Gustavus vs. Bethany Lutheran (DH)
Date: Friday, March 23
Time: 2:30 p.m. | 4:30 p.m.
Location: St. Peter, Minn. | Gustie Baseball Field
Live Coverage: Stats
ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus baseball team is set for its home opener versus Bethany Lutheran College Friday afternoon, hosting a doubleheader versus the Vikings at 2:30 p.m. at the newly renovated Gustie Baseball Field with weather and field conditions pending.
Last Time Out
The Gusties’ original home-opening series versus Mount Marty College last weekend was postponed due to snowy field conditions. Gustavus most recently took one of four games versus Luther College March 10-11 in Pleasant Hill, Iowa. The Gusties took game one on Saturday 7-5 before dropping the next three contests.
The Series
Friday’s game will mark the third and fourth all-time meetings between the Gustavus and Bethany Lutheran baseball programs, with the series tied at 1-1. The Gusties and Vikings split their sole meeting on April 29, 2007 in St. Peter, Minn.
Scouting Bethany Lutheran
The Vikings are off to a 4-4 start on the season, going .500 in Tucson, Ariz. As a team, Bethany Lutheran owns a .256 batting average and has been outscored 54-44 by its opponents.
Sophomore infielder Grant Becher has paced the Viking offense, leading the team with a .480 batting average, going 12-25 at the plate with a pair of doubles and five runs batted in. The BLC pitching staff owns a 6.16 earned run average, having allowed 82 hits in 57 innings pitched. Senior pitcher Alex Babcock leads the Vikings with 17 strikeouts in 12 innings pitched.
First-Years Featured
Over half of the team’s runs batted in and innings pitched have come from Gustie first-years. Cole Pengilly (Le Sueur, Minn.), Ethan Mocchi (Champlin, Minn.), and Carter Clemensen (Cologne, Minn.) have appeared in all 11 games, with Pengilly and Mocchi leading the Black and Gold offense. Pengilly is tied for the lead in the MIAC with four triples, while owning a team-best 18 hits and a .462 batting average. Mocchi is currently the conference leader with 11 doubles and is tied for third with 18 RBI. Charlie Hutchinson (Maple Grove, Minn.) has guided the Gustie pitching staff, recording 10 strikeouts in 11 innings pitched and has yet to allow an earned run in two starts on the mound.