BSB Series Preview: WBU vs Crowley’s Ridge (Feb. 28-Mar. 1)

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. (2/27/25) – The Williams Baptist University baseball team continues AMC play with a four-game set against Crowley's Ridge on Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, Mar. 1 at Pioneer Park in Paragould, Ark.

SERIES INFORMATION

WILLIAMS EAGLES (9-3, 2-2 AMC) vs CROWLEY'S RIDGE PIONEERS (0-10, 0-2 AMC)

GAME ONE - Friday, Feb. 28 - 11:00 a.m. CST - Pioneer Park (Paragould, Ark.)
Live stats - https://wbueagles.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/boxscores/20250228_bbbn.xml 

GAME TWO - Friday, Feb. 28 - 1:00 p.m. CST - Pioneer Park (Paragould, Ark.)
Live stats - https://wbueagles.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/boxscores/20250228_9mwf.xml 

GAME THREE - Saturday, Mar. 1 - 11:00 a.m. CST - Pioneer Park (Paragould, Ark.)
Live stats - https://wbueagles.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/boxscores/20250301_eq67.xml 

GAME FOUR - Saturday, Mar. 1 - 1:00 p.m. CST - Pioneer Park (Paragould, Ark.)
Live stats - https://wbueagles.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/boxscores/20250301_31ud.xml  

MATCHUP FACTS

Last Game: Apr. 16, 2024 (WBU  14-4) .
Current Streak: WBU W2

WBU QUICK FACTS

2025 Record: 9-3 (2-2 AMC)
Current Streak: L2
2024 Record: 30-20 (9-12 AMC)
2023-24 Postseason: None
Head Coach: Stephen Abanathy (9th season)
HC Record: 164-221 (58-134 AMC)
Assistant Coach: Jared Dahl (4th season)

ABOUT CROWLEY'S RIDGE

2024-25 Record: 0-10 (0-2 AMC)
Current Streak: L10
2023-24 Record: 11-23 (2-7 CAC)
2023-24 Postseason: None
Head Coach: Tray Malone
Assistant Coaches: Wil Teague

CRC NOTABLES

• The Pioneers were swept by Missouri Baptist 19-1 and 6-0 to open American Midwest Conference play

• The Spartans took game one behind a 16-run offensive explosion

• MBU scored seven in the second and seven in the third to go up 15-0 after three innings

• The lone Pioneer run came from Adonis Thomas scoring on an error by the pitcher in the top of the seventh inning

• Elijah Mayfield shut down the Spartans over 2.1 innings on no hits and no runs with two strikeouts

• CRC gave up four home runs to MBU

• Missouri Baptist kept rolling in game two of the doubleheader for a 6-0 victory

• MBU scored three in the bottom of the first, then added insurance in the fourth, fifth, and sixth

• The Pioneers offense was only able to muster one hit off the bat of Conner Boan

• Clay Burgess leads the CRC offensive with a .286 AVG through the first 10 games

• Burgess also has the team lead in RBI's with five so far

• Conner Boan has drawn a team-high eight walks for a.444 OBP

• Rilyn Coleman leads the team with five runs scored on the year

• Adonis Thomas has the lone CRC homer this year against Southwestern Christian (Feb. 14)

• Parker Gordon leads the team with an ERA of 9.00 through three appearances

• As a team, CRC sports a .177 average at the place and 11.51 ERA on the mound

• The Pioneers went 11-23 a season ago

• This season is CRC's first in the American Midwest Conference

• The Pioneers were picked to finish ninth in the AMC Preseason Coaches Poll

• Next, CRC will take on Lyon in a doubleheader on Monday, Mar. 3 in Batesville, Ark.

LAST TIME OUT

• WBU split its' four-game set with William Woods to open AMC play

• The Eagles won game one 3-1 

• Woods struck first with a run in the top of the first, but WBU tied the game on an RBI single from Jacob Watkins and took the lead with Connor Brinkley scoring on an error in the fourth

• Parker Jeffries tossed a complete game with six strikeouts for his third win of the season

• Watkins led off scoring in game two with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first

• The Eagles added two more in the fourth on an error to go up 4-1

• Woods fought back late, but Jacob Eubanks slammed the door to take the 4-3 win in game two

• WWU won game three 2-1

• The Eagles lone run came on a solo home run from Cody Jones in the bottom of the third that tied the game 1-1

• A sacrifice fly in the fourth gave the Owls a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish

• WWU took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth, but WBU responded with two runs of its own in game four

• Woods scored two in the seventh to back on top 4-2

• Luke Bullins cut the lead to one in the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot, but the Eagles were unable to come all the way back 

WBU NOTABLES

• Williams sports a team batting average of .275 so far this season

• The WBU pitching staff currently holds a 3.94 ERA 

• Eagles pitchers hold a .203 BAA this season 

• WBU returns seven AMC All-Conference players from 2024

• Jacob Watkins leads WBU with a .415  AVG through 41 at-bats

• Lawson Aaron follows with a .357 AVG through 42 at-bats

• Aaron also leads the Eagles in RBI's with 14

• Skylar Morrison follows closely behind with 10 RBI's 

• Aaron leads WBU in home runs with two (T-4th AMC)

• Gavin Mink lead the Eagles in stolen bases with four

• Nash Koczka leads the Eagles with a 1.85 ERA through 24.1 innings pitched

• Parker Jeffries follows with a 2.33 ERA through 27.0 innings

• Jeffries leads the Eagles with 36 strikeouts, while Koczka follows close behind at 33

• WBU is 2-0 when trailing by 5+ in the seventh inning or later

• 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, Williams will travel to Columbia, Mo. to face Columbia in a four-game series on Friday, Mar. 7 and Saturday, Mar. 8.  First pitch of game one on Friday is set for 1 p.m.

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