Back home! Concordia University Chicago baseball (1-4) is set to host their first home game since the 2019 Division III Super Regional on Wednesday when they welcome the Raiders of MSOE (0-2) to Cougar Field for a doubleheader.
It's the first of two doubleheaders for the Cougars this week, with the team traveling to Madison, Wis. to take on Edgewood College (1-8)* on Saturday. These will not count as conference games for CUC, but will kick-off a stretch of 14 consecutive games against NACC opponents.
The Cougars had nearly a week of rest since their loss to North Park University, where the team used seven different pitchers. The six days off allowed the team to rest up and refocus as their attention shifts to conference foes.
There are four qualified batters hitting over .300 for CUC through five games:
With the exception of Garcia, each of those players bat in the bottom part of the order. This is a positive sign moving forward, especially if the top half of the lineup can continue to produce the power and runs it has shown flashes of early on.
MSOE began their season this past Saturday by getting swept at the hands of Dominican University. The Raiders fell 4-3 in 10 innings in the opener before losing 7-4 in the nightcap. They have a team average of .178 through two games, with senior outfielder Justin Bickman leading the way after going 3-8 with a triple and an RBI against the Stars.
The Cougars own a dominating 29-4 all-time record against the Raiders, including a current nine-game winning streak that dates back to 2016. They are a perfect 14-0 against them at home.
Saturday's games against Edgewood could provide an opportunity for the Cougar bats to really take off. The Eagles are allowing an average of nearly 12 runs per game through nine games and have a staff ERA of 10.11, compared to an opponent ERA of 3.65. One player to keep an eye on is Joseph Kalafut, who is batting .324 with two homers and five RBIs so far this season. The junior is a dual threat player, with two appearances on the mound this season.
Similar to MSOE, the Cougars have a 26-4 all-time record against the Eagles. CUC won the last seven matchups dating back to 2016, and nine of the last 10.
First pitch in Wednesday's home opener is set for 1 p.m., with the second game scheduled to begin around 3. A stream to the game will be available on the CUC Athletics Youtube channel.
Saturday's doubleheader will begin at noon, with the second game starting around 2 p.m. A stream to the action can be found on the
Edgewood Athletics website.
*Edgewood currently has a doubleheader scheduled for Wednesday.
