Game Time... Northwestern faces Morningside at 2:00 pm on Friday.
Scouting Morningside... Morningside comes in with a 12-9 overall record and a 4-4 GPAC record. The Mustangs have lost their last four conference games after sweeping both opponents on opening weekend. Morningside is led offensively by Jason Engleman. Engleman has a team high .377 batting average, eight doubles, and nine stolen bases. He has also scored 20 runs and driven in 15 runners. Jared Noteboom (.368) and Brett Hoch (.362) also have batting averages above .300 for coach Jim Scholten. Tom Kohl has scored a team high 21 runs and Name Gomez has driven in a Mustang best 19 runs.
The Mustang pitching staff is led by a couple of newcomers: Wade Morrison and Steven Aschinger. Morrison and Aschinger both have 3-1 records while Morrison has a 2.28 era and Aschinger a 3.12. James Brouillette (1-1, 5.49 era) and Gabe Shockman (2-3, 7.65) have also been starters for Morningside. Morningside is second in the GPAC in team era and is ninth in batting average.
Red Raider Notes... Northwestern is coming off of a sweep of Doane last weekend in GPAC play. The sweep moved Northwestern to the top of the GPAC standings at 5-1. The Red Raiders have also moved up to second in the Region III rankings and are in the receiving votes category to be nationally ranked. Northwestern is currently 12-8 overall. They are led offensively by Grant Wall. Wall is hitting a team best .397, has scored 22 runs, smashed 10 doubles, and has 17 rbi. Jake Jansen is batting .367 and has a team high 19 rbi and four home-runs. Joe Heitritter (.359), Codie Zeutenhorst (.319), and Austin Malone (.314) are also hitting above .300 for the Red Raiders. Northwestern is fourth in the GPAC with a .303 team average.
On the mound, seniors Mihai Burlea and Joe Grady lead the pitching staff. Burlea, last week's GPAC Pitcher of the Week, is tied for the GPAC lead with four wins. He also has a GPAC best 38 strike outs to go with his 4-2 record. Burlea's era is 5.64 in 30.1 innings. Grady, the GPAC Pitcher of the Week two weeks ago, is 2-1 with four saves. His 3.46 era is a team best. Lefties Trevor Kuiper and Mike Zoellner have also made three starts for Northwestern, who has a 5.57 team era, third best in the conference.
Up Next... Saturday, Northwestern will face USF in either Yankton, S.D., or Orange City, Iowa. Game time will be determined once the site is determined. Tuesday, Northwestern will travel to Mitchell, S.D. to take on the Tigers in a make-up GPAC doubleheader. Start time is 2:00 pm.
2008 Media Guide
