OKWU baseball continues blazing success
By Mike Tupa
April 12, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
There are solid seasons, there are great seasons and there are extraordinary seasons.
And then there is the kind of incredible odyssey the Oklahoma Wesleyan University baseball team is putting together this spring.
The Eagles are 35-5 — tying the program’s second-best-ever showing through 40 games.
Only the 2021 team — also coached by Kirk Kelley — boasted a better record (37-3) at this juncture of the season.
That ’21 squad qualified for the NAIA World Series — a quest that beckons this year’s squad.
Perhaps only one word best describes this year’s campaign — Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
But this isn’t a Mary Poppins fantasy. Ball-blasting bats, laser-sharp pitches, a true baseball I.Q., super-reliable gloves, savvy coaching and overall hustle, muscle and fighting corpuscles have been the main themes of this blossoming success story.
In OKWU’s most recent game, Dewey High School graduate Cole Hancock recorded his first pitching win of the season. See the game summary a few paragraphs down.
The Eagles are now starting their final 10-game stretch to the end of the regular season.
Their remaining home games are:
— April 15, vs. Evangel (Mo.), 2 p.m. (Silverlake Field)
— April 18, vs. Kansas Wesleyan, 3 p.m. (Silverlake)
— April 19, vs. Kansas Wesleyan, noon (Doenges Stadium)
— April 19, vs. Kansas Wesleyan, 3 p.m. (Doenges)
— April 25, vs. Ottawa (Kan.), noon, (Doenges)
— April 25, vs. Ottawa (Kan.), 3 p.m. (Doenges)
— April 26, vs. Ottawa (Kan.), 2 p.m. (Doenges).
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RECENT WINS
OKWU 18, BETHANY (Kan.) 0 — Eagles’ starting pitcher Jacob Morgan gave up just two hits — and no runs — during his five-inning stint to earn the win. He walked one and struck out five. Closer Aden Brothers struck out two of the four batters he faced.
While OKWU pitchers enjoyed flawless defense behind them, the Eagle offense chewed up Bethany pitching like a six-headed shark.
Connor Hickey unleashed the biggest bite, putting together a 5-for-5 day, including two homers, with six RBI.
Victor Sanchez and Jorge Aldrete both crushed one homer while driving in three and two runs, respectively.
Ravaughn Morgan and Braydon Caldwell delivered a double apiece. Morgan also singled and finished with three RBI. Caldwell plated one run — on a sacrifice fly.
Luis Antigua added two singles and scored two runs. Brandon Poindexter walked twice, singled and scored three runs. J.T. Maloney singled and drove home a tally.
Bethany’s offense managed just five singles — two of them by J. Figuera. Closer E. Vasquez was the team’s lone pitcher not to allow a run.
OKWU 14, EVANGEL (Mo.) 3 — Hancock has dialed up some solid outings in relief spurts for the Eagles, but took full advantage of this start to show what he could do.
During five innings of work he scattered six hits, allowed just two runs, walked two and struck out four — all on 74 pitches.
Carson Frazier and Braelen Pippin took turns in relief to wrap up the win.
Sanchez amassed huge numbers on offense — a homer, three singles, three runs scored and six RBI — while batting in the two-hole.
Javier Marcial and Poindexter each doubled. Marcial drove in two runs.
Caldwell added two hits and a RBI on a sacrifice fly.
Hickey also launched a sacrifice fly.
Ravaughn Morgan reached base four times and scored four runs. John Dominguez also scored two runs.
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SEASON LEADERS (based on latest numbers)
Batting average (minimum 80 at-bats)
.438 — Jorge Aldrete (56-128)
.407 — Connor Hickey (57-140)
.388 — Javier Marcial (54-139)
.385 — Ravaughn Morgan (57-148)
.371 — Luis Antigua (43-115)
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Extra base hits (2B-3B-HR)
27 — Ravaughn Morgan (18-2-7)
26 — Javier Marcial (14-2-10)
23 — Connor Hickey (7-2-14)
18 — Victory Sanchez (6-1-11)
15 — Luis Antigua (9-0-6)
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Runs-RBI (R-RBI)
98 — Connor Hickey (52-46)
96 — Javier Marcial (53-43)
96 — Ravaughn Morgan (51-45)
83 — Victor Sanchez (40-43)
81 — Jorge Aldrete (31-50)
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Earned Run Average (minimum 21 innings)
2.20 — Ashton Luera (45.0)
2.57 — Michael Mendoza (56.0)
2.93 — Matthew Weidkamp (27.2)
3.32 — Evan Foor (65.0)
5.57 — Jacob Morgan (21.0)
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Win-loss percentage (minimum 5 wins)
1.000 — Michael Mendoza (8-0)
.900 — Evan Foor (9-1)
.833 — Ashton Luera (5-1)
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Strikeout-to-walk ratio (minimum 19 strikeouts)
13.0 — Matthew Weidkamp (26-to-2)
4.83 — Evan Foor (58–to-12)
4.00 — Michael Mendoza (60-to-15)
3.20 — Ashton Luera (64–to-20)
2.71 — Carson Frazier (19-to-7)