The baseball team played a doubleheader against University of Puget Sound on April 2 and another against the Loggers on April 3.

The Wildcats did not have a great start to the three-game weekend, losing 4-7 to Puget Sound. The loss fueled the Wildcats to play even harder in their remaining two games.

“The highlight of this past weekend has to be the fact that we were able to regroup after losing the first game of the series,” senior second baseman Eric Evenson said.

Sophomore outfielder Clayton Truex added to Evenson’s sentiments.

“The highlight of this weekend’s games would have to be how the team responded to dropping the first game of the series. After losing that first game, we really came out firing and were able to take the rest of the series from the Loggers and claim our spot on top of the conference,” he said.

The Wildcats won the next game against Puget Sound, 12-6.

Senior third baseman Dustin Smith opened the game and scored during the first inning.

The second inning had more momentum. Smith, Truex, freshman left fielder Nate McClellan and senior right fielder Gunnar Cederberg all scored.

The third inning yielded a seven-run Wildcat lead. McClellan, Cederberg, Smith, Bixenman, Truex, junior shortstop Kevin Allan and sophomore center fielder Danny Urness all scored runs.

The last game of the series against Puget Sound on April 3 was just as exciting as the last, with a win 9-1. The team began on the right paw during the first inning, when Smith, Truex, Bixenman and Allan scored.

The second inning featured a Bixenman home run that brought in Smith and Urness.

The final two runs were scored during the sixth and eighth innings, by Urness and sophomore second baseman Tim Wilson, respectively.

“Puget Sound swung the bats well in game one and had a lot of confidence heading into the final two games. We did a nice job taking a deep breath and finding a way to win the series,”
Evenson said.

With a record of 12 and three, the team is heading in the right direction to claim their top spot in the conference. The team is backed by powerful pitchers and a great line up.

“I feel that our team is not only incredibly talented but also has so many different guys who can come up big when the team needs it,” Truex said.

“Let’s say someone in the lineup isn’t having the kind of day that they usually have. There will usually be two or three other guys that step up and have a great day. That is just a testament to the depth that this team has. We are very fortunate this year not only to have such incredible talent on the teams but also to have such great chemistry among the guys. I really feel that we all get along well, and we are more of a family than just a baseball team,” he said.

Evenson said the team has yet to play its best baseball.

“Our pitching is the heart and soul of our team. With so many good arms, starting with guys like Robert Vaughn and Ryan Larson, we feel like we have a chance to win every game, even when we aren’t scoring a lot of runs. This group has had a positive first half of the season but the exciting part of it is that we believe there is still a lot to improve upon. As we come down the stretch we are excited about the possibilities in terms of trying to win a conference championship and play into the post season.”

The Wildcats’ next home game takes place April 15 against Chapman University from Orange, Calif.

Kaylyn Peterson/For the Review
Kaylyn Peterson can be reached at [email protected].