WEEKEND PREVIEWGriffon Baseball (4-3) vs. Washburn (4-4)Friday, Feb. 26; 2 p.m. | Saturday, Feb. 27; 1 p.m. | Sunday, Feb. 28; 1 p.m.Spring Sports Complex – St. Joseph, Mo. Live Stats | MWSU Season Stats | MIAA Standings ST. JOSEPH – Griffon Baseball makes its 2016 home debut this weekend with a three-game MIAA series against Washburn.
Missouri Western enters with a 4-3 mark and has won three of its last four games. The Griffons had last week off from competition, but went 3-1 the previous week at the Henderson State Spring Invitational in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. The Missouri Western offense is averaging 6.7 runs per game and the Griffon pitching staff is allowing 6.4 runs per contest.
Four Griffon hitters are batting .370 or better with
Brandon Downs and
Kody Matthews leading the way with .375 averages.
Cosimo Cannella and
Nick Gawley both carry .370 batting averages into the weekend. Cannella leads the team with 12 RBIs and two home runs. Six other Griffons have hit one home run this season.
Five pitchers have drawn at least one start for Missouri Western this season.
Evan Jones picked up a win in his start and leads all starters with a 1.69 ERA.
Richard Peoples leads the Griffons in innings pitched. The junior has pitched 11 innings with one start and one relief appearance.
Preston Bailey has appeared three times, all in relief and leads the Griffons with seven strikeouts over six innings. Three other Griffons have recorded six strikeouts.
Washburn enters St. Joseph with a 4-4 record after dropping a game to Newman earlier this week, 15-5. Wes Jones' .417 average leads an Ichabod offense that carries a .252 team batting average. Riley Krane leads Washburn with 13 RBIs and two home runs.
The Washburn pitching staff carries a 5.91 ERA and has allowed opponents a .325 batting average. Greg Mason has not allowed a run in three relief appearances. Nick Silva leads starters with a 2.79 ERA. Silva is 0-0 in his two starts.
