May 19, 2019 - It's hard to imagine a storyline that could produce more drama and subplots than the two games that the Concordia-Chicago Cougars (40-8) and the Baldwin-Wallace Yellow Jackets (27-16) played against each other over the weekend. But in the end, all that will matter to both of these teams in winning Monday's game, in any way imaginable.
When the CUC regional was announced last Monday, the second-seeded Baldwin-Wallace team came in with some questions, having lost four consecutive games leading up to the regional. But the Yellow Jackets, who had been slumping at the plate, found their offense in the middle of Friday's game against St. John's (MN) University and have not slowed down since. Two of the Yellow Jackets' leaders have been shortstop Alex Ludwick and first baseman Philip Wells. Ludwick hit a two-run homer, a key blow in turning the momentum of Saturday's game toward BWU as they won the suspended game 10-8 on Sunday morning. Wells hit a three-run homer and drove in five runs Sunday as part of the Yellow Jackets' 13-run, 16-hit assault. Wells has raised his batting average 10 points over the weekend to a team-leading .376.
The weather conditions on Sunday were perfect for the long ball, but even the most observant CUC fans might have been surprised who was the biggest home run hitter on the day. Shortstop
Jose Mercado hit one in the morning for the completion of the suspended game, and he powered two blasts onto Division Street in the afternoon, the second brining the Cougars back into the game after Wells' homer had just given BWU the lead again.
Mateo Calle also homered in the game and drove in three. However, not all of the big hits had to leave the yard.
Bryan VanDuser went 4-5 with three RBI, and his two-run double in the seventh tied the game at 13-13. The big hit, of course, was the final of the combined 35 in the game. That one belonged to pinch-hitter
Justin Rodriguez in the bottom of the tenth. With runners on the corners and two out. He looped a liner that Ludwick almost turned into a spectacular leaping catch. The ball tipped off his glove, but Ludwick quickly tracked the ball down. His desperation throw to first was not in time, however. and a wild celebration ensued on the field.
With a combined 45 runs in the two games between these teams, it would seem that Cougar Field is a very dangerous place for pitchers to be this weekend. Both head coaches have already used most of the pitchers on their 25-man rosters this weekend, and both CUC's
Mike Stawski and BWU's Brian Harrison will be challenged to piece together the best way to 27 outs on Monday. On Sunday, Stawski found his answer in freshman
Nick Brummel. After the Yellow Jackets had scored 12 runs from the third through the sixth innings, Brummel brought their momentum to a halt by retiring the first six batters he faced. The lefty would go 2 2/3 scoreless innings before giving way to
Mike Tobin, who eventually earned the win when Rodriguez walked off the game.
The winner of Monday's game will advance to a super regional this weekend against Webster, winner of the UW-Whitewater regional (dates, times and location TBD), and the winner of the super regional would advance to the Division III World Series in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
