West Liberty, W.Va. – After facing a pair of non-conference opponents at Kovalick Field earlier this week, the West Liberty University baseball team will return to Mountain East Conference play this weekend as they travel to the Buckeye State to face Notre Dame in a 4-game series between north division foes. The Hilltoppers and Falcons are slated for a 1 and 4 p.m. first pitch on both Saturday, April 20, and Sunday, April 21, at Mercy Health Stadium in Avon, Ohio.

GAME DETAILS

• Location: Avon, Ohio (Mercy Health Stadium)
• First Pitch: 1 and 4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday

WEST LIBERTY STORYLINES

• West Liberty enters the 4-game series with a record of 8-28 (4-12 MEC) after falling to (RV) Seton Hill by a score of 19-5 on Tuesday afternoon to close out a 3-day homestand.
• The Hilltoppers are currently in fifth place in the MEC North Division standings.
• As a team, WLU has hit .282 with 291 hits, 65 doubles, ten triples, 29 homeruns, 191 RBI, and 208 runs scored through 36 games played.
• James Salvatori holds a batting average of .386 and adds a .432 on-base percentage, an .803 slugging percentage, and a 1.235 on-base plus slugging percentage. He has tallied 49 hits, ten doubles, five triples, 11 homeruns, 43 RBI, and 32 runs scored. Salvatori leads the MEC in triples and ranks 12^th in NCAA Division II. Additionally, he ranks second in the league in home runs and is 50^th nationally. Among other categories he is third in the conference in slugging percentage and RBI with national ranks of 22^nd and 95^th respectively. He has notched a hit in eight of his last ten games played, including five multi-hit games in those contests. On the base paths he is 9-for-11 on stolen base attempts.
• Ryan Talbert is also hitting above .300 with a batting average of .306, while adding an on-base percentage of .441, a slugging percentage of .546, and an on-base plus slugging percentage of .987. He has tallied 33 hits, ten doubles, two triples, four homeruns, 23 RBI, and 27 runs scored. During the 3-day homestand this past week, he recorded a pair of 3-hit performances against Salem and Seton Hill as he was 3-for-3 in game two on Sunday against the Tigers and in the 9-inning contest against the Griffins on Tuesday.
• The Hilltoppers' pitching staff has recorded an ERA of 9.98, allowing 374 hits and 220 walks, while throwing 158 strikeouts. Opponents have held a .351 batting average against WLU pitchers.
• Drake Dobson has made two starts and four total appearances this season as he is 0-2 while recording a 6.23 ERA, a 2.65 WHIP, and an opponent's batting average of .303 in 8.2 innings pitched. He has thrown five strikeouts during the season, including a season-high of three in a start at Frostburg State.
• Jacob Watson is 1-2 in four starts and 11 appearances in 2024, holding an ERA of 7.09, a WHIP of 2.09, and has held opponents to a .333 batting average in 33.0 innings of work on the mound. He has struck out 14 batters this year, including a season-high of three on three separate occasions.
• Craig Wilson is 1-1 in one start and seven appearances this year, holding an ERA of 7.63, a WHIP of 2.28, and an opponent's batting average of .348 in 15.1 innings pitched on the mound. He has totaled 11 strikeouts during 2024, including a season-high of three at Glenville State.
• Eric Burkle is in his 12^th season as the head coach at West Liberty with a career record of 229-309 during his time with the Hilltoppers.

NOTRE DAME STORYLINES

• Notre Dame enters the 4-game series with a record of 8-28 (5-15 MEC) after falling by a score of 8-5 at Walsh in a non-conference game on Wednesday afternoon.
• The Falcons are currently in fourth place in the MEC North Division standings.
• As a team, NDC has hit .242 with 248 hits, 44 doubles, six triples, 14 homeruns, 140 RBI, and 165 runs scored through 36 games played.
• Alexander Jones leads the team with a batting average of .308, while also adding an on-base percentage of .423, a slugging percentage of .394, and an on-base plus slugging percentage of .817. He has tallied 32 hits, seven doubles, one triple, 21 RBI, and 18 runs scored. On the base paths he is 8-for-12 on stolen base attempts.
• Also batting above .300 is Caden Gomes who is hitting .306 with an on-base percentage of .409, a slugging percentage of .426, and an on-base plus slugging percentage of .835. He has tallied 33 hits, ten doubles, one homerun, eight RBI, and 20 runs scored.
• The Falcons' pitching staff has recorded an ERA of 9.08, allowing 380 hits and 194 walks, while throwing 188 strikeouts. Opponents have held a .343 batting average against NDC pitchers.
• With a record of 1-3 in five starts and 15 appearances, Danny Brammer holds an ERA of 5.59, a WHIP of 1.73, and has held opponents to a batting average of .359. He has struck out 25 batters in 38.2 innings of work on the mound, including a season-high of four strikeouts in a game against Lake Erie.
• Another starter to watch is Johnny Anservitz, who is 1-6 in eight starts and 11 appearances as he holds an ERA of 6.29, a WHIP of 1.89, and has held opponents to a .274 batting average. He has tallied a team-high 47 strikeouts this season, including a single-game high of ten against Fairmont State.
• Guy Young is 3-1 in three starts and eight appearances, holding an ERA of 7.83, a WHIP of 2.00, and has limited opponents to a .281 batting average. He has struck out 24 batters in 23.0 innings of work on the mound, including a season-high of 11 against Grand Valley State.
• Len Barker is in his 13^th season as the head coach at Notre Dame with a career record of 246-329-1 during his time with the Falcons.

SERIES HISTORY

• Since the 2014 season, Notre Dame holds a 24-16 advantage in the series.
• The Hilltoppers won last year's 4-game series at Kovalick Field against the Falcons. On April 23, 2023, the team's split with WLU winning game one 6-4, before NDC took game two by a score of 7-0. The next day, April 24, the Hilltoppers swept the doubleheader by scores of 9-0 and 5-4.