THE AGENDA
The OUAZ baseball team remains at home this week where they will host six games in five days. The Spirit host Okanagan (B.C.) in a two-game set on Tuesday and Wednesday. They will then welcome Bethesda to Surprise for four games – including a Saturday doubleheader of two 7-inning games – on Thursday through Saturday.
The games from Tuesday to Friday will be played on the Royals side of Surprise Stadium on fields to be announced each day. Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled for Willow Canyon High School. The field assignments will be posted on the OUAZ baseball schedule at OUAZSpirit.com and made available on social media once they are confirmed.
Live video will be available for the games on Tuesday through Thursday in the NAIA Network and the OUAZ Game Central portal. Live stats will also be available for these three games. Game updates for the rest of the week will be posted on Twitter by following @OUAZSpirit. The NAIA Network is available on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku devices by searching NAIA. All links for any live coverage that will be available can be found at
OUAZSpirit.com/live.
ABOUT THE SPIRIT
OUAZ begins the new week at 3-3 overall this season after taking two of three games from Arizona Christian last week. The Spirit have played all of the six games at home.
The Spirit are hitting .272 through the first six games of the season with a .705 OPS. They are averaging 5.67 runs per game with nine doubles, two triples, and one home run. OUAZ is 11 of 16 in stolen base attempts.
On the mound, OUAZ has a 2.17 earned run average (ERA) to sit third in the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). The opposition is hitting .261 and the Spirit have a 1.41 WHIP. OOUAZ averages 9.00 strikeouts per game while issuing 3.83 walks per contest.
OUAZ has made 18 errors and holds a .926 fielding percentage. They have thrown out four of the 14 attempted base stealers.
AT THE PLATE
Sam Haney currently leads the GSAC with his .563 batting average. He has a hit in all five games he has played this season and is tied for the team lead with three milt-hit games. Haney has a pair of doubles and leads the Spirit with a 1.244 OPS while driving in four runs.
Austin Shumaker is batting .375 to rank 13th in the GSAC. He opened the season with a five-game hitting streak before being held hitless in the series finale against ACU. Shumaker is tied for the team lead with five RBI and he has a pair of doubles and .853 OPS.
Jared Crockett picked up five hits in the ACU series to raise his season average to .368. He has three multi-hit games and is on a four-game hitting streak. Crockett has picked up three RBI and ranks tied for ninth in the GSAC with four stolen bases.
Chuck Steele is batting .333 with a 1.096 OPS. He hit the team's lone home run in game one of the doubleheader against ACU and has driven in four runs on the season. He tied a school record with four RBI in that game against ACU.
ON THE MOUND
Travis Hawkins earned NCCAA National Pitcher of the Week honors after his seven inning, one hit, 10 strike out performance in the series opener against ACU. Hawkins is now 2-0 on the season with a 0.00 ERA. He is tied for 10th in the GSAC with 15 strikeouts and ranks and his 13.07 strikeouts per game is third in the conference.
Cole Anderson has no record and a 1.50 ERA in two appearance (one start) this season. In six innings of work, Anderson has allowed nine hits with opponents batting .360. He has six strikeouts and allowed one walk.
Hayden Durkiewicz has made two starts with no record and 3.48 ERA in 10.1 innings. He has given up 12 hits and eight runs (four earned) with six strikeouts.
Taylor Campos leads the Spirit with three appearances, and he is yet to allow a run in four innings. He is tied for the team lead with one save while record three strikeouts against one walk.
Travis Turner has gone 1-0 with two appearance out of the bullpen. He has struck out all four batters has faced and leads the GSAC with a 27.07 strikeouts per game ratio.
ABOUT OKANAGAN
Okanagan makes the trip from Canada with a 1-4 overall record. They are batting .160 on the season with a .496 OPS. The Coyotes hold a 10.24 ERA and have totaled 27 strikeouts.
OUAZ will play the Coyotes for the first time this week.
ABOUT BETHESDA
Bethesda brings a 3-7 overall record to Surprise. On the season, the Flames are batting .208 with a .575 OPS and 14 stolen bases on 22 attempts. They have a 7.48 ERA and 2.03 WHIP while opponents are batting .329.
The Flames and Spirit split four meetings last season with Bethesda winning two of the three games at home.
LOOKING AHEAD
OUAZ will make its first road trip of the season next week. They play a non-conference game at Saint Katherine on February 27 before opening GSAC play at Westmont on March 1-2.
