OMAHA, Neb. – Omaha welcomes Kansas State for a mid-week game at Werner Park Tuesday, April 23, at 6:35 p.m.
LEADING OFF
• The Mavericks enter the game with a 24-10-1 record after recently sweeping Purdue Fort Wayne in a Summit League road series last weekend.
• Omaha and Kansas State meet for the second time this season, as the Wildcats won the previous meeting 7-2 back on April 10 in Manhattan, Kan.
• In that game,
Parker Smejkal recorded his fourth homer of the season for his 1-for-3 effort at the plate.
Braden Rogers,
Ben Palensky and
Max Gamm also recorded a hit in the game.
Jackson Gordon was credited with the loss (0-1), while K-State's Caleb Littlejim improve to 2-1. Littlejim went 6.0 innings with four strikeouts on run and three hits allowed.
• Omaha is looking for its first mid-week win of the season. The team currently sits at 0-3 thus far.
• Smejkal leads the league in batting average at .398. He also has league-bests in slugging percentage (.675) and on-base percentage (.557). His on-base percentage also ranks second in the nation amongst Division I.
• On the mound,
Jacob Alcorn will make his first-career start on the bump for the Mavericks.
• Omaha's pitching has been crucial for the team this season, as
Payton Kinney leads the league with a perfect 8-0 record and a 1.34 ERA. His eight wins are also tied for the nation's best and his ERA is eighth in the nation.
• Fellow weekend starter
Spencer Koelewyn held the nation's fewest hits allowed per nine innings for over a month, but saw that streak broken last weekend at Purdue Fort Wayne. He now ranks third with 4.15 hits allowed per nine innings.
•
Cal Hehnke and
Tyler Daugherty are tied for the most saves amongst league members with five this season. Gordon ranks second in the league with four saves.
•
Ben Palensky is currently riding a 26-game reached base streak heading into the mid-week contest. Fellow teammate
Braden Rogers is at 23.
• Fresh into the lineup last weekend after missing time due to injury,
Matt Bondarchuk had five singles and four runs scored in his return.
• Over the weekend at Purdue Fort Wayne, he batted .600. In his 15 appearances this season, Bondarchuk is hitting .383 and has 10 RBI and 13 runs scored.
UP NEXT
Omaha takes on second-place South Dakota State in a three-game Summit League series beginning Friday, April 26 through Sunday, April 28.
