Belmont University Baseball Team Heads to Chicago for Crucial MVC Series

Strategic Insights -

The Belmont University baseball team travels to the Windy City this weekend to face off against the University of Illinois-Chicago in a crucial three-game Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) series. The series, held at Curtis Granderson Stadium, begins on Friday evening and continues through Saturday afternoon before wrapping up on Sunday at noon. The games will be streamed on various platforms, including ESPN+ and iHeartRadio.

Key Takeaways:

  • Belmont University baseball team is seeking a winning streak to begin the month of May after finishing 7-12 in April.
  • Junior third baseman Mason Landers leads the team in batting average, hits, home runs, and RBIs, with a 20-game on-base streak.
  • Landers is 7-for-17 (.412) with three home runs and five RBIs over his last four games.
  • Junior first baseman Brodey Heaton ranks fifth in Belmont's NCAA-era for career RBIs (145) and needs two more home runs to crack the top-10 in career homers.
  • In MVC play, junior right fielder Sam Slaughter leads the team with a .286 batting average and one home run, seven doubles, and ten walks.
  • The Friday projected starter is freshman right-hander Will Pryor (3-0, 2.80 ERA), who is coming off his first career Friday start last week.
  • The Saturday projected starter is junior left-hander Dominic Baratta (3-4, 4.91 ERA), who provided 7.1 innings of relief against Murray State on Saturday.
  • The Sunday projected starter is freshman right-hander Joe Ruzicka (0-3, 4.98 ERA), who has made ten starts this season and has tallied 41 strikeouts in 34.1 innings.
  • Redshirt freshman two-way player Ethan Harden owns a team-best 1.83 ERA on the mound with five saves, which ranks second in the MVC.
  • Junior left fielder Max Blessinger is 6-for-13 (.462) with a home run and a double over his last four games.
  • Belmont is 14-0 when leading after six innings.
  • About the Flames, UIC has made eight NCAA Regional appearances since 2000, including most recently in 2019.

Statistics:

  • 20-game on-base streak by Mason Landers
  • 7-for-17 (.412) with three home runs and five RBIs by Mason Landers over his last four games
  • 145 career RBIs by Brodey Heaton, fifth in Belmont's NCAA-era
  • .286 batting average by Sam Slaughter in MVC play
  • 41 strikeouts by Joe Ruzicka in 34.1 innings this season
  • 1.83 ERA by Ethan Harden on the mound with five saves
  • 14-0 when leading after six innings by Belmont University

Sources:

  • Belmont University news release
  • University of Illinois-Chicago baseball team information