Baseball 2/3/2021 8:30:00 PM

Spirit Looking Ahead to Home Weekend against Bethesda

BETHESDA FLAMES (0-4) at OUAZ SPIRIT (1-3)
Game 1	Thursday, February 4 • 5 p.m. (Arizona) • Surprise, Ariz. • Surprise Stadium
Game 2	Friday, February 5 • 5 p.m. (Arizona) • Surprise, Ariz. • Surprise Stadium
Game 3	Saturday, February 6 • 1 p.m. (Arizona) • Surprise, Ariz. • Surprise Stadium
Video Stream	ouazspirit.com/network
OTT App	NAIA Network (Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku)
Live Stats	ouazspirit.com/sidearmstats/baseball
Game Notes	OUAZ (PDF)

SPIRIT NOTES
The OUAZ baseball team will host Bethesda in a three-game series at Surprise Stadium this weekend. The first pitch on Thursday and Friday is slated for 5 p.m. with Saturday's series finale beginning at 1 p.m. The games will mark the first inside Surprise Stadium for the Spirit this season and since host Park Gilbert on February 8 of last season.

Due to regulations on gatherings of larger than 50 people in place by the City of Surprise, fans will not be allowed to attend the games in person.

All three games of the weekend set will be streamed live on the OUAZ Digital Network available online at OUAZSpirit.com/network. They will also be available on the NAIA Network app available on Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV & Roku devices.

Live stats for the weekend will be available at OUAZSpirit.com/live.

OUAZ will begin the series with a 1-3 record to start the new season. They have gone 1-2 at home, dropping two games on Rangers 3 and winning at Willow Canyon High School. Surprise Stadium will mark the Spirit's third home venue of the early season.

Dating back to last season, the Spirit are 4-6 in the last 10 games played.

SERIES NOTES
OUAZ and Bethesda have met six times previously with the Flames holding a 4-2 edge in those contests. Two of the Spirit losses were due to games that were forfeited after an OUAZ victory. Bethesda is 2-0 when the teams meet in Surprise with neither of those games taking place in Surprise Stadium.

Two of the meetings have been decided in extra-innings with the teams splitting those two contests. OUAZ averages 7.17 runs per game against the Flames while allowing 6.17 runs per meeting.

AT THE PLATE
It has been a slow start to the season offensively for the Spirit as they are hitting just .264 through the season's first four games. The Spirit holds a .753 OPS with eight doubles, two triples, and two home runs. They are scoring 6.00 runs per game to rank 25th in the NAIA.

Adrian Salazar has picked up where he left off at the end of the 2020 season with five hits and a .417 batting average during the first four games of the season. The OUAZ all-time leader with 147 hits already has a pair of multi-hit games this season and is riding a six-game hitting streak dating back to last season. Salazar has recorded at least one hit in 17 of the last 18 games he has played with 45 career multi-hit games.

Jared Crockett has played in two games this season with four hits in seven at-bats for a .571 average. Two of those hits have gone for extra bases with one double and one triple for a 1.571 OPS. Crockett had multiple hits in each of the two games he played to give him 34 career multi-hit games.

Nathan Tarver made an impact in his first college action with a .400 average in the first three games he played. Tarver hit a 3-run home run in his first collegiate at-bat and he is tied for the team lead with five RBI.

TD Walker is hitting .357 on the year and he also has five RBI. He leads the team with six runs scored while tying for the team lead with five hits, including one double. Walker went 3 for 5 with three runs and three RBI in the Spirit win over Panhandle State last Saturday.

Griffin Hagen has posted a pair of multi-hit games and he is batting .333 with five hits on the year. He has driven in four runs and has one triple and one home run.

ON THE MOUND
OUAZ has struggled at times on the mound giving up 41 runs (31 earned) for an 8.21 ERA in the first four games of the year. The opposition has scored double-digit runs three times and they are hitting .320 off the Spirit staff with a .880 OPS and three home runs.

Tommy Koloski gave the Spirit its best start of the season in a win over Panhandle State. Koloski allowed just one run on five hits with three strikeouts in earning his first career victory.

Gage Johnson took a no-decision after allowing two runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings against Taylor on Friday. Johnson tallied a career-high eight strikeouts in the game and he walked three.

Tanner Fallon also took a no-decision in his Spirit debut after going 5-plus innings against San Diego Christian in Thursday's season opener. Fallon surrendered four hits and was tagged for five runs (four earned) with five strikeouts.

Myles White picked up a two-inning save in the win over Panhandle State and he holds a 6.00 ERA in 3.0 innings of action. White has posted seven strikeouts in that time and given up five hits and three runs (two earned).

Hayden Sandman is 0-1 on the season despite not allowing a hit in his 2.0 innings of work. He has given up three walks and one run with four strikeouts in two appearances.

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Players Mentioned

#36 Griffin Hagen: INF; 6' 3"; Junior; R/R

#4 Gage Johnson: RHP; 5' 11"; Senior; R/R

#34 Tommy Koloski: RHP; 6' 5"; Senior; R/R

#2 Adrian Salazar: INF; 5' 10"; Senior; R/R

#26 Hayden Sandman: LHP; 6' 1"; Senior; L/L

#32 Myles White: RHP; 6' 3"; Senior; R/R

#19 Tanner Fallon: RHP; 6' 1"; Graduate Student; R/R

#16 Nathan Tarver: INF; 6' 2"; Freshman; R/R

#24 TD Walker: OF; 6' 1"; Senior; R/R

#1 Jared Crockett: OF; 5' 10"; Senior; L/L

Players Mentioned

#36 Griffin Hagen
: 6' 3"; Junior; R/R
: INF

#4 Gage Johnson
: 5' 11"; Senior; R/R
: RHP

#34 Tommy Koloski
: 6' 5"; Senior; R/R
: RHP

#2 Adrian Salazar
: 5' 10"; Senior; R/R
: INF

#26 Hayden Sandman
: 6' 1"; Senior; L/L
: LHP

#32 Myles White
: 6' 3"; Senior; R/R
: RHP

#19 Tanner Fallon
: 6' 1"; Graduate Student; R/R
: RHP

#16 Nathan Tarver
: 6' 2"; Freshman; R/R
: INF

#24 TD Walker
: 6' 1"; Senior; R/R
: OF

#1 Jared Crockett
: 5' 10"; Senior; L/L
: OF