76 ERA. They also hold a strong position in fielding with a percentage of .965.

Senior Cade Tomhave has been a standout player, leading in batting with a .472 average and an on-base percentage of .603, while also placing in the top ten of eight additional statistics. Junior Jake Pullam leads the conference with a 2.70 ERA and is prominent across ten different pitching categories.

For further details, including live stats and streaming links, visit the Illinois Wesleyan baseball schedule page at iwusports.com.