West Liberty, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team will return to Mountain East Conference action this weekend as they continue play against another pair of south division opponents, traveling to Davis & Elkins and West Virginia Wesleyan. The Hilltoppers and Senators are slated for a 1 and 4 p.m. first pitch at Harpertown Field on Sunday afternoon followed by another 1 and 4 p.m. start at Hank Ellis Field on Monday afternoon as WLU faces WVWC.

GAME DETAILS

• Sunday: 1 and 4 p.m. first pitch at Harpertown Field in Elkins, West Virginia
• Monday: 1 and 4 pm. First pitch at Hank Ellis Field in Buckhannon, West Virginia

WEST LIBERTY STORYLINES

• West Liberty enters this weekend's doubleheaders with a record of 4-14 (1-3 MEC) after falling twice at California (PA) on Wednesday afternoon by scores of 7-4 and 15-4.
• The Hilltoppers are currently in third place in the MEC North Division standings.
• As a team, WLU has hit .276 with 137 hits, 26 doubles, six triples, 17 homeruns, 95 RBI, and 105 runs scored through 18 games played.
• James Salvatori holds the team's top batting average at .391 and adds a .452 on-base percentage, a .906 slugging percentage, and a 1.358 on-base plus slugging percentage. He has tallied 25 hits, four doubles, four triples, seven homeruns, 23 RBI, and 21 runs scored. Salvatori leads the MEC in triples, slugging percentage, and home runs while also ranking sixth, seventh, and 52^nd nationally in DII respectively. He has notched a hit in eight of the last ten games, including two or more hits in seven of those contests.
• Jacob Sherman is also hitting above .300 as he is batting .318 with an on-base percentage of .446, a slugging percentage of .432, and an on-base plus slugging percentage of .878. He has notched 14 hits, five doubles, three RBI, and 11 runs scored. Sherman has recorded a hit in ten of the last 13 games he's played in.
• Ryan Talbert rounds out a trio of players hitting above .300 as he is batting .308 with an on-base percentage of .471, a slugging percentage of .442, and an on-base plus slugging percentage of .913. He has notched 16 hits, four doubles, one homerun, nine RBI, and 12 runs scored. Talbert has recorded a hit in four consecutive games and seven of the last nine contests.
• The Hilltoppers' pitching staff recorded an ERA of 8.31, allowing 188 hits and 115 walks, while throwing 75 strikeouts. Opponents have held a .352 batting average against WLU pitchers.
• Tanner Pelaez is 2-2 in his four starts and appearances in 2024, holding an ERA of 5.44, a WHIP of 1.89, and has limited opponents to a batting average of .309. In 18.0 innings pitched he has thrown eight strikeouts.
• Ethan Conley has made three starts and appearances this year, pitching 11.1 innings as he has recorded a 3.09 ERA and adds a 1.85 WHIP. He has struck out six batters.
• Eric Burkle is in his 12^th season as the head coach at West Liberty with a career record of 225-295 during his time with the Hilltoppers.

DAVIS & ELKINS STORYLINES

• Davis & Elkins enters Sunday's doubleheader with a record of 0-18 (0-2 MEC) after being swept at Salem on Sunday, March 17, by scores of 19-5 and 22-3.
• The Senators are currently in sixth place in the MEC South Division standings.
• As a team, D&E has hit .232 with 123 hits, 33 doubles, four triples, five homeruns, 54 RBI, and 60 runs scored through 18 games played.
•  Tanner Cook leads the team with a batting average of .355 and adds an on-base percentage of .400, a slugging percentage of .548, and an on-base plus slugging percentage of .948. He has recorded 11 hits, three doubles, one homerun, eight RBI, and four runs scored.
• Logan Bradish is the second player on the team to hit .350 or better for the Senators, batting .351 with an on-base percentage of .413, a slugging percentage of .684, and an on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.097. He has tallied 20 hits, seven doubles, four homeruns, 15 RBI, and ten runs this season. Bradish has currently notched a hit in five consecutive games.
• Cort Kegley rounds out the trio of D&E players to hit .300 or better with a batting average of .300, an on-base percentage of .364, a slugging percentage of .360, and an on-base plus slugging percentage of .724. He has notched 15 hits, three doubles, five RBI, and eight runs scored.
• The Senators' pitching staff has recorded an ERA of 15.50, allowing 252 hits and 119 walks, while throwing 85 strikeouts. Opponents have held a .407 batting average against D&E pitchers.
• With an 0-5 record in four starts and eight appearances, Dariell Melendez-Perez is the top pitcher for Davis & Elkins as he has posted an ERA of 8.68, a WHIP of 1.71, and has held opponents to a .267 batting average. He has thrown 17 strikeouts in 18.2 innings of work.
• Jake Garrett is another key starter to watch as has posted a 9.00 ERA, a 2.63 WHIP, and has held opponents to a .410 batting average. He holds an 0-4 record in 16.0 innings pitched and five starts and appearances. He has struck out ten batters thus far during the 2024 season.
• The top relief pitcher for D&E is Brycen Sechler who has thrown 9.1 innings in seven appearances. He has posted an ERA of 8.68, a WHIP of 2.68 and has held opponents to a .400 batting average.
• Brett Ripley is in his second season as the head coach at Davis & Elkins with a career record of 8-58 during his time with the Senators.

SERIES HISTORY

• Since the 2011 season West Liberty holds a 5-4 edge in the series record.
• The Hilltoppers pushed their win streak over the Senators to three as they earned a series sweep at Kovalick Field on March 26, 2023, by scores of 10-3 and 4-1.

WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN STORYLINES

• West Virginia Wesleyan enters this weekend's doubleheaders with a record of 7-9 (2-0 MEC) after a road sweep of Notre Dame on Sunday, March 17, by scores of 8-6 and 14-5.
• The Bobcats are currently in first place in the MEC South Division standings as the lone remaining undefeated team in league play.
• As a team, WVWC has hit .276 with 135 hits, 25 doubles, five triples, six homeruns, 76 RBI, and 88 runs scored through 16 games played.
•  Jack Tilton leads the team with a batting average of .345 and adds an on-base percentage of .472, a slugging percentage of .414, and an on-base plus slugging percentage of .886. He has recorded 20 hits, four doubles, ten RBI, and 14 runs scored. Tilton has notched a hit in ten of the last 12 games.
• Ryan Drag is the second player on the team to hit .300 or better for the Bobcats, batting .333 with an on-base percentage of .387, a slugging percentage of .386, and an on-base plus slugging percentage of .773. He has tallied 19 hits, three doubles, seven RBI, and 14 runs this season. Drag has currently notched a hit in four consecutive games and 13 of his 15 games played.
• The Bobcats' pitching staff has recorded an ERA of 6.64, allowing 157 hits and 79 walks, while throwing 59 strikeouts. Opponents have held a .331 batting average against WVWC pitchers.
• With a 2-2 record in four starts and five appearances, Hunter Eplin is the top pitcher for West Virginia Wesleyan as he has posted an ERA of 3.20, a WHIP of 1.62, and has held opponents to a .312 batting average. He has thrown 18 strikeouts in 25.1 innings of work.
• Broderick Rohrbaugh is another key starter to watch as has posted a 5.33 ERA, a 1.78 WHIP, and has held opponents to a .286 batting average. He holds a 3-1 record in 25.1 innings pitched and four starts and appearances. He has struck out seven batters thus far during the 2024 season.
• The top relief pitcher for WVWC is Anthony Hernandez who has thrown 16.2 innings in six appearances while making one start on the mound. He has posted an ERA of 5.40, a WHIP of 1.56 and has held opponents to a .234 batting average.
• Lee Badley is in his third season as the head coach at West Virginia Wesleyan with a record of 21-85 during his time with the Bobcats. Overall, he is in his seventh season as a collegiate head baseball coach with a career record of 104-193 following a four year stint at Charleston.

SERIES HISTORY

• Since the 2011 season West Liberty holds an 18-9 advantage in the series record.
• The Hilltoppers pushed their win streak over the Bobcats to six as they earned their third consecutive sweep in the series at Kovalick Field on March 27, 2023, by scores of 11-3 and 7-0.