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Baseball Begins CCIW Slate with Weekend Series Against North Park

Three-game series scheduled for Saturday-Sunday

3/30/2023 3:14:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - After 16 non-conference games thus far, the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team rolls into the start of College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin action, Saturday-Sunday, April 1-2 against rival North Park University. IWU will travel to NPU for a single game Saturday, before wrapping up the series with a doubleheader at Horenberger Field Sunday. Due to Saturday's predicted temperature and wind chill, the original schedule has been altered. With the schedule change, NPU will serve as the home team for game one on Sunday. Both days are set for a 1 p.m. first pitch. Entering the gauntlet that is CCIW baseball, the Green and White own a record of 4-12, while the Vikings own a 6-13 record.

Saturday's clash will mark the 88th meeting between the two programs, dating back to the 1988 campaign. IWU has manufactured a commanding 62-25 all-time record against the Vikings. The advantage can be traced back to a 36-game winning streak from April 5, 1996-April 23, 2006. However, recent history is in favor of NPU as the Vikings have claimed five of the past six contests, including the last two. If last year was any indication, then this weekend's series will be highly competitive. North Park rallied for a pair of one-run victories last season, as NPU scored two in the top of the ninth to steal game one, then tallied the game-running run in the 11th inning of game two to sweep the doubleheader, May 7. As a result, the two losses put an end to IWU's CCIW tournament hopes.

The Titans, who are coming off a midweek setback against Eastern Illinois, are looking to put an end to the program's five-game losing skid. In the previous five games, IWU's offense is averaging seven runs per game, along with 11.6 hits per contest.

On the flip side, North Park enters CCIW competition off the heels of a 19-6 victory over Eureka College, Tuesday, March 28. The Vikings scored in seven innings, which was highlighted by a pair of four-run frames.

With more than a third of the regular season complete, IWU owns several offensive statistical advantages over NPU, that include team batting average (.318-.242), total hits (179-155), doubles (30-20), RBI (97-78), and team slugging percentage (.430-.329).

Individually, the Titan offense has been led by senior Jalen Ping (Chatham, Ill.-Glenwood) and junior Louis Perona (Chicago, Ill.-Lane Tech). Ping (.443) and Perona (.421) both sit inside the CCIW top-10 batting averages, with Ping holding down the fourth position, while Perona checks in with the eighth-highest average. As of March 29, Ping's .443 average is good for 87th in all of Division III.

Ping leads the team in at-bats (61), hits (27), doubles (eight), and total bases (41). Perona tops the Titans with his 17 runs scored and nine base on balls.

With the Green and White having played 16 games, Ping, Perona, and sophomore Jimmy Gurgone (Mokena, Ill.-St. Laurence) are the only three athletes who have started every game.

On the mound, sophomore Dalen Banks (Springfield, Ill.-Springfield) has tallied a 3-0 record in his five starts. Danks has logged 29 innings of work, with a 2.17 ERA. The Springfield, Ill. native leads IWU's pitching staff in strikeouts (27), WHIP (1.28), and opponent batting average (.239).

Live stats and a live video stream will be available for the entire series. Links can be found on iwusports.com, on the baseball schedule page.

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