BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – After a perfect 5-0 week, the Illinois Wesleyan baseball team returns home for a two-game midweek series. The Titans (12-10, 5-2 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) will first face CCIW opponent North Central College on Tuesday, April 8, at 5 p.m., followed by a non-conference clash with Monmouth College on Wednesday, April 9, at 6 p.m. Both games will be held at Jack Horenberger Field in Bloomington, Ill.
IWU is coming off a dominant week in CCIW play, sweeping Elmhurst University in a three-game series on April 5-6. In the series finale, junior Cole Shamhart (Oak Park, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) earned the win with a strong five-inning start. Sophomore Caleb Martinez (Wheeling, Ill.-Wheeling) and freshman Brennan Tomhave (Pittsfield, Ill.-Pittsfield) came in for relief, with Martinez striking out one in his inning of work and Tomhave earning the save with three scoreless innings, including three strikeouts. Offensively, senior Jimmy Gurgone (Mokena, Ill.-St. Laurence) and junior Gage Wolfe (Bloomington, Ill.-Bloomington) each went 3-for-4. Gurgone contributed two runs, one RBI, and a double, while Wolfe drove in two RBIs, scored one run, and added a double of his own.
Illinois Wesleyan will meet North Central (11-12, 5-2 CCIW) for the 120th time in the history of the series. The Titans hold a narrow 67-52 advantage overall, but North Central has won six of the last ten matchups. IWU will look to build on its most recent victory over the Cardinals, a 4-2 win on April 8, 2024.
On Wednesday, the Titans will face Monmouth College (9-14) for the 17th time in the all-time series. IWU holds a commanding 14-2 advantage, having won seven of the last eight meetings. The teams last squared off on April 14, 2024, when Illinois Wesleyan won a thrilling 9-8 game. The Titans jumped out to a 9-0 lead before the Fighting Scots mounted a late comeback. However, Monmouth fell short in the ninth, allowing IWU to secure the victory.
Illinois Wesleyan remains atop the CCIW in team batting average, boasting a .345 mark, followed by Carthage at .310 and North Central at .307. The Titans rank third in pitching with a 5.58 ERA, behind only Augustana's 4.99 as well as Carthage's 5.03 ERA.
Individually, senior Cade Tomhave (Pittsfield, Ill.-Pittsfield) continues to lead the CCIW with a .440 batting average, holding the top spot for the fourth consecutive week. He also leads in on-base percentage with a .556 mark. Senior Justin Gadomski (Schaumburg, Ill.-Schaumburg) is first in the conference with 41 hits and 13 doubles.
On the mound, junior Jake Pullam (Palatine, Ill.-Palatine) leads the CCIW with a 2.33 ERA and has allowed just nine earned runs this season.
Game times are scheduled for 5 p.m. on Tuesday and 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Fans can follow the action through live stats and live stream, available on iwusports.com website under the baseball schedule page.
