BSB Series Preview: WBU vs Harris-Stowe State (Mar. 13-14)

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. (3/12/25) – The Williams Baptist University baseball team will look to bounce back from last weekend's setback as the squad takes on Harris-Stowe State in a four game set on Mar. 13-14 at Shell Field.

SERIES INFORMATION

WILLIAMS EAGLES (12-8, 5-7 AMC) vs HARRIS-STOWE HORNETS (3-12, 1-9 AMC)

GAME ONE - Thursday, Mar. 13 - 12:00 p.m. CDT - Shell Field (Walnut Ridge, Ark.)
Live stats: https://wbueagles.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/boxscores/20250313_gcz3.xml
Live video: wbueagles.com/watch 

GAME TWO - Thursday, Mar. 13 - 2:00 p.m. CDT - Shell Field (Walnut Ridge, Ark.)
Live stats: https://wbueagles.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/boxscores/20250313_yogz.xml
Live video: wbueagles.com/watch 

GAME THREE - Friday, Mar. 14 - 10:00 a.m. CDT - Shell Field (Walnut Ridge, Ark.)
Live stats: https://wbueagles.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/boxscores/20250314_9jzq.xml
Live video: wbueagles.com/watch 

GAME FOUR - Friday, Mar. 14 - 12:00 p.m. CDT - Shell Field (Walnut Ridge, Ark.)
Live stats: https://wbueagles.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/boxscores/20250314_7xuz.xml
Live video: wbueagles.com/watch 

MATCHUP FACTS

Last Series: WBU swept Harris-Stowe in three games on Mar. 29-30, 2024 in St. Louis
Last Game: Mar. 30, 2024 (WBU 17-15)
Current Streak: WBU W6

WBU QUICK FACTS

2025 Record: 12-8 (5-7 AMC)
Current Streak: L4
2024 Record: 30-20 (9-12 AMC)
2023-24 Postseason: None
Head Coach: Stephen Abanathy (9th season)
HC Record: 167-226 (61-139 AMC)
Assistant Coach: Jared Dahl (4th season)

ABOUT HARRIS-STOWE STATE

2024-25 Record: 3-14 (1-11 AMC)
Current Streak: L6
2023-24 Record: 2-29 (1-20 AMC)
2023-24 Postseason: None
Head Coach: Pernell Roberts Jr.
Assistant Coaches: Tony Gilmore, Preston Burnett

HARRIS-STOWE'S LAST TIME OUT

• HSSU fell to Columbia in a midweek makeup doubleheader on Tuesday, Mar. 11

• The Hornets lost game one 21-4

• A four-run bottom of the third cut the Cougar lead to four

• The Cougars piled on, taking a 14-4 lead after six, then added seven in the seventh to take the game 21-4

• Stephen Huggins led the way for the Hornets, going 1-for-3 with two RBI's

• Harris-Stowe fell 22-9 in game two of the doubleheader

• The Hornets took a 4-3 lead in the first inning before Columbia responded with a 10 spot in the second

• The Hornets put up four in the seventh to try to mount a comeback, but ultimately fell 22-9 in the series finale

• Jordan Bradley went 1-for-2 with two RBI's and a run scored in the ballgame

• Yabnel Mojica went 3-for-3 with a run scored and a walk

HSSU NOTABLES

• Austin Martin leads the Hornet offense with a .367 AVg through 10 games played (15th AMC)

• Skywalker Mann leads HSSU in RBI's with 14 on the season (T-21st)

• Dakota Gaines leads the Hornets on the mound with an ERA of 7.80 through 15 innings pitched (17th AMC)

• Avion Wallace leads the team in strikeouts on the mound with 10 so far (T-41st AMC)

• The Hornets hold a team batting average of .280 (5th AMC)

• The Hornet pitching staff sports a team ERA of 11.34 (9th AMC) with a BAA of .348 (9th AMC)

• The Hornets have the fourth fewest strikeouts at the plate in the league with 115

• HSSU has the second most doubles as a team since starting league play with 24 two-baggers

• The Hornets were picked to finish tenth in the AMC Preseason Coaches Poll

• Harris-Stowe is seeking their first series win over WBU since the 2020 season

• Next, Harris-Stowe will face Rust College in a single midweek game on Wednesday, Mar. 19 in St. Louis

WBU'S LAST TIME OUT

• WBU was swept by Columbia in a four game set last weekend

• The Eagles dropped game one 12-4

• The only Eagle runs came in the top of the sixth inning.  Jacob Watkins had an RBI single before Nicholas Jones swung for a three-run bomb to cut the Cougar lead to 11-4

• WBU fell in game two 7-2

• Jones cut the lead to 3-1 with a solo shot in the second, then an RBI triple from Gavin Mink cut the Cougar lead to one.

• The Cougars went back in front and coasted to the game two win

• Williams lost game three 11-1

• The Lone Eagle run came in the top of the sixth inning on a Skylar Morrison sac fly

• WBU fell in game four 8-3

• The Eagles hung three in the fourth courtesy of back-to-back doubles from Mink and Morrison, but were unable to overcome the red-hot Cougar offense

WBU NOTABLES

• Jacob Watkins leads WBU with a .419 AVG at the plate (7th AMC)

• Watkins also leads WBU in RBI's with 22 (T-7th AMC)

• Lawson Aaron follows behind with 19 RBI's (12th AMC)

• Cody Jones and Nicholas Jones are tied for the team lead in home runs with four each (T-9th AMC)

• Nash Koczka leads the Eagles on the mound with a 3.24 ERA (9th AMC)

• Koczka is tied with teammate Parker Jeffries for the team-lead in wins with four (T-3rd AMC)

• Jeffries and Koczka are tied for the team-lead in strikeouts with 44 punchouts each (T-4th AMC)

• Williams holds a .313 AVG at the plate as a team (3rd AMC)

• The WBU pitching staff currently holds a 5.85 ERA (6th AMC)

• Eagles pitchers hold a .259 batting average against this season (5th AMC)

• WBU is third in the AMC in runs (149) and hits (187) so far this season

• The Eagles lead the league in batters hit by pitches with 33 plunkings so far this season

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

AMC STANDINGS
As of 3/12/25

T1 Columbia (10-2)
T1 Missouri Baptist (10-2)
3 Central Baptist (9-3)
4 Mission (8-4)
5 William Woods (7-5)
T6 Williams Baptist (5-7)
T6 UHSP (5-7)
8 Crowley's Ridge (3-9)
9 Hannibal-LaGrange (2-10)
10 Harris-Stowe (1-11)

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 Hannibal, Mo. to face Hannibal-LaGrange on Mar. 20-21.  First pitch of game one of four against the Trojans is set for noon on Thursday.

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