BSB Series Preview: WBU vs Philander-Smith (Feb. 7-8)

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. (2/5/25) – The Williams Baptist University baseball team will kick off an 11-game homestand with a three game set against Philander-Smith on Feb. 7-8.

SERIES INFORMATION

WILLIAMS BAPTIST EAGLES (3-0, 0-0 AMC) vs PHILANDER-SMITH PANTHERS (0-0, 0-0 HBCUAC)

GAME ONE - Friday, Feb. 7 - 12:00 p.m. CST - Shell Field (Walnut Ridge, Ark.)
Live stats - https://wbueagles.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/boxscores/20250207_42ox.xml
Live video - wbueagles.com/watch 

GAME TWO - Friday, Feb. 7 - 2:00 p.m. CST - Shell Field (Walnut Ridge, Ark.)
Live stats - https://wbueagles.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/boxscores/20250207_pvlr.xml
Live video - wbueagles.com/watch 

GAME THREE - Saturday, Feb. 8 - 12:00 p.m. CST - Shell Field (Walnut Ridge, Ark.)
Live stats - https://wbueagles.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/boxscores/20250208_ydqr.xml
Live video - wbueagles.com/watch 

MATCHUP FACTS

Last Game: Mar. 2, 2024 (WBU  13-5)
Last Series: WBU swept PSU in a four-game set in Walnut Ridge on Mar. 1-2, 2024.  Gavin Mink hit a walk-off home run in game one to win 2-1.
Current Streak: WBU W6

WBU QUICK FACTS

2025 Record: 3-0 (0-0 AMC)
Current Streak: W3
2024 Record: 30-20 (9-12 AMC)
2023-24 Postseason: None
Head Coach: Stephen Abanathy (9th)
HC Record: 158-218 (56-132 AMC)
Assistant Coach: Jared Dahl (4th)

ABOUT PHILANDER-SMITH

2024-25 Record: 0-0
Current Streak: None
2023-24 Record: 2-32 (2-19 GCAC)
2023-24 Postseason: None
Head Coach: Kelvin Battles 

PHILANDER-SMITH NOTABLES

• The Panthers went 2-32 a season ago

• PSU was winless outside of Little Rock in 2024

• PSU was scheduled to open the season against Ecclesia on Jan. 31-Feb. 1, but the three-game series was postponed due to weather

• The Panthers were picked to finish ninth in the HBCUAC.  The team received one first place vote.

• Next, Philander-Smith will take on Southwestern Christian in a doubleheader on Tuesday, Feb. 11

LAST TIME OUT

• WBU took a three-game sweep over Champion Christian to open the season

• Down five runs in the seventh inning of game one, the Eagles offense came alive to take the walk-off win

• Lawson Aaron tied the ballgame at seven with a three-run shot, then Skylar Morrison walked it off with a solo home run two batters later

• Aaron kicked off game two with a two-run bomb in the bottom of the first to put the Eagles out to a lead they would not relinquish

• Nash Koczka went five scoreless innings to power Williams to a doubleheader sweep

• WBU fell behind in game three after the Tigers put up a three-run bottom of the fourth to take a 4-1 lead

• After a two-run fifth, Skylar Morrison tied the game at four with a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth

• Morrison drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth with a bases loaded hit-by-pitch

• The Eagles offense exploded for seven insurance runs in the top of the ninth to take a 12-4 win

• WBU scored seven runs on two hits and no errors in the top of the ninth to secure the game three victory

• Parker Jeffries secured his first win of the season in game three after four scoreless innings with five strikeouts.  With the decision, Jeffries became the first pitcher in program history to reach 20 wins in a career.

• Lawson Aaron went 8-for-12 with two home runs and seven RBI's in the three-game series

• Skylar Morrison went a combined 4-for-8 with a home run and seven RBI's in the series

WBU NOTABLES

• Williams sports a team batting average of .312 (2nd AMC) through three games

• As a team, the Eagles have only struck out 19 times on offense (2nd AMC)

• The WBU pitching staff currently holds a 4.30 ERA, the second lowest in the AMC

• WBU returns seven AMC All-Conference players from 2024

• Lawson Aaron leads the league in batting average with a .583 clip through three games

• Aaron and Skylar Morrison are tied for second in RBI's in the conference, both with seven

• Aaron is also tied for the league-lead in home runs with two bombs through three games

• Parker Jeffries leads the AMC in strikeouts with 10 punchouts through two appearances

• The Eagles went 18-9 at Shell Field in 2024 (2-0 this season)

• Williams was picked to finish fifth in the AMC Preseason Coaches Poll

AMC PRESEASON POLL

1 Missouri Baptist - 90 (7)
2 Columbia - 82 (1)
3 Central Baptist - 74
4 William Woods - 62
5 Williams Baptist - 58
6 Mission - 52
7 Hannibal-LaGrange - 39
8 UHSP - 38
9 Crowley's Ridge - 24
10 Harris-Stowe - 21

SCHEDULE NOTES

• Up next, the Eagles will continue its homestand with a four game series against Trinity Christian on Feb. 14-15.  First pitch of both doubleheaders against the Trolls is set for noon on Friday and Saturday.

• WBU's 2025 schedule features 27 home games at Shell Field.