BSB Series Preview: WBU vs Maranatha Baptist (Mar. 26 | 1 & 3 PM)

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. (3/25/25) – The Williams Baptist University baseball team will face Maranatha Baptist in a midweek non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday, Mar. 26 at 1 p.m.

SERIES INFORMATION

WILLIAMS EAGLES (18-10, 11-9 AMC) vs MARANATHA BAPTIST SABERCATS (2-8)

GAME ONE - Wednesday, Mar. 26 - 1:00 p.m. CDT - Shell Field (Walnut Ridge, Ark.)
Live stats: https://wbueagles.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/boxscores/20250326_os34.xml
Live video: wbueagles.com/watch 

GAME TWO -  Wednesday, Mar. 26 - 3:00 p.m. CDT - Shell Field (Walnut Ridge, Ark.)
Live stats: https://wbueagles.com/sports/bsb/2024-25/boxscores/20250326_vg9t.xml
Live video: wbueagles.com/watch  

MATCHUP FACTS

Last Series: First meeting
Last Game: N/A
Current Streak: N/A

WBU QUICK FACTS

2025 Record: 18-10 (11-9 AMC)
Current Streak: L1
2024 Record: 30-20 (9-12 AMC)
2023-24 Postseason: None
Head Coach: Stephen Abanathy (9th season)
HC Record: 173-228 (67-141 AMC)
Assistant Coach: Jared Dahl (4th season)

ABOUT MARANATHA BAPTIST

2024-25 Record: 2-8
Current Streak: L1
2023-24 Record: 0-33 (7-14 AMC)
2023-24 Postseason: None
Head Coach: Jodi Faithfull
Assistant Coaches: Tim Mielde, Caleb Huthmaker

MBU'S LAST TIME OUT

• The Sabercats fell to UHSP on Monday by the final score of 11-2

• The Eutectics scored four in the second and three in the third to take an 8-1 lead through three

• The lone MBU runs came on an RBI single from Cameron Curcuro in the third and a solo homer from Teddy Haugen in the fourth

• Huagen led the way at the plate for the Sabercats, going 2-for-4 with an RBI

HLGU NOTABLES

• Cameron Curcuro leads the Sabercats offense with a .308 AVG

• Curcuro also leads the squad with six RBI's

• Judson Martin leads the way with 13 strikeouts on the mound 

• The Sabercats own a team batting average of .202

• The MBU pitching staff holds a team ERA of 11.73 and BAA of .299

• The Sabercats have yet to play at home this season

• Next, MBU will travel to Carlinville, Ill. to face Blackburn College in a doubleheader on Thursday, Mar. 27

WBU'S LAST TIME OUT

• WBU took three of four from Hannibal-LaGrange last weekend to move to 11-9 in AMC play

• WBU won game one 10-6 behind a six-run first inning

• The Eagles took game two 14-4 after Nicholas Jones and Jacob Watkins drove in four runs each

• Williams won game three 13-2 powered by a strong start from Nash Koczka, where he went 6.0 innings with 10 strikeouts

• HLGU avoided the sweep by taking a come from behind 6-5 walk-off victory.  The Eagles led 5-0 going into the bottom of the sixth.

WBU NOTABLES

• Jacob Watkins leads WBU with a .417 AVG at the plate (5th AMC)

• Gavin Mink is hitting .373 this season (11th AMC)

• Watkins also leads WBU in RBI's with 33 (7th AMC)

• Lawson Aaron follows behind with 27 RBI's (9th AMC)

• Cody Jones and Nicholas Jones are tied for the team lead in home runs with four each (T-14th AMC)

• Nash Koczka leads the Eagles on the mound with a 3.32 ERA (6th AMC)

• Parker Jeffries is tied for the league-lead in wins on the mound this season with six

• Nash Koczka follows close behind with five wins on the season (T-3rd)

• Koczka leads the AMC in strikeouts so far with 62.  Jeffries sits tied for third with 53 punchouts.

• Williams holds a .318 AVG at the plate as a team (3rd AMC) and a .460 SLG% (3rd AMC)

• The WBU pitching staff currently holds a 5.34 ERA (5th AMC)

• Eagles pitchers hold a .258 batting average against this season (4th AMC)

• WBU is third in the AMC in hits with 263

• The Eagles lead the league in batters hit by pitches with 52 plunkings so far this season

• Nash Koczka was selected as the AMC Pitcher of the Week for week eight of 2025

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

RECORD ROUNDUP

• Parker Jeffries is one complete game away from moving into tie for third place with Brennan White and Matt Dillon (10 CG)

• Parker Jeffries has surpassed Brennan White's career mark of 222.0 innings pitch  for the in a career at Williams

• Nicholas Jones has surpassed Blake Coffman's mark (181) for the most hits in a career at WBU 

• Nicholas Jones has surpassed Kendall Fay's career total (37) for most doubles at WBU

• Skylar Morrison has surpassed Blake Coffman (89 RBI's) for the second most RBI's in a career at Williams 

• Jolby Jones has tied the WBU career record for saves with five

• The Eagles are one win away from tying the record for conference wins in a season (12 set in 2016)

AMC STANDINGS
As of 3/25/25

1 Columbia (16-4)
T2 Missouri Baptist (15-5)
T2 Central Baptist (15-5)
4 Mission (12-8)
T5 William Woods (11-9)
T5 Williams Baptist (11-9)
7 UHSP (8-12)
8 Crowley's Ridge (6-14)
T9 Harris-Stowe (3-17)
T9 Hannibal-LaGrange (3-17)

The top six teams in the AMC standings will participate in the AMC Tournament at the end of the season, hosted in O'Fallon, Mo.

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

• Next, Williams will travel to St. Louis, Mo. to face Missouri Baptist for a four-game series on Mar. 28-29.

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