OKWU baseball wrapup: kelley gets 330 wins; several eagles earn postseason awards
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s head baseball coach Kirk Kelley led his Eagles to Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference postseason play. He has 330 career wins in nine seasons. Several Eagle players received postseason awards.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
June 2. 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Someday when an historian of Oklahoma Wesleyan University sports reflects on the Top 10 baseball teams, there should be little doubt the 2025 powerhouse crew will hold an honored place.
The team — coached by Kirk Kelley — set a team record for the most conference wins in a season (31) and is one of only six Eagle baseball squads to record more than 45 wins.
Kelley’s knights of the diamonds finished with a 47-11 record (.810), including a 31-7 mark in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) (.816).
Admittedly the season didn’t end with an ideal flair.
After losing twice in the KCAC postseason tourney, the Eagles advanced to a rugged NAIA regional in Hattiesburg, Miss.
Losses to the University of British Columbia and Indiana University Southeast shut the door for the OKWU’s hopes to advance to the NAIA World Series for the fourth time in 12 seasons.
Kelley reached 330 career victories (330-160) in nine seasons as the OKWU baseball skipper, surpassing Matt Parker (325-113) in Eagles’ career victories.
Leading the way at the plate on this year’s team was outfielder Ravaughn Morgan, who was named the KCAC Player of the Year.
He finished with a .416 batting average, belted 14 homers, drove home 71 runs and scored 76 runs.
On the mound side, Evan Foor earned the KCAC Pitcher of the Year kudos after he finished 12-1 on the season. Foor also collected a KCAC Gold Glove.
Other First Team All-KCAC players included Jorge Aldrete, Conner Hickey, Victor Sanchez and Michael Mendoza.
Luis Antigua and Javier Marcial landed on the Second Team.
Two former local high school products Cole Hancock (Dewey) and Alan Covarrubias (Bartlesville) contributed on the mound.
Hancock (3-0) pitched 30 innings and struck out 23 batters. He tossed one complete game.
Covarrubias (1-1) notched a save during his 15 appearances. He worked 13.2 innings and struck out 18 batters while walking only three.
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Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Jorge Aldrete lets a high pitch go by during an earlier season game. Aldrete was named to the First Team All-KCAC.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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TOP OKWU BASEBALL TEAMS
58-8: 2013-14 — Conf: 23-1; NAIA World Series (3-2)
53-8: 2017-18 — Conf.: 25-5; NAIA regionals (2-2)
51-12: 2016-17 — Conf.: 20-6; NAIA World Series (0-2)
49-11: 2020-21 — Conf.: 29-4; NAIA World Series (0-2)
49-13: 2014-15 — Conf.: 19-5; NAIA regionals (3-2)
47-11: 2024-25 — Conf.: 31-7; NAIA regionals (1-2)
45-11: 2018-19 — Conf.: 28-5; NAIA regionals (2-2)
42-25: 2011-12 — Conf.: 12-8; NCCAA nationals (4-2)
41-23: 2015-16 — Conf.: 21-15; NAIA regionals (3-2)
39-28: 2010-11 — Conf.: 10-10; NCCAA championship (6-1)