McLean County Times

After securing a crucial series victory over Augustana College, the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team is preparing for a midweek game against North Central College. The Titans, with a record of 15-12 and 7-4 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, will play at Zimmerman Stadium in Naperville, Illinois, on Wednesday, April 17 at 5 p.m.

This follows their 11-8 win over Augustana on April 13, where junior Cole Shamhart took the mound for the Titans, getting three strikeouts in 3.1 innings. The combined effort of juniors Luke Costello and Jake Pullam, along with freshman Cole Benson, secured the win, with Benson taking the win and Pullam getting the save.

In the previous game, the Titans amassed 13 hits with an OPS of .982. Some standout performances included junior Jack Flagg achieving a 2-for-4 with his third home run this season, and seniors Cade Tomhave and Justin Gadomski both going 3-for-5 with two runs each.

The upcoming game adds to the historical rivalry that began in 1988, with Illinois Wesleyan holding an all-time lead of 67-53 over North Central, though North Central won their last meeting 6-5 in extra innings on April 8. In that game, Gadomski went 3-for-5 with three doubles and three RBIs, while senior Jimmy Gurgone added a 2-for-5 contribution and an RBI.

Currently, the Titans lead the CCIW with a .342 batting average, surpassing Carthage's .320 and Carroll's .304. Defensively, they have a .965 fielding percentage. Tomhave and Gadomski are leading offensively in the CCIW, with Tomhave boasting a .432 batting average and .549 on-base percentage, and Gadomski leading in slugging percentage, hits, doubles, and at-bats. Pullam leads the conference in runs allowed, earned runs allowed, and doubles allowed.

Fans can follow Wednesday's game via live stats and a livestream available on IWUsports.com.