OKWU turns again Indiana Tech to receive Planet Series location
4 min readToot! Toot!
All aboard on the victory prepare!
Up coming prevent, Lewiston!
Which is the closing stop on Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s historic baseball journey that started out in the deep freeze of January and will conclude up in Lewiston, Idaho, at the NAIA Planet Sequence.
The Eagles (49-9) zapped Indiana Tech, 12-4, on Thursday afternoon to get paid their reservation to Idaho.
This is just the 3rd time OKWU has appeared in the prestigious occasion — 2014, 2017 and 2021.
This year’s ticket was compensated for in superior drama in the regional match — following OKWU practically packed it up for the time.
In Wednesday’s prospective championship match, Indiana Tech stunned the Eagles, 13-11 — just after a furious OKWU rally in the ninth fizzled out.
That final result forced a 2nd championship sport on Thursday.
This time, the Eagles remaining no doubt.
In truth, they went to the wall to report the get — pitcher Billy Wall.
In an incredible purpose reversal, Wall drew the start off — just his 3rd of the season, as opposed to additional than 16 relief appearances — and pitched the distance.
Wall clocked in with a gritty, gutsy and glittery effort and hard work that shut down Indiana Tech like a shark in a swimming pool.
Wall tossed a nine-hitter, with 1 walk, four runs and 6 strikeouts, on 126 pitches.
The Eagle offense — led by Cody Muncy with two singles, a double, homer and five RBI’s, and by Isaac Wersland with a homer and three RBI’s — staked Wall to an early lead and ongoing to pile on operates like snow drifts in a blizzard.
All Indiana Tech gamers could do was gird by themselves as ideal in the facial area of the storm.
As outlined, less than 24 hrs before, Indiana Tech had turned back the Eagles, 13-11.
But, OKWU arrived out in Thursday’s activity of survival and place up a three-spot correct absent on Wersland’s a few-operate bomb in the bottom of the very first. Estefferson Melean and Muncy had preceded by finding on base to established the stage for Wersland.
An inning later, Seth Delgado singled, Hector Manon set down a sacrifice bunt and Muncy belted a RBI one to drive OKWU to a 4- guide, to warm the coronary heart of pitcher Wall.
Wall, meanwhile, failed to permit a operate the 1st 3 innings and would turn in six shutout innings total.
Soon after Tech scratched household a operate in the leading of the fourth, the Eagles gave a fiery remedy on Muncy’s two-operate double in the base of the fourth to make it a 6-1 ballgame.
OKWU all but set it out of access with 5 additional operates in the fifth inning — highlighted by Delgado’s two-run homer.
Ryan Kouba and Delgado each individual contributed two RBI’s.
A’Darius Council added a double and Nate Richardson scored two runs.
The Eagles are coached by Kirk Kelley, who is in his fifth year all round as skipper, including his initially stint (2010-11) and his latest tenure, which began in 2019.
In 2011, Kelley navigated his Eagles to the nationwide championship in the Nationwide Christian Collegiate Athletic Affiliation.
He departed OKWU after that time to coach in other places and was changed by 1 of his protégées, Matt Parker.
Parker make on Kelley’s basis and turned the program’s all-time winningest mentor. He pulled all the suitable strings for OKWU’s Entire world Series appearances in 2014 and 2017.
Ironically, Parker and Kelley swapped locations in 2019. Parker went to Jap Oklahoma Faculty — exactly where Kelley had been coaching — although Kelley returned to OKWU.
This is the to start with time Kelley has guided OKWU to the NAIA Planet Series.
The Eagles are seeded No. 4 out of 10 groups in the 2021 NAIA WS, hosted by Lewis-Clark Point out in Lewiston, Idaho.
OKWU will open up up play up coming Friday (May 28) at 11:30 a.m. against No. 5 Ga Gwinnett.
The winner will receive a second-round bye.
Other initially round online games Friday are: No. 8 Keiser (Fla.) vs. No. 9 LSU Shreveport (La.), 8:30 a.m. No. 7 IU Southeast (Ind.) vs. No. 10 Concordia (Neb.), 3 p.m. and No. 3 Lewis-Clark Condition vs. No. 6 Faulkner (Ala), 7 p.m.
On May well 29, the Keiser-LSU Shreveport winner will acquire on No. 1 Southeastern (Fla.) at 3 p.m., even though the IU Southeast-Concordia winner will face No. 2 Central Methodist (Mo.) at 6:30 p.m.
Loser’s bracket video games also are prepared at 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on May perhaps 29. If OKWU were to get rid of on Friday, it would play at 8:30 a.m. on May perhaps 29.
No video games are prepared on May possibly 30.
On May 31, the Oklahoma Wesleyan-Georgia Gwinnett winner will enjoy at 3 p.m.