Kansas City, MO – After rattling off 10 straight wins and three straight sweeps of Sooner Athletic Conference foes, the red-hot Pioneer Baseball team is now receiving votes for NAIA Top 25 consideration.
Wayland Baptist has secured three straight sweeps (Southwestern Christian,
RV Texas Wesleyan, Nelson) and have won five of their six Sooner Athletic Conference series so far this season.
A major factor in this scorching hot run for the Pioneers has been their electric offense. Make no mistake about it – this team can mash, and they've been doing it all season long.
The Pioneers sit 10
th in the nation in home runs (61), 8
th in extra base hits (149), 10
th in total bases (649), and 15
th in slugging percentage (.581). Among the SAC, the Pioneers are 3
rd in batting average (.329), 2
nd in home runs (61), 2
nd in RBIs (290), 2
nd in slugging percentage (.581), while also committing the third fewest errors (42).
Senior third baseman
Delvis Claudio has been crushing the ball and ranks among the top in multiple statistical categories. Claudio ranks T-4
th in the NAIA in home runs (16), which leads the SAC. Claudio also leads the SAC in OPS (1.458) and slugging percentage (.966). He is 2
nd in the SAC in batting average (.431) and doubles (14).
Senior right fielder
Samuel Fabian ranks among the best in the SAC in multiple statistical categories as well. He is 2
nd in home runs (15), 2
nd in OPS (1.334), and 2
nd in RBIs (48).
Senior utilityman
Felix Polanco ranks 1st in the SAC in Rbis (54), 4
th in batting average (.409), 3
rd in slugging percentage (.827), 3
rd in hits (52), 3
rd in home runs (13), and 5
th in OPS (1.288).
The Pioneers sit in first place in the SAC standings with three more series left to be played. They will play host to the Stars of Oklahoma City University on Sunday, April 6
th and Monday, April 7
th. A doubleheader will be played between the two teams on Sunday with game one set to begin at 1:00 PM.
