KWU Baseball Season That Will Not be Forgotten

Zach Lockwood

KWU Baseball

KWU baseball within the KCAC can be seen as the underdogs of the bigger baseball programs.  Although, this is the case it never made the guys of the team give up at any ambitions of winning a Conference title.  With goals of winning the Conference and making it to nationals as most teams are aiming for this was not going to be an easy task by no means.

The pre-season is where most teams find a grove and build the chemistry with the line ups that work best for them.  You could tell that this was the problem for the team in the first few games of the season as they would go pretty much even until they played Iowa Wesleyan College.  From there they found their winning ways they would go on to finish the pre-season with a record of 17-11.  From there conference would begin.  This was not the strongest part of the team’s year looking to get into the playoff picture.  They would finish conference 17-16 but, this was not a true telling of what the team was capable of.  The work they put throughout the fall and winter would not go to waste as they would make the playoffs and try their run at a conference title.  Going into the playoff it would not start strong as the team took on Tabor College who are ranked 22^nd in the nation losing 5-3.  Although, this was a bounce back it did not take any desire of the championship away from the team.  Taking on Oklahoma Wesleyan in the next game it would be a close one as the team would barely hold on to their 7-6 victory.  As they got a day off the team would go into the next day of the tournament playing McPherson College.  The Coyotes would start the game out strong scoring runs in each of the first 3 innings.  Taking the game to a 4-2 victory and onto the next game was Ottawa.  They would have to play Ottawa immediately after McPherson so this was a test to see if the fatigue would get to the team.  The starting pitcher for this game and who the coach would call to was Beers.  Although, he did not start the game strong and did not record a out Wilson would be the next man up going 5 innings and not allowing a single earned run.  The bats would be alive as the team would drive in six runs to finish Ottawa University and get the 6-4 victory.  Now the final round of the playoffs in win or go home for the Coyotes as they must defeat Tabor College two games in a row while not being defeated.   The first game would be a cruise for the team as they would go on to win with comfort getting the 13-5 victory.  Playing back-to-back games, it was time for the KCAC championship game.  Both teams would enter the game strong as the 1^st inning would finish 2-1 in favor of Tabor.  Tabor would have the lead for majority of the game until the top of the 7^th as the Coyotes start to rally off.  Thanks to two runs scoring off errors and a single from Esquilin the Coyotes saw themselves tying the game at 4-4.  This would not last long as Tabor would take the lead in the bottom half of the inning making it 5-4.  No matter what inning it is it is not over for the Coyotes until the last out.  With this mindset they were able to tie the game back up in the top half of the 9^th inning making it 5-5 and taking it to extra innings.  Starting the 10^th inning hitting the Coyotes did not stay quiet as Brown homered over the right field wall driving in two runs giving them the comfortable lead with the extra insurance run.  That run would matter as Tabor would go on to score one run in the bottom half of the 10^th, but the Coyotes would finish the game off with a victory and become the KCAC champions and earning their right into the national tournament.

Throughout the whole year the baseball team has been working towards their goals of getting back to winning ways.  This is a great step forward for the program and earning the respect they deserve.  They will now go on to the National tournament playing Louisiana state University-Alexandria.  This will be a test they were working towards all year, and we wish them good luck here at KWU.