Box Score ABILENE – Just hours after finding out they had jumped to No. 12 in the NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25, the Wayland Baptist Pioneers had their bubble burst by the McMurry War Hawks in non-conference play Tuesday evening at Walt Driggers Field, 10-2.
Wayland (15-3) got off to a solid start, scoring twice in the top of the first on a two-run home run by Gregg Veneklasen, his team-high seventh of the season and third in five games. But the Pioneers managed just three more hits the rest of the game, while McMurry (4-9) matched a season-high run total against Wayland.
Chris Lacher, the first of eight WBU pitchers who threw one inning apiece, entered in the second inning and gave up four runs to take the loss. Only one run was earned due to three WBU errors in the inning.
McMurry pounded out 16 hits.
Wayland batters struck out seven times against McMurry pitchers Nick Hamel (1-0), who fanned five in six innings, and Aaron Donald, who sat down two in three frames.
The Pioneers will try to bounce back when they return to Sooner Athletic Conference play this weekend in a showdown against fourth-ranked Oklahoma City (13-2). Wayland is tied with No. 18 Texas Wesleyan atop the SAC standings at 6-0, while OCU is in fourth at 4-1.
The Stars' two losses have been to No. 9 Bellevue, Neb., a team OCU beat 21-0 before falling 6-4, and in conference to Mid-America Christian, 5-3. The Stars played at Kansas Wesleyan on Tuesday.
2018 NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 Poll - No. 1
| RANK |
PRVS* |
SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) |
RECORD |
TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 |
2 |
Faulkner (Ala.) (18) |
20-0 |
498 |
| 2 |
12 |
Georgia Gwinnett |
17-2 |
476 |
| 3 |
4 |
Southeastern (Fla.) |
21-2 |
453 |
| 4 |
3 |
Oklahoma City |
13-2 |
447 |
| 5 |
5 |
Oklahoma Wesleyan |
16-2 |
432 |
| 6 |
1 |
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) |
11-3 |
431 |
| 7 |
NR |
William Jessup (Calif.) |
22-5 |
379 |
| 8 |
6 |
William Carey (Miss.) |
16-4 |
377 |
| 9 |
21 |
St. Thomas (Fla.) |
16-3 |
376 |
| 10 |
11 |
Science & Arts (Okla.) |
13-1 |
364 |
| 11 |
RV |
Bryan (Tenn.) |
17-2 |
360 |
| 12 |
NR |
Wayland Baptist (Texas) |
15-2 |
308 |
| 13 |
10 |
Keiser (Fla.) |
13-5 |
300 |
| 14 |
NR |
Mobile (Ala.) |
17-4 |
297 |
| 15 |
15 |
Middle Georgia State |
17-6 |
239 |
| 16 |
RV |
Jamestown (N.D.) |
13-1 |
193 |
| 17 |
RV |
Antelope Valley (Calif.) |
14-8 |
180 |
| 18 |
23 |
Texas Wesleyan |
12-4 |
169 |
| 19 |
20 |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
10-7 |
167 |
| 20 |
NR |
William Woods (Mo.) |
16-5 |
161 |
| 21 |
NR |
Texas A&M-Texarkana |
13-2 |
158 |
| 22 |
NR |
Point Park (Pa.) |
10-1 |
154 |
| 23 |
NR |
Reinhardt (Ga.) |
14-4 |
131 |
| 24 |
NR |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
14-11 |
128 |
| 25 |
24 |
Central Methodist (Mo.) |
11-4 |
122 |
Others receiving votes:Â Cumberland (Tenn.) 107; Madonna (Mich.) 103; University of Northwestern Ohio 88; Taylor (Ind.) 63; The Master's (Calif.) 48; Webber International (Fla.) 41; Tabor (Kan.) 40; LSU Shreveport (La.) 25; Concordia (Mich.) 18; IU Southeast (Ind.) 17; Lyon (Ark.) 13; Avila (Mo.) 9; Georgetown (Ky.) 6; Westmont (Calif.) 4; Blue Mountain (Miss.) 4; Cumberlands (Ky.) 3; Tennessee Wesleyan 3.
*Ranking from 2018 preseason poll
