Concordia University Chicago baseball (3-6) is back in action on Saturday with a doubleheader on the road against Lakeland University (2-5). It's the first of two doubleheaders in three days for the team, as they return home on Monday for two games with Marian University (3-9)*.

The story of the Cougars' season through nine games has been the offense. They've scored at least 11 runs in each of their last four games, including 16 in both halves of their doubleheader sweep of MSOE last week. This early offensive outburst has the Cougars ranked third in the NACC in runs and 18th nationally. 

Power has been the main catalyst of the offense so far. The team currently ranks near the top of the conference in home runs, with Brody Mariotti (Yorktown, Ind.) leading all individuals with five long balls (No. 17 nationally). 

The power has not just come from Mariotti. Juniors Howie Hatton (North Riverside, Ill.), Michael Zavoli (Lake Barrington, Ill.) and freshman Carter Gledhill (Arlington Heights, Ill.) each hit their first career home runs during the Cougar's last two series. Sophomore Gary Maynard (Oswego, Ill.) is second on the team with two home runs. 

Of course there must be runners on base in order for the power numbers to produce the runs the Cougars are producing. They rank third in the conference and 18th nationally with a team batting average of .348. This impressive display of hitting has been a team effort, with seven qualified players hitting over .300. Freshman Aidan Donovan (Santee, Calif.) leads the team at .452, which is sixth highest in the conference. 

Lakeland enters Saturday's game coming off of two extra inning losses to Rockford University last Friday. The Muskies average just under five runs per game, and rank in the middle of the pack of the NACC in team ERA. Their top hitter is sophomore Nathan Hemmerling, who is batting .400 with three home runs, eight RBIs and seven runs scored through seven games.

The Cougars have won the last 14 meetings between the teams, the longest streak in the series' history. They are 27-11 all-time against the Muskies, winning the most recent matchup 19-2 in seven innings. 

Monday's opponent, the Marian Sabres, rank fourth in the conference in runs, averaging over seven per game. The majority of their offense comes from Sean Meyer and Michael Snow, who are hitting .367 and .360, respectively. Meyer leads the team with 12 RBIs, while Snow's three home runs account for half of the team's total.

The Cougars hold a 24-3 all-time advantage over the Sabres. They have won 10 in a row dating back to 2015, most recently winning 11-3 two years ago. 

Saturday's doubleheader at Lakeland will begin at noon, with the second game starting roughly 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first. Monday's action will also begin at noon, with game two again starting a half hour after. 

Lakeland Stream

Marian Stream

*Marian has a doubleheader scheduled with No. 5 Aurora on Sat. April, 3.