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2006 NEWS

MORE POST-SEASON HONORS ANNOUNCED

WBU right fielder Trey Roberson has been named to the NAIA All-American Honorable Mention baseball team.   A native of Lubbock, Roberson played in all 60 games for the Pioneers in 2006, finishing with a .375 batting average with 20 doubles, three triples and a school record tying 17 home runs.  The All-Conference and All-Region VI first team honoree also scored 53 runs, had 59 runs batted in, and successfully stole 16 of 17 bases. 

Roberson, along with senior relief pitcher Seth Andrews and junior shortstop Matt Knobbe, was also named to the 2006 NAIA All-America Scholar Athlete baseball team.  NAIA Scholar Athletes must carry a cumulative 3.5 grade point average or better.

Roberson, a 2005 All-American Scholar Athlete as well, graduated last month with a degree in Marketing. 

A relief pitcher and four-year letterman at WBU, Andrews was selected as Sooner Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week during the season, and finished with a 4-0 record, two saves, and a 6.00 ERA in 21 appearances.  The Lubbock native graduated last month with a degree in Accounting.  This is also his second selection as a Scholar Athlete.

Knobbe, an Exercise and Sports Science major, hit .297 with 13 doubles, two triples and eight home runs for the Pioneers in 2006.

WBU coach Brad Bass has announced the winners of the WBU baseball athletic awards. Senior second baseman Chasen DeLeon was named Most Valuable Player, senior first baseman Sean Iverson was the team's Batting Champion, Richard Cruz picked up the award for Most Valuable Pitcher, and sophomore Todd Jeffress received the Coaches Award.

DeLeon started in all 60 games for the Pioneers, hitting .350 with 18 doubles, 16 home runs, and a team-high 69 RBIs.  Iverson finished the season batting .395 with 26 doubles, 16 homers, 60 runs batted in, and a team-high 76 runs scored.  Cruz led the Pioneer pitching staff with a 2.84 earned run average.  He had a 5-2 record in 25 relief appearances.

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ROBERSON NAMED TO ALL-REGION TEAM

WBU right fielder Trey Roberson was named to the 2006 NAIA All-Region VI team.  Roberson hit .375 for the Pioneers this season with 20 doubles, three triples and a record-tying 17 home runs.  The senior from Lubbock led the team in homers, slugging percentage (.731), fielding percentage (.990), and number of times hit by a pitch (19).  He was also successful in stealing 16 of 17 bases.

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PIONEERS FINISH THIRD

The Pioneers advanced to the semi-final game of the NAIA Region VI Baseball Tournament by defeating Houston Baptist University 16-2 on Friday afternoon at Wilder Field.  Unfortunately, the season came to an end Friday evening with a 13-8 loss to defending national champion Oklahoma City University.  The 3rd place regional finish is the best by a Pioneer team in school history.

In Wednesday's first round loss to Houston Baptist, the weather was unseasonably cool with a northerly wind blowing out to right.  The weather for the rematch on Friday was a perfect 85 degrees with a southerly breeze blowing right to left; in other words, ideal conditions for the Pioneers.  Junior pitcher Zach Winter pitched one of his best games of the season, going all nine-innings, giving up just two runs on eight hits and striking out six, while the WBU bats belted out 19 hits, including five home runs.  

Senior All-Conference outfielder Trey Roberson got things started for the Pioneers in the second inning with an infield single.  Third baseman Joe Covarrubias followed with a two-run line drive homer to left.  The home run was Covarrubias's tenth of the year, giving Wayland five players with double-digit home runs on the season. 

Chasen DeLeon, the senior second baseman for WBU, picked up his 16th long ball of the year with a two-run shot in the third.  Shortstop Matt Knobbe, a junior, made it 6-0 later on in the inning on a three-run shot to left center.

After HBU got a run in the sixth, the Pioneers responded with five more in their half of the inning.  DeLeon opened the frame with a double down the line and was brought home by Sean Iverson's blast to left center.  Knobbe picked up two more RBIs with a single that scored Israel Castillo and Covarrubias, and senior catcher Sam Hayden singled to plate Johnathan Torres.

Jonathan Reynoso, who had two three-run homers and nine RBIs in Friday's two games, followed up singles by Torres and Knobbe with his first bomb in the eighth to round out the Pioneer scoring and eliminate the Huskies from the tournament.

Oklahoma City, 6-4 losers in Friday morning's winner's bracket game to Lubbock Christian, jumped out early on the Pioneers in the semi-final, getting 7 runs in the first three innings.  Wayland closed the gap in the bottom of the third when Knobbe doubled down the left field line, Hayden walked and Reynoso doubled in the gap to right center.

The Stars picked up three more in the fourth to pull on top 10-2, but the Pioneers refused to give up.  Junior pitcher Richard Cruz, making his third appearance in the tournament, shut down the juggernaut that is OCU over the course of the next four innings, and the Wayland bats begin to chip away.  Roberson singled and crossed the plate in the fourth on an OCU error, Reynoso scored in the fifth on DeLeon's double to the wall, and three more runs scored on Reynoso's homer in the sixth.

The Pioneers pulled to within 10-8 in the eighth when Torres and Hayden hit back-to-back singles, and Reynoso hit his team-leading 27th double of the season, scoring Torres.   The defensive play of the game came just after the Reynoso double.  With the Pioneer centerfielder on second and Hayden on third, DeLeon hit a shallow fly ball  down the left field line that appeared to be headed for no-man's land between the left side of the infield and the left fielder, but OCU's third baseman, Matt Imwalle, hustled back and made a super over the shoulder catch that put an end to the Pioneer rally.

Top-seeded Oklahoma City put the game away in the top of the ninth, scoring three unearned runs with two outs.   OCU advances to the championship game against Lubbock Christian at noon on Saturday.

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PIONEERS 1-1 IN REGIONAL TOURNEY

A day after falling to second-seeded Houston Baptist by a score of 9-6, the Pioneers get a chance to even the score after an 8-7 elimination-game win over sixth-seeded Texas Wesleyan on day two of the NAIA Region VI Baseball Tournament.

Israel Castillo hit an RBI single back up the middle with bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give WBU the victory.  The Pioneers trailed throughout the game until Trey Roberson's two out single in the bottom of the eighth scored Chasen DeLeon to put Wayland up 7-6.   The Rams regained the lead in the top of the ninth with a lead-off homer by Chad Palmer, a single to right by JR Phelps, a sacrifice bunt, and an RBI single by Brandon Frazier.

Johnathan Torres began the ninth inning comeback with a double to the wall in right center.   After Matt Knobbe sacrificed Torres to third, Sam Hayden came up with his fourth hit of the day, a double to left that scored pinch-runner Eric Brown.  Jonathan Reynoso  reached on an error by the TWU third baseman, and then he and courtesy runner Michael Prell advanced on DeLeon's ground out to short.  The Rams intentionally walked Sean Iverson to load the bases for Castillo, who had been hitless on the day.

Richard Cruz got the win in relief of Darren Davis, who went 7-2/3, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits and striking out seven.  Hayden was a perfect four-for-four and DeLeon went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo home run, his 15th of the season.  

On Wednesday, the Pioneers surrendered five unearned runs in the first inning and could never recover.   Knobbe had a double and a two-run homer in the game, and Reynoso was 3-for-4 with two doubles.

Todd Jeffress got the loss, giving up nine runs (four earned) on nine hits in 4-2/3 innings.  Stephen Anderson and Cruz each pitched 1-2/3 without allowing a Huskie to cross the plate.

The same two teams meet again on Friday at 2:30 after HBU was defeated in Thursday's second round, 6-4, by Lubbock Christian.  LCU takes on Oklahoma City at 11 a.m. in the winner's bracket.  The winner of the Wayland/Houston Baptist game will take on the loser of the LCU/OCU matchup in the semi-finals Friday evening at 6 p.m.

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ALLEN'S CURTIS SIGNS WITH PIONEERS

Wayland Baptist University baseball coach Brad Bass has announced the signing of Bobby Curtis of Allen High School to a letter of intent to play for the Pioneers next season. Curtis, a 6’3, 200 pound corner infielder, has been a key member of the AHS baseball team for the past two seasons.  The Eagles were a 2005 regional quarterfinalist and are currently leading District 8-5A with an 8-1 mark and an overall record of 18-3.

A Dallas Morning News Athlete of the Week in April, 2005, Curtis played in two Mickey Mantle World Series for the McKinney Mavericks, and is a member of the McKinney Marshals select summer team.  “Bobby is a big, strong left-handed hitter with good bat speed and excellent skills,” says Bass, who in his 11th season as head coach of the Pioneers.  “He has played at a high level of competition in high school and in summer league, and it is apparent that he has had some good coaches. Bobby has the potential to be a middle-of-the-lineup power hitter and to play either of the corner positions for us. More importantly, though, he is a strong character kid, which is exactly what we are looking for.”

Curtis, a three-year football letterman, was a 2005 Honorable Mention selection to the District 8-5A All-District football team. He was also a 2nd team Academic All-State honoree in football, and a member of the Eagle Council. Recently awarded a Tom Landry Academic Scholarship, Curtis is a three-year member of the National Honor Society and has volunteered with the Special Olympics for the past three years.

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THREE PIONEERS EARN ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS

Three members of the Pioneer baseball team have been named to the 2006 All-Sooner Athletic Conference first team.  Senior outfielder Trey Roberson, senior utility infielder Sean Iverson, and sophomore pitcher Todd Jeffress were named to the elite squad at the conclusion of the SAC Tournament Saturday afternoon in Lubbock.

The Pioneer senior right fielder, Roberson has tied the WBU home run record with 17 this spring, and is tied for fourth in career homers with 23 in his two-years as a Pioneer.  He is hitting .370 with 19 doubles, three triples and a .750 slugging percentage.  Roberson graduated from Lubbock Christian High School and transferred to WBU from Western Texas Junior College.

Iverson has played both third and first base for the Pioneers this season.  The senior from Tempe, Ariz. is hitting a team-leading .419 with a WBU record single season record 26 doubles.  He leads the SAC in four offensive categories, including runs scored (73), hits (90), doubles, and total bases (163).  Iverson, a senior, transferred to Wayland last fall from Texas Tech.

The ace of the Pioneer staff this season, Jeffress is tied for the conference lead with 86 innings pitched and is fourth in overall victories with 8.  He has appeared in 15 games this season, recording 67 strikeouts with six complete games and an earned run average of 3.77.   The Plainview High graduate who is the only sophomore selected to the elite squad, also recorded a league-high five victories against SAC competition.

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PIONEERS WASTE GREAT PITCHING PERFORMANCE

Facing elimination in the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament, Darren Davis surrendered just four hits in eight innings of work to the NAIA's third-ranked team, Oklahoma City University.  Unfortunately, the Pioneer bats could muster only two runs and Wayland lost to top-seeded OCU by a score of 4-2.  WBU must now wait until Sunday to find out whether they will advance to the NAIA Region VI Tournament to be held at Wilder Field starting Wednesday, May 10. 

In the two SAC tournament games, the high-powered Pioneers scored just three runs and were held to 11 hits.  WBU outhit the Stars on Thursday, 6-4, but left seven on base.  Israel Castillo had two hits to lead the team, which was without the services of centerfielder Jonathan Reynoso who suffered a bruised quad muscle in a collision at home plate in Wednesday night's loss to Oklahoma Baptist.  Junior Eric Brown replaced Reynoso and came through with a sacrifice fly in the fifth that scored freshman Johnathan Torres and tied the game at one.

OCU put the first run on the board in the fourth on a hit batsman and back-to-back one out singles.  The Stars scored three more in the sixth after Davis's fourth hit batsmen of the game, a stolen base, two straight fielder's choices, neither of which resulted in an out, and a two-run single.

The Pioneers closed to within 4-2 in the seventh when Torres led the inning off with a single through the left side.  After an error by the OCU first baseman, Sam Hayden laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved the runners to second and third.  Jacob Palomarez scored Torres on a pinch hit RBI groundout, but WBU could get no closer.

Richard Cruz pitched a perfect eighth in relief of Davis, who surrendered just one walk and struck out five.

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WBU FALLS IN FIRST ROUND OF CONFERENCE TOURNEY

Going into their first round matchup against Oklahoma Baptist in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament, the Pioneers knew that beating a team four times in one season would be a tough challenge.   When a cold front blowing in from the north hit about the fifth inning, the tough challenge became an impossibility.  A stiff wind blowing dead in and a steady pitching performance by OBU's Chris Ryan put a muzzle on the normally hard-hitting Pioneer bats to give the Bison an 8-1 victory.  The loss puts Wayland on a collision course with top-seeded Oklahoma City University in the second round of the tournament on Thursday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.

Pioneer starter Todd Jeffress pitched a solid first four innings, facing just one batter above the minimum.  The Bison got one unearned run in the fifth to pull ahead 1-0, and then victimized Jeffress in the sixth with four runs on six hits.  WBU made it 4-1 when Jonathan Reynoso doubled to lead off the bottom half of the inning, advanced to third on a ground ball to the right side of the infield, then scored on Israel Castillo's sacrifice fly.

Freshman Johnathan Torres got two of the five Pioneer hits in the game.  Wayland left 10 men on base, including six in the final three innings.

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CRUZ PICKS UP SECOND POW HONOR

Richard Cruz has become the first Pioneer to be awarded NAIA Region VI Pitcher of the Week honors this season.  The junior was also named as Sooner Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 24-30.  The right-handed reliever from Avondale, Ariz., pitched five scoreless innings to pick up the win over #16 Lubbock Christian University on Saturday.  He gave up five hits without a walk and struck out two en route to his fourth win of the season.  This is the second time Cruz has been recognized by the conference.

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SAC TOURNAMENT ACTION LINK

The Sooner Athletic Conference tournament bracket can be found at www.lcu.edu/LCU/athletics/2006sacbaseball. The bracket will be updated as soon as pairings are set and immediately following each game of the tourney.

All of the Pioneer games during the tournament will be broadcast on KVOP Radio 1090 AM with Chris Due.

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PIONEERS COME FROM BEHIND FOR WIN

The Pioneers scored five unanswered runs late in the game against Lubbock Christian University to finish their regular season with a 6-5 win over the Chaparrals Saturday evening in Lubbock.  WBU, 31-23 overall, captures the third seed in the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament with a 14-7 mark and will take on fourth-seeded Oklahoma Baptist at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 3 at LCU's Hays Field.

Chasen DeLeon came home from third on a wild pitch to score the winning run.  The play was eerily reminiscent of a similar play in Thursday night's 6-5 Pioneer loss in which Matt Knobbe was ruled out after attempting to score the tying run on a pitch that went to the backstop.  This time, the call went in Wayland's favor.

WBU got on the board first in the game when Joe Covarrubias led the second inning off with a double to right center, advanced to third on a long fly ball to right field, and scored on a balk.  The Chaps responded with three in the bottom of the inning, then added two more in the fifth.  The Pioneers began their comeback in the sixth when DeLeon opened the inning with a single through the left side.  The senior second baseman advanced to second on a passed ball, then moved to third when Israel Castillo hit a ball to the warning track that the LCU left fielder dropped.  DeLeon scored on a ground ball double play by Trey Roberson. 

In the seventh, Torres singled through the left side to lead things off.  Knobbe and Sam Hayden drew back-to-back walks to load the bases.  Jonathan Reynoso hit a sacrifice fly to score Torres, followed by a single to left by DeLeon that brought in Knobbe.  Sean Iverson tied the game with a grounder to first that plated courtesy runner Eric Brown, and DeLeon came across on the wild pitch.

The Pioneers threatened again in both the eighth and ninth, but double plays put a stop to both innings.  In fact, the team set a new record by hitting into five double plays during the game.  The play of the evening was made by Reynoso in the bottom of the eighth and with the tying run on third when he somehow managed to find a high fly ball at the last minute in the darkened outfield and made a lunging catch.

Richard Cruz pitched five scoreless innings in relief of starter Darren Davis to pick up the win, his fourth of the season.  Cruz gave up five hits without allowing a walk, and struck out two.

Iverson's 20-game hit streak was brought to an end when he went 0-for-2, but the senior from Tempe, Ariz. was walked three times in the game, including an intentional walk in the ninth to load the bases.  

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ROBERSON TIES HOME RUN MARK

Trey Roberson tied the WBU record for home runs in a season with a solo blast to right field in the Pioneer's 15-5 loss to Lubbock Christian University Friday night at Wilder Field.  The homer was Roberson's 17th of the year, tying him with J.J. Peirce and Mike Reyes.   The win gives the Chaparrals the second seed in next week's Sooner Athletic Conference tournament, to be held in Lubbock at Hays Field.  The Pioneers will be the third seed in the tournament which starts Wednesday, May 3.

Sam Hayden and Matt Knobbe also went deep in the game, which was called after seven innings.  Hayden's two-run blast in the second put the Pioneers on the board after LCU scored one in the first and six more in the second.  WBU got three more in the sixth on Roberson's bomb to lead off the inning, then Knobbe's two-run homer with one out.  Wayland had the bases loaded with one out in the seventh, but Joe Covarrubias's fly ball to right wasn't deep enough and Sean Iverson was cut down at the plate to end the game.

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LCU SQUEAKS BY IN GAME ONE

Big home runs during crucial moments have helped propel the Pioneers of Wayland Baptist (30-22, 13-6) to the #25 spot in the NAIA baseball poll. Thursday night with two outs in the top of the ninth inning and his team trailing 6-5, Pioneer designated hitter Israel Castillo hit a ball 395 feet. Unfortunately for Castillo, his teammates, and the 100 or so WBU fans in the stands, the ball needed to travel about 397 feet to land over the other side of the fence at Hays Field. As it was, Lubbock Christian University centerfielder Jon Dover had to make a great catch against the fence to end the game, putting LCU (38-11, 14-5) in temporary possession of second place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings.

After a scoreless first two innings, the Chaparrals took the lead on a two-out, two-run homer by Blandon Hancock in the third. A hit batter, a wild pitch and a RBI single to left made it 3-0.

Wayland came back with a solo home run by Chasen DeLeon, his 14th of the season, in the fourth, then scored three in the fifth to take a 4-3 lead. LCU evened it back up when catcher Manny Paula doubled home a run in the bottom of the inning.

The Pioneers went back up 5-4 in the seventh. Jonathan Reynoso led the inning off with a strike out, but reached first on a wild pitch. DeLeon sacrificed him to second, and then advanced to third on another wild pitch. Castillo walked and Trey Roberson was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Joe Covarrubias. The senior third baseman hit an 0-2 pitch to right field to bring Reynoso, but that was all the damage WBU could manage.

Dover started LCU's seventh-inning comeback with a one-out double that just missed the glove of Wayland shortstop Matt Knobbe. Stephen Anderson (4-2) came in to relieve starter Todd Jeffress and struck out Hancock, but Paula singled home Dover and Michael Harkins' double delivered courtesy runner Robert Gunn.

A controversial play at the plate in the eighth cost the Pioneers a chance to even the score up at six. Pinch hitter Jacob Palomarez reached first base on an error by the Chaparral shortstop. Matt Knobbe, who reentered the game, reached second on Sam Hayden’s sacrifice. LCU’s bullpen ace David Wasylak came in to relieve starter Raymond Pelton (5-3) and threw his first pitch wild to advance Knobbe to third. Two pitches later Wasylak threw another pitch to the backstop and Knobbe appeared to have slid under Wasylak’s tag, but the home plate umpire called him out.

Pioneer coach Brad Bass was proud of the way his team performed. “It was a hard-fought game between two evenly matched teams. Our guys played well, and we’re looking forward to these next two games.”

Castillo led the way for the Pioneers with three hits, while DeLeon knocked in two runs. WBU stranded eight runners in the game, including five in scoring position.

The winner of the series will be assured of the second-seed in next week’s Sooner Athletic Conference tournament which begins Wednesday in Lubbock.

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DAVIS BREAKS STRIKEOUT RECORD

The Pioneers won two out of three Sooner Athletic Conference games on the road at the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma over the weekend.  WBU took the first game of a doubleheader on Friday 4-1, but fell in the nightcap by an identical 4-1 score.  On Saturday, junior Darren Davis broke the school record for strikeouts in a game, taking down 14 USAO hitters in 6-1/3 innings on his way to a 14-3 win.  The old strikeout record of 13 was shared by Taylor Allen, Felix Castillo and Landon Terry.

Todd Jeffress pitched a complete game three-hitter in the victory, giving up just one unearned run while striking out five.   Trey Roberson went three-for-four in the game with a double and two RBIs, and Sean Iverson picked up his league-leading 25th double.

In the 4-1 Pioneer loss, USAO senior Brian Wyatt held WBU to just three hits in seven innings.  Wyatt had a no-hitter going until the sixth when Chasen DeLeon hit a single up the middle with one out.  Iverson followed with a bunt single, and DeLeon scored the Pioneer's lone run when Israel Castillo hit one that bounced off the glove of the Drover second baseman.  Sam Hayden doubled in the top of the seventh for the other Wayland hit.

Pioneer batters hit five doubles in the final game of the series to compliment Davis's outstanding pitching performance, and DeLeon came up with a three-run homer in the top of the eighth to shorten the game by an inning.   Davis struck out the side in three innings and walked just one batter on his record-setting day.  The final strikeout came with a runner on and a two-two count to USAO's leadoff hitter, who swung and missed.  The Clovis native was pulled one batter later, after surrendering a hit on his 100th pitch of the game.  Reliever Richard Cruz came in and forced the Drover's into an ending double-play.

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PIONEERS BREAK INTO TOP 25

The Pioneers have broken into the NAIA Top 25 (http://naia.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/041906aam.html) for the first time this spring following their three-game sweep of Oklahoma Baptist last weekend.  Wayland, which was second in this week's Region VI rankings,  received 185 points for 16th place in this week's poll.  OBU, ranked 2nd last week, fell to 23rd.  Oklahoma City University moved up one position to third.

WBU improved its overall record to 28-20 on the year after last night's 15-2 win over West Texas A&M University.  The Pioneers got 21 hits off the Buffaloes, including eight doubles, but did not get a home run for the first time in seven consecutive games.   (The wind was blowing in at Potter County Memorial Stadium.)

Seven Pioneer pitchers combined to give up five hits and two unearned runs.  Stephen Anderson, 4-1, got the win going two innings without allowing a hit.  Israel Castillo went five for six with three doubles and four RBIs.  Sean Iverson and Johnathan Torres had two doubles each.

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CRUZ WINS PITCHER OF THE WEEK HONOR

Junior pitcher Richard Cruz has been named Sooner Athletic Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week for April 10-16.  The Avondale, Ariz. native held second-ranked Oklahoma Baptist University to one unearned run through 4.1 innings of relief to pick up an extra-inning win on Saturday.  He had a perfect ERA in 5.1 innings of work for the week, allowing just four hits and issuing no walks.

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HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE GIVES PIONEERS THE SWEEP

Jonathan Reynoso and Chasen DeLeon hit back-to-back homers to lead off the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Pioneers a 9-8 victory and the series sweep over 2nd-ranked Oklahoma Baptist.   It is the first time that WBU has swept a series over the Bison.

Things didn't look good for the home team early in the game, as OBU jumped out to a 4-0 lead off Wayland starting pitcher Darren Davis.  Joe Covarrubias scored the first WBU run in the fifth with a solo homer off Bison starter Chad Rhoades, but Oklahoma Baptist hit three solo home runs of their own in the top of the sixth to stretch the lead to 7-1.   The Pioneers trimmed the margin to three in the bottom half of the sixth when Reynoso and Israel Castillo each took the ball yard.   Freshman Johnathan Torres doubled to left center with one out in the seventh and scored on Sam Hayden's double in the gap to right to make the score 7-5.

Trey Roberson tied the score at seven with a two-run blast in the bottom of the 8th.  Neither team crossed the plate in the ninth, sending the game into extra innings.  In the tenth, OBU's Justin Ard doubled down the right field line.  Catcher Adam Dalby struck out swinging, but a passed ball put him on and advanced pinch runner Josh LaTour to third.  Frankie Ibarra, who went 4-for-4 on the day, sacrificed home LaTour to give OBU the 8-7 advantage. 

Then came the heroics.  Reynoso hit the first pitch he saw in the Pioneer half of the tenth off OBU bullpen ace Bryan Tapley to tie the game at 8, then DeLeon lifted Tapley's third pitch of the inning to put WBU in second place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings with an 11-4 mark.   Richard Cruz pitched the final four-and-a-third innings for the victory.  The junior from Avondale, Ariz., allowed one unearned run on four hits and struck out one.

The two teams combined to hit 10 home runs in the game, six by the Pioneers, who hit 12 during the three-game series, increasing their NAIA-leading home run total to 88 for the year.  Oklahoma Baptist fell to 30-9 on the year and 10-5 in conference play. 

The Pioneers are on the road next week with a single game Tuesday in Amarillo against West Texas A&M University, and a three-game series in Chickasha, Okla. against USAO.

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PIONEERS TAKE TWO FROM 2ND-RANKED OKLAHOMA BAPTIST

The Pioneers upset Oklahoma Baptist, ranked #2 in the latest NAIA Top 25, in a doubleheader on Thursday afternoon at Wilder Field.  WBU squeaked out a 5-4 first game win and unloaded for a 12-2 victory in the nightcap.  OBU came into the series tied for first in the Sooner Athletic Conference with a 10-2 mark and an overall record of 30-6.

Bison pitching had surrendered just 15 home runs prior to their trip to Plainview, but the Pioneers launched six homers in the doubleheader.  Sean Iverson got the long ball parade started with his 15th homer of the year to tie the score at one.  WBU took a 2-1 lead in the second on a solo blast by Trey Roberson, his 15th, but OBU answered with three runs in the top of the third.

Oklahoma Baptist was threatening in the fourth with two runners on and nobody out, but after Roberson caught a fly ball in right, he threw a bullet to Matt Knobbe who made a diving tag to get the Bison runner who had wandered too far off second base.  Two batters later, centerfielder Jonathan Reynoso gunned down a runner at home to keep the OBU lead at 4-1.

Chasen DeLeon hit his 11th homer of the year with two out in the bottom of the fifth to close the OBU gap to 4-2.  Iverson followed with a triple, then scored when Israel Castillo hit a bomb to left to give the Pioneers their final lead.

Todd Jeffress shut down the Bison in the final four innings to record his 5th complete game and improve his record to 7-4. 

The first game went down to the wire, but game two lasted just five innings, thanks to timely two-out hitting and a masterful pitching performance by junior Zach Winter.  WBU got two runs with two outs in the first when Iverson reached base on an error by the Bison shortstop and scored on a double down the left field line by Castillo.  Castillo advanced to third on a passed ball, then crossed home plate on a single up the middle by Roberson.

Two more runs came across in the second.  Johnathan Torres was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, advanced to third on Sam Hayden's single to right center, and scored when courtesy runner Eric Brown stole second.  Brown then scored on a single by DeLeon.

Joe Covarrubias led off the third with his seventh home run of the season.  Two outs later, Hayden singled through the left side, Reynoso was hit by a pitch, DeLeon walked, and Iverson laid down a beautiful bunt to make the score 6-0.

The Pioneers broke their string of two-run innings in the fourth by scoring five runs.  Roberson and Covarrubias traded places with doubles down the left field line.  Then, with two outs, Hayden reached on an error by the shortstop.  Reynoso singled home Covarrubias and advanced to second on on error by the leftfielder.  DeLeon brought home the third run on a single through the right side, and after Iverson drew a walk to load the bases, Castillo hit a two run single to left center to give WBU an 11-0 lead.

Bison designated hitter Dustin Hughes spoiled the shut out in the top of the fifth with a two-run homer, but Covarrubias got his second long ball of the game in the bottom of the inning to give the Pioneers the five-inning win.

Winter gave up just five hits in the game, walked one and struck out four.  He improved his record to 3-5.   WBU is now 26-20 on the year and 10-4 in conference play.

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REYNOSO HITS FOR CYCLE

Wayland Baptist center fielder Jonathan Reynoso hit for the cycle Tuesday night as he led the Pioneers past Eastern New Mexico University, 17-4.   It is the first cycle hit by a WBU player in over a decade.  Reynoso, a junior from Chandler, Ariz., led off the game with a solo home run to give WBU (24-20) an early 1-0 lead and then hit one of his two doubles in the second.

In the fourth, he lined a single to left field and he completed the cycle in the seventh inning with a long shot to center field for the triple.  The homer was Reynoso´s 11th on the season. 

Wayland out-hit the Greyhounds (21-23) by a margin of 24-7 and tied the school record for doubles in a game with nine.  The record was set last month in a matchup against Bemidji State.   Sean Iverson tied the WBU record for doubles in a season when he hit the gap in left center in the first inning, then broke the mark in the seventh on a double up the middle.  The senior from Tempe, Ariz., also homered for WBU.   Israel Castillo was a perfect 4-for-4 in the game with a double, a home run and five RBIs, and Trey Roberson was 3-of-6 with a double and a homer.

Seth Andrews (4-0) pitched two innings, allowing only one baserunner, to get the win.  Five Wayland pitchers struck out nine Greyhounds.  The Pioneers will be back home at Wilder Field on Thursday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Sooner Athletic Conference foe Oklahoma Baptist (30-6, 10-2).  OBU is tied for first in the SAC with Oklahoma City.

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PIONEERS HAVE RECORD-BREAKING WEEKEND

The Pioneers broke or tied seven school records and won two out of three games on the road at St. Gregory’s University. All the records fell during a 26-4 win in the first game of the Friday doubleheader. Wayland took the second game by a score of 15-4, but lost game three of the series 9-8.

The conditions for Friday’s opener were a pitcher’s nightmare. The wind was blowing 30-40 miles per hour straight out of SGU’s small field, and the Pioneers took advantage. Going into the game, the team needed just one double to tie the school record for doubles in a season (119). Lead-off batter Jonathan Reynoso smoked a double to left center on the second pitch of the game to tie the mark, and one inning later, Chasen DeLeon knocked a double down the left field line, to break the record.

The Pioneers also entered the series just five home runs short of tying the season record of 65, and they got that in the fifth on Reynoso’s three run blast to center. Four batters later, the mark fell on Trey Roberson’s three-run bomb to right.

Before the game was finished, the team had broken the record for most runs scored in a game (26), most hits in a game (25), and highest batting average in a game (.658). The record for most home runs in a game (7) was tied, and DeLeon tied the mark for most hits by an individual in a game with five.

DeLeon led the hitting parade, going 5-for-5 with four runs scored, five RBI’s, a double and two home runs. Sean Iverson had four hits, including two solo home runs, and Joe Covarrubias had four hits with a double. Jacob Palomarez got the game’s final runs with a three-run pinch hit blast in the nine-run fifth.

Todd Jeffress got his sixth win of the season, pitching all five innings for the Pioneers, allowing four runs on five hits.

Shirtsleeves and light jackets gave way to sweatshirts and blankets as the nightcap of Friday’s double dip got underway, and by the second inning a light rain began to fall. WBU fell behind 4-0 after two, but then the bats began to make contact.

Matt Knobbe started off the third with a solo home run to get the Pioneers on the board, and then WBU got six in the fourth. Covarrubias was hit by a pitch to lead things off. Johnathan Torres, Knobbe and Hayden hit three straight singles to bring up Reynoso who hit his second three-run homer of the day. One inning later, Reynoso belted out another three-run blast to make it 11-4, and Hayden put the Pioneers up by 11 in the sixth with a three-run bomb of his own.

Zach Winter picked up his second win, going all six innings. The junior allowed only one earned run on six hits while striking out eight.

WBU led by as much as 7-2 in the final game of the series, but three Pioneer errors in the bottom of the ninth on Saturday afternoon cost Wayland the sweep and put a damper on the long bus ride home from Oklahoma.

Neither team scored until the third inning when WBU touched the plate five times. Hayden started the inning off by forcing a bad throw to first by the Cavalier shortstop. Courtesy runner Eric Brown stole second, advanced to third on Reynoso’s infield single, and scored on DeLeon’s single up the middle. Iverson doubled home Reynoso, Roberson brought home Iverson, and Torres singled home Roberson.

The Pioneers got another in the fifth on Iverson’s solo homer to right, and one more in the sixth when DeLeon singled, went to third on a double down the line by Iverson and scored on a wild pitch.

SGU scored two in the fourth, and then closed to within 7-5 and had the bases loaded in the seventh when Palomarez came in to force a ground out to end the inning.

WBU picked up another run in the ninth to make it 8-5 after Iverson led the inning off with a walk. Castillo followed with a single to right center and Roberson brought home the run with a sacrifice fly, but the Cavaliers plated four unearned runs in their half of the inning to take the victory.

Palomarez got the loss in relief of starter Darren Davis who pitched six-and-a-third innings, allowing four runs (three unearned) on eight hits and striking out six.

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ANDERSON THROWS A NO-HITTER

Pitcher Stephen Anderson threw the Pioneer’s first no-hitter in over three years and WBU took a 15-0 game one victory over the University of Texas-Permian Basin Tuesday at Wilder Field.  Anderson struck out nine and allowed just one base runner during the game, which was called after five innings due to the mercy rule.  The junior from Tucson, Ariz., threw 45 of his 59 pitches for strikes and recorded nine strikeouts.

WBU jumped out early with four runs in the first.  Jonathan Reynoso led off with a double, advanced to third on Chasen DeLeon’s sacrifice bunt and scored on a balk by the Falcon pitcher.  Israel Castillo had an RBI single, and then Trey Roberson hit his 12th homer of the year, a two-run shot to left.

The Pioneers put up nine more runs in the second.  Sam Hayden started things off with a solo home run with one out.  After an error by the UTPB shortstop put Reynoso on first, DeLeon and Iverson had back-to-back jacks.  Castillo and Roberson followed with singles, and Joe Covarrubias walked to load the bases for Johnathan Torres who hit a RBI single to score Castillo.  Reynoso ended the inning’s scoring with a two-run double.

The final two runs came on a double by Iverson down the right field line and a Covarrubias home run in the bottom of the third.

After producing 15 runs on 13 hits including five homers and three doubles in the opener, the Pioneer bats managed just two runs on seven hits in game two, and UTPB avoided the sweep with a 6-2 win.

UTPB scored three runs in the first off Wayland pitcher Shea Clark, but back-to-back singles by Brown and DeLeon to lead off the Pioneer half of the inning made things look promising for the home team.  Brown scored his run on a throwing error by the catcher trying to catch DeLeon stealing, and then DeLeon scored on a Todd Jeffress two-out single.

The Pioneers could muster just two hits off Falcon starter Cory Roberson over the next five innings.  When UTPB brought out a new pitcher to face the top of the Wayland order in the final inning, WBU responded.  Brown led off with a double in the gap to left center, and then DeLeon was hit by a pitch.  Reynoso’s single with one out to load the bases brought out the Falcon’s skipper who signaled for his bullpen.  Reliever Matt Szymarek earned his first save of the season by striking out Jeffress and Torres to end the game.

WBU returns to Sooner Athletic Conference play this weekend when they travel to Shawnee, Okla. to take on St. Gregory’s University.  The Pioneers are 21-19 on the season and 6-3 in the SAC, while SGU is 12-19 and 3-6.

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JEFFRESS AWARDED PITCHER OF THE WEEK HONORS

Wayland Baptist University sophomore Todd Jeffress has been named Sooner Athletic Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week for March 27-April 2. A graduate of Plainview High School, Jeffress held Southern Nazarene University to just three hits and one unearned run in WBU’s 3-1 win last Thursday. He fanned eight in seven innings of work.

It is the second time this spring Jeffress has been honored as SAC Pitcher of the Week.

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SWEEP!

Darren Davis allowed just five hits in eight innings of work and Israel Castillo went 3-for-4 with four RBIs to lead the Pioneers to an 11-2 win over Southern Nazarene on Friday afternoon at Wilder Field.  A junior from Clovis, Davis struck out 10 batters and gave up just one walk to pick up his third win of the season.  The victory gave the Pioneers their second sweep of the conference season and improves their record to 20-18 overall and 6-3 in the conference.

SNU scored both their runs in the first inning on a lead-off home run by D.J. Hair and a sacrifice fly by designated hitter Brian Madden.  The Pioneers responded with a run in the bottom of the inning.  Sean Iverson and Israel Castillo drew back-to-back walks with two outs, followed by Trey Roberson's RBI double to left center.

Freshman Johnathan Torres tied the score in the bottom of the second with a lead-off solo home run to left center.  WBU got two more in the third then exploded for six runs in the fourth, all with two outs.  Torres opened the fourth with a walk and advanced to second on a single by Matt Knobbe.   A strikeout and a flyout later, the runners moved up on a wild pitch then scored on Chasen DeLeon's single through the left side.  After Iverson was hit by a pitch, Castillo belted a three-run blast to left center, followed by Roberson's second double of the game.  Roberson scored on an error by the Storm first baseman to give the Pioneers a 10-2 lead.

Davis allowed just three base runners over the next four innings, giving way to Richard Cruz who retired the side in order in the top of the ninth.

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TWO GAMES, TWO BIG WINS

The Pioneers swept the first two games of a three-game Sooner Athletic Conference series, 3-1 and 12-8, against Southern Nazarene University at Wilder Field.  The wind was blowing out in the opener, but neither team could take advantage with the two pitchers combining for 20 strikeouts.  The wind died down for the nightcap and four home runs were hit and eight pitchers were used. 

Todd Jeffress went the distance in game one, allowing three hits and one unearned run while striking out a season-high eight hitters.  Jeffress struggled with his control early, walking four batters in the first three innings.  He gave up his first hit in the fourth, a double down the left field line by SNU's Michael Gentry that scored the only Crimson Storm run of the game.  SNU got a leadoff double in the top of the fifth, but the runner was left stranded at second when shortstop Matt Knobbe made a fantastic play on a softly hit ball for the third out.

WBU scored a run in each of the first two innings.  Jonathan Reynoso hit the gap in right center for a lead off double, advanced to third on Sean Iverson's sacrifice, and scored on Israel Castillo's shot up to center.   Johnathan Torres started the second with a blooper to right.  After two strikeouts, Reynoso singled to right, then stole second, forcing a bad throw by the SNU catcher which scored Torres.  The final run of the game was a solo homer by Torres in the bottom of the sixth.

The Pioneers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the second game after Iverson hit a two-out single through the left side, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball.  SNU answered with three in the top of the second on a three-run shot over the left field fence by second baseman Lance Kasitz, then Nolan Neugebauer extended the Storm lead in the third with a solo homer to center.

Chasen DeLeon singled with one out in the bottom of the third and scored on Castillo's double in the gap to left center to narrow the gap to 4-2.  SNU got one more in the fourth to make it 5-2, but Reynoso tied the game up in the Pioneer half of the inning with a three-run blast to left. 

Southern Naz picked up two more runs in the fifth to retake the lead, but Wayland exploded for six runs in the bottom of the inning to open up the game.  Iverson and Castillo chased Storm starting pitcher Matt Durrett with back-to-back walks in the fifth.  Trey Roberson was hit by a pitch to load the bases, then Joe Covarrubias smacked a single to right to score Iverson.  A fielder's choice by Torres knocked Castillo out at home, but the bases were still loaded when Knobbe came to the plate.  The junior shortstop laid down a perfect suicide squeeze scoring Roberson.  Covarrubias also scored on the play when the pitcher, who covered first base late, made an errant throw back to the plate and Knobbe ended up a second.  After the third pitching change of the half-inning by SNU, Torres scored on a wild pitch and Sam Hayden brought in Knobbe to give the Pioneers a 10-7 lead.  Reynoso then hit a double to right to bring in courtesy runner Eric Brown.

Jacob Palomarez shut the Storm down in order in the sixth and WBU added an insurance run when Roberson doubled and scored on a Todd Jeffress single.  Palomarez got the win in relief for the Pioneers, his first of the season.

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TIME CHANGES ANNOUNCED

Pioneer baseball coach Brad Bass has announced two changes in game times for upcoming Sooner Athletic Conference series.  The first pitch for the game against Southern Nazarene University on Friday, March 31, will be thrown at 3:30 p.m., rather than the originally scheduled time of 2:30 to accommodate team members and fans who wish to attend the memorial service for Dr. Bill Hardage, WBU executive vice-president.

The Thursday, April 13 doubleheader against Oklahoma Baptist University at Wilder Field has been changed to a 1:00 p.m.

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PIONEERS PREVAIL IN EXTRA INNINGS

Wayland Baptist University centerfielder Jonathan Reynoso drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Pioneers a 10-9 victory over Hardin Simmons University Tuesday evening at Wilder Field.

WBU’s Sean Iverson led the final inning off with a hard shot that just went off the glove of a diving HSU second baseman. After Trey Roberson sacrificed Iverson to second, the Cowboys intentionally walked Joe Covarrubias and Johnathan Torres to load the bases with one out. Reynoso took a 3-2 pitch from HSU reliever Paul Garrett to get the game-winning RBI.

The Pioneers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first on a Chasen DeLeon double, an Iverson walk, a HSU error and a single by Torres. Hardin Simmons went up 3-2 in the top of the third, but the Pioneers answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Torres singled home Covarrubias, who had reached on an error, and then scored on Reynoso’s double down the left field line.

WBU put up three more in the sixth and one in the seventh to take an 8-4 lead, but HSU rallied for four runs on two walks, two hits and two Pioneer errors in the top of the eighth to even the score.

Wayland regained the lead with a run in the bottom of the inning when Iverson drew a lead off walk, stole second, advanced to third on an error by the HSU shortstop, and scored on Reynoso’s suicide squeeze. The Cowboys tied it up again when designated hitter Tre Sellari hit a solo home run over the fence in left center in the top of the ninth.

DeLeon had a one-out single in the Pioneer half of the ninth, moved to second on Iverson’s fourth walk of the evening, then to third on a wild pitch, but was unable to score. Matt Knobbe was also unable to score from third in the bottom of the tenth.

The two teams combined for 27 hits in the game, but left 30 men on base. There were also 12 errors resulting in 9 unearned runs and 12 pitchers were used. Reynoso had a big night both at the plate and in the field. The senior from Chandler, Ariz. had three hits and three RBIs, and threw two HSU runners out at the plate. Torres also had three hits for WBU, while the Cowboys were led by Taylor Lamar and Sellari with three hits a piece. Junior Richard Cruz got his second win of the season for the Pioneers. Paul Garrett took the loss for HSU.

Wayland, which improves to 17-18 on the season, returns to Wilder Field for a three-game series Thursday and Friday against Sooner Athletic Conference foe Southern Nazarene University. Thursday’s doubleheader begins at 4 p.m. The game time for Friday’s single game has been changed to 3:30 p.m.

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PIONEERS PUT A SCARE INTO TEXAS TECH

It took a two-out two-run homer on a 3-2 count in the bottom of the ninth inning to give NCAA Division I Texas Tech University a 6-4 victory over the Pioneers Tuesday evening at Dan Law Field in Lubbock.

WBU rallied from a 4-0 deficit to tie the score at four in the top of the seventh.  With one out, Matt Knobbe reached on an error by the TTU second baseman.  After Sam Hayden grounded out to the pitcher for the second out, Jonathan Reynoso hit a triple to right center to put the Pioneers on the board.  Chasen DeLeon, Sean Iverson, and Israel Castillo hit consecutive singles to make the score 4-2.  After a pitching change, Trey Roberson and Joe Covarrubias each drew a walk to tie the game at four, but that was all the damage the Pioneers could do. 

Stephen Anderson started the game for Wayland, holding the Raiders scoreless until the fourth when he gave up two runs on two doubles and a sacrifice fly.  Tech scored two more off Anderson in the fifth on a walk and two hits.  The junior from Tucson struck out four and walked three in 4-2/3 innings of work.  Gary Gates pitched 1-1/3 in relief with two walks and a strikeout, followed Richard Cruz who went 2-2/3 and got the loss.  Cruz gave up three hits and struck out one.

Castillo led the Pioneers at the plate with three hits, including a double.  WBU out hit the Raiders 13-9 and played flawless defense.  Texas Tech is 3-0 all-time against the Pioneers.

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COVARRUBIAS EARNS CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS

Senior Joe Covarrubias has become the fourth straight Pioneer to win Sooner Athletic Conference baseball honors.  The senior first baseman from Yuma, Ariz., was named Player of the Week for March 13-19.

Covarrubias had 11 hits in six Pioneer games last week, including three doubles and two homers, for a .579 batting average and a 1.053 slugging percentage.  He also scored seven runs and had seven runs batted in. 

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PIONEERS TO TAKE ON TEXAS TECH

The Pioneers have added Texas Tech University to their 2006 baseball schedule.   Both teams lost games this past weekend due to rain.  The new game is set for Tuesday, March 21.   First pitch, which will take place at Dan Law Field on the TTU campus, is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

The last time the Pioneers faced Texas Tech was April 25, 2000.  Tech won that match-up 7-3

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RALLY FALLS SHORT

Freshman Johnathan Torres blasted a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, but it wasn't enough as the Pioneers fell to Lubbock Christian, 6-5 in what turned out to be the final game of the WBU Spring Break Tournament.  The final round of the tournament was cancelled due to wet conditions on Saturday.

Trailing 6-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, pinch-hitter Joe Covarrubias drew a lead off walk.  After a fly out, Matt Knobbe singled to left, and then Torres came up to bat in just his second plate appearance of the game, closing the margin to one.  (The former Estacado Matador doubled down the left field line in his first at bat in the seventh inning.)   Chasen DeLeon and Sean Iverson had back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with two down, but WBU was unable to plate the tying run.

Todd Jeffress started the game for the Pioneers, going 6 2/3 innings.  The sophomore gave up six runs, four unearned, on six hits, walked five and struck out six.  WBU committed five errors in the game, tying a season-high.  Richard Cruz pitched the final 2 1/3, surrendering just one hit and walking one.

Knobbe was the only other Pioneer with more than one hit.  The junior shortstop was two for three and scored two runs.  Israel Castillo picked up the only other Wayland RBI.

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WBU/LCU SPRING BREAK GAME POSTPONED

Friday's final game of the WBU Spring Break Tournament between WBU and Lubbock Christian was postponed until Saturday at noon. LCU's 4 p.m. game against the University of Texas-Permian Basin went 11 innings, pushing the final start time to 7:30. The extremely cold conditions and the late hour were the determining factors in the decision.

Saturday's regularly scheduled games will immediately follow the WBU/LCU contest. 

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PIONEERS FIND A WAY TO WIN

Junior pitcher Darren Davis pitched seven strong innings, and the Pioneers managed to get six runs off six hits and three College of the Southwest errors to win Friday's opening game of the 2006 Spring Break Tournament, 6-2. 

Davis gave up seven hits, struck out six and walked one in his first complete game of the year.   On an unseasonably cold day with a stiff wind blowing in, WBU went without an extra base hit for only the second time this season.  Joe Covarrubias went two-for-three with a RBI, and Trey Roberson had two RBIs to lead the Pioneer hitters.

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TOUGH LOSS IN EXTRA INNINGS

The Pioneers lost their first game of the 2006 Spring Break Tournament to the University of Texas-Permian Basin, 4-3 in extra innings.  UTPB, 8-11-1 on the season, scored a run in the top half of the ninth inning to record their first-ever win over Wayland. 

Wayland starting pitcher Zach Winter gave up three runs on four hits and a walk in the top of the first, but allowed only three hits over the course of the next seven innings.  The junior from Phoenix, Ariz., struck out five of the last seven hitters he faced, giving him a season-high 11 for the game.

Trailing 3-0 after the first half inning, Trey Roberson hit a double down the left field line with two outs to score Sean Iverson.  The Pioneers narrowed the gap to one in the fourth on a solo home run by Joe Covarrubias, then tied it up in the fifth when Iverson singled, moved to third on a double by Israel Castillo and scored on Roberson's sacrifice fly. 

The Falcon's game-winning run came after a lead-off double, a sacrifice bunt and a ground ball.  WBU had a chance to tie the score in the ninth when Plainview sophomore Todd Jeffress singled to left  to lead off the bottom of the inning, stole second and was balked to third, but the next three Pioneer batters struck out to end the game.

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FRESHMEN STANDOUT IN VICTORY

Freshmen Johnathan Torres and Michael Prell each had two hits and two RBIs in the Pioneer's 15-10 victory over Bemidji State on Wednesday.  Starting in their first varsity games of the year, Torres, a leftfielder from Lubbock, went two-for-three with two singles, a walk and was hit twice, while Prell, a shortstop from Carlsbad, NM, went two-for-three with a double, a walk, and he was also hit by a pitch.  WBU added to their NAIA-leading home run total with four blasts, one each by Jonathan Reynoso, Chasen DeLeon, Israel Castillo and Joe Covarrubias.

The Pioneers were down 4-0 when they put five runs on the board in the third inning.  Prell led off the WBU half of the third with an infield single, followed by Reynoso's sixth homer of the season.  Trey Roberson found a seam down the left field line for a run-scoring double.  Brian Bueno knocked in the other two runs on a single to left center to give WBU the 5-4 lead. 

In the bottom of the fourth, Wayland scored four more on solo homers by DeLeon and Covarrubias and a two-run shot by Castillo.

Richard Cruz got the win in relief of Gary Gates, who pitched 4-2/3 innings.  The Pioneers left 14 men on base, including bases loaded in three separate innings.

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PIONEERS BREAK RECORD IN WIN

Twenty-four hours after losing to Bemidji State by a score of 16-6, the Pioneers responded with a season-high 21 runs on 21 hits to pound the Minnesota school, 21-4  on Tuesday night at Wilder Field.  Nine of the 21 hits went for doubles, breaking the WBU record for doubles in a game.  The old mark was eight, set in 2004 against West Texas A&M and tied in 2005 against McMurry.

Stephen Anderson pitched eight innings to get his second win of the season.  The junior from Tucson, Ariz., gave up four runs on six hits while striking out seven.  After surrendering three runs in the top of the first, Anderson settled down retiring 12 straight at one point, and allowing just one hit over his final five innings of work.

Trailing 4-3 after three-and-half innings, the Pioneers exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the fourth.  Catcher Sam Hayden doubled down the left field line with one out.  After Jonathan Reynoso was hit by a pitch, Chasen DeLeon blasted a three-run homer to left field to give WBU its first lead of the series.  Sean Iverson and Israel Castillo got back-to-back singles and scored on Joe Covarrubias's double to right center.  Todd Jeffress knocked in Covarrubias with a single to center, then  Hayden hit his second double of the inning, bringing home Jeffress and Knobbe, who was on board after getting hit by a pitch.  The scoring was completed when Reynoso singled home courtesy runner Eric Brown.

Reynoso added a three-run homer in the sixth, and DeLeon ended the night with a game-high five RBIs after he hit a two-run double in the seventh.  Two of Iverson's three hits went for doubles, as did Hayden's.  Freshman Johnathan Torres got his second extra base hit of the season with a pinch hit RBI double in the seventh, and junior Armando Garza got the final RBI of the game on a double to left in the eighth.

Jacob Palomarez saw his first action on the mound this season, striking out two in the ninth.

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WIN STREAK ENDS AT SIX

It took a while for the baseball game to get underway Monday night at Wilder Field. The game was delayed for over an hour because the umpires that were scheduled to call the game went to Snyder instead of coming to Plainview. By the time a different crew could get to town, the Beavers of Bemidji State, playing in only their fifth game of the season, were raring to go. On the other side of the diamond, the Wayland Baptist Pioneers, fresh off a three-game sweep of conference rival Northwestern Oklahoma and playing their seventh game in seven days, looked more like they were ready to go home to bed. The end result was a 16-6 Bemidji State victory, and the end of the Pioneer’s six-game win streak.

The Minnesota school erupted for eight runs on nine hits in the first three innings. WBU scored four runs in the bottom half of the third to close the gap to within three at 8-5. Chasen DeLeon led the inning off with a walk and scored on Sean Iverson’s ninth homer of the year. Israel Castillo then reached on an error, courtesy runner Eric Brown advanced to second on Joe Covarrubias’s single and scored on a Matt Knobbe RBI single. Covarrubias then scored on a wild pitch.

Two costly Wayland errors in the fourth and sixth innings led to seven unearned runs by the Beavers and put the game out of reach. WBU managed 10 hits in the game, but left 12 men stranded. Covarrubias who went 4-for-5 with a double, and Iverson who was 3-for-5 with the homer, were the only Pioneers with more than one hit. Two BSU pitchers combined to strikeout 11 Wayland batters.

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IVERSON NAMED SAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Pioneer third baseman Sean Iverson became the third straight Pioneer to be honored with Sooner Athletic Conference honors.  Iverson, a senior from Tempe, Ariz., hit .591 with a slugging percentage of 1.227 in leading the Pioneers to six straight wins during the week of March 6-12.  He scored 12 runs, had five doubles and three home runs, and 14 RBIs during the week.

Iverson follows pitchers Seth Andrews and Todd Jeffress who won SAC Pitcher of the Week honors during the fourth and fifth weeks of the baseball season respectively.

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DELEON'S WALK-OFF HOMER GETS WBU A SWEEP

Senior Chasen DeLeon hit a three-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Pioneers a 17-16 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State University on Saturday afternoon.  DeLeon's blast gave Wayland a three-game sweep over the Rangers in the Sooner Athletic Conference opening series.  On Friday, WBU took a doubleheader from NWOSU, 7-2 and 10-2. 

In game one of the series, starting pitcher Todd Jeffress gave up ten hits, but allowed just two runs to get his second complete game and fourth win of the season.  The Rangers out-hit the Pioneers 10-8, but Matt Knobbe's two-run single in the second and Sean Iverson's two-run homer in the fourth gave WBU all the runs it would need.  Knobbe had a total of three RBIs in the game, and Iverson and Israel Castillo had two hits each to lead the Pioneers.

WBU got another strong pitching performance in the nightcap when Zach Winter allowed just five hits in the 10-2 victory.  Winter struck out eight in his seven innings of work to pick up his first win of the season. 

The Pioneers trailed 2-1 early in the game, but erupted for seven runs with two outs in the bottom of the second.  After singles by Jeffress and Eric Brown, Jonathan Reynoso blasted a double to left field to put WBU up 3-2.  Back-to-back walks and a two-run single by Castillo made the score 5-2 when Trey Roberson hit the first of two bombs to left field.  Roberson finished the game with five RBIs, while Castillo knocked in three.

Saturday's game featured a combined 35 hits by both teams, including seven doubles and eight home runs.  The Pioneers fell behind 5-1, but rallied with four runs in both the fourth and sixth innings to grab a 9-5 lead.  In the fourth, Roberson hit his ninth homer of the season, a three-run bomb, then Jeffress followed one batter later with his second of the year.  Knobbe sent a pitch over the left field fence in the sixth to add three more runs to the Pioneer total, followed later in the inning by a solo blast from Reynoso.

Northwestern tied the game up at nine with four runs in the top half of the seventh, but WBU responded with two in the bottom half of the inning.  The Rangers answered that with two more of their own in the top of the eighth to tie it back up at 11.  The Pioneers seemed to take control in their half of the inning, scoring three runs on a lead-off double by Sam Hayden, a walk, a hit batter and a throwing error by the NWOSU catcher, but the team from Oklahoma came right back to take a 16-14 lead going into the bottom of the ninth.

Jeffress led it off with a walk followed by a single to left off the bat of Knobbe.  A pop-up and a strikeout brought up DeLeon, who lifted an 0-1 pitch over the left field fence and gave the Pioneers their sixth straight win.

WBU has a day off on Sunday, but follows it up with seven games in six days over Spring Break.  Up first is NCAA-Division II opponent Bemedji State University of Minnesota for a three-game series which begins on Monday.

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PIONEER BATS HAVE MONSTER DAY

The Wayland Baptist Pioneer baseball team went into Tuesday’s games at Wilder Field leading the NAIA in both doubles and home runs. After hitting a combined 12 more doubles and five more homers in a 14-4 win over York College and a 10-0 victory over Waldorf College, those league-leading statistics should be safe.

In the opening game against York, the Pioneers out-hit the Panthers 14-10. Jonathan Reynoso started the game off with a double down the left field line. The senior centerfielder advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Sean Iverson’s ground ball out. York tied the game up in the fourth, but WBU exploded for six runs in the bottom of the inning.

After a lead-off walk by designated hitter Israel Castillo, Trey Roberson launched his fifth homer of the season over the left field wall. The next batter, Joe Covarrubias reached on an error by the York shortstop, then Plainview sophomore Todd Jeffress followed up with the first home run of his career, a shot that hit off the back of Hutcherson Center. The Pioneers scored two more runs in the inning with two outs, when Reynoso singled then scored on Chasen DeLeon’s double and Iverson singled in DeLeon.

York closed the gap to 7-4 with another run in the fifth and two in the sixth off WBU starter Gary Gates, but senior reliever Seth Andrews worked out of a bases loaded jam to give Gates his first victory of the season.

The Pioneers ended the game in the bottom of the sixth with seven more runs on doubles by Matt Knobbe, Reynoso, Castillo and Jeffress, and a three-run bomb by Iverson.

Reynoso and Jeffress both went three-for-four in the game, while Iverson picked up a team-high five RBIs.

WBU’s Stephen Anderson pitched his first complete-game shutout of the season in the nightcap against Waldorf College. The junior allowed just three hits in his five innings of work. At the plate, Iverson hit his seventh homer of the season, while Roberson picked up his sixth on a towering shot to left. DeLeon went four-for-four in the game with three doubles, and Iverson picked up four more RBI’s. The Pioneers also got pinch hit doubles by junior Brian Bueno and freshman Johnathan Torres. The game ended with two outs in the bottom of the fifth when Iverson grounded out to first, allowing Torres to score.

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JEFFRESS NAMED SAC PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Pioneer starting pitcher Todd Jeffress was named Sooner Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week for Feb. 28-March 4.  A sophomore from Plainview, he picked up the win in a four-hit complete game shutout of College of the Southwest on March 3.   Jeffress threw just 75 pitches in the 5-0 Pioneer win, striking out three.  He did not surrender a walk. 

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ANOTHER ONE RUN LOSS

For the third time in four games, the Pioneers of Wayland Baptist lost a one-run game.  New Mexico Highlands University defeated the Pioneers by a score of 11-10 in 13-innings at Hobbs on Saturday.

WBU had a 10-5 lead going into the 8th inning, when the Cowboys erupted for five runs to tie the game.  The Pioneers had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the 10th when Joe Covarrubias blasted a double into the gap in left center with one out, but Wayland was unable to plate him.

Sam Hayden reached on an error to lead off the 11th, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, but again the Pioneers failed to come up with a clutch hit.

Junior Richard Cruz pitched the final 5-plus innings, but a mistake to NMHU’s first baseman in the top of the13th inning landed in the weeds beyond the left field fence to give Cruz his first loss of the season.

Darren Davis of Clovis started for the Pioneers, pitching six strong innings, allowing four hits and striking out five.  Davis gave up just one earned run, but two WBU errors resulted in four unearned runs.

Lubbock junior Trey Roberson swung the hot bat for the Pioneers, going four for seven with two doubles, a triple and three RBIs.  Chasen DeLeon and Sean Iverson recorded two runs batted in for the Pioneers who dropped to 7-11 on the season.

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PIONEERS SPLIT ON THE ROAD

The Wayland Baptist Pioneer baseball team split a doubleheader with College of the Southwest on Friday in Hobbs, 5-0 and 6-5.

Sophomore pitcher Todd Jeffress pitched a four-hit complete game shutout in the afternoon's opener. The Plainview graduate needed just 75 pitches to get the win, his third of the season. Jeffress struck out three, did not give up a walk and allowed only one runner beyond second base.

The Pioneers got all the runs they would need in the top of the third when junior shortstop Matt Knobbe hit a double to right center with one out. Eric Brown, the designated hitter, singled up the middle and Chasen DeLeon hit the first of his two sacrifice flies to plate Brown. After third baseman Sean Iverson hit a single through the right side, Jonathan Reynoso slammed a three-run homer over the left field fence to give WBU a 4-0 lead.

The final Wayland run came in the fifth when Brown led off with a double in the gap, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on DeLeon's sacrifice.

Brown started the second game with a triple over the centerfielder's head and scored on DeLeon's groundball to the shortstop. The Pioneers got two more in the second on back-to-back doubles by first baseman Jacob Palomarez and Knobbe, a single by catcher Brian Bueno and a sacrifice fly by Brown.

CSW responded with five runs in the third off Pioneer starter Zach Winter. After surrendering four straight hits to lead the inning off, Winter got a strike out and a foul pop up, but two costly errors by the WBU defense resulted in three unearned runs and the Mustangs were up for the first time.

The Pioneers closed to within one in the fourth after Knobbe knocked in Trey Roberson for his second RBI of the game, then tied it up on Brown's lead-off homer in the fifth.

The Mustangs won the game in the bottom of the seventh on a hit batsmen and back-to-back singles.

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ANDREWS NAMED SAC PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Pioneer relief pitcher Seth Andrews was named Sooner Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week for Feb. 20-26.  A senior from Lubbock, he allowed one hit in three relief appearances spanning 6.1 innings.  He picked two wins for the week with a perfect earned run average. 

In Tuesday's 13-8 Pioneer win over West Texas A&M, Andrews was the most effective WBU pitcher, working two innings, allowing one walk and striking out one in earning his first win of the season.  He pitched the final inning and a third in Thursday's 3-1 loss to 7th-ranked Bellevue University, allowing one hit and striking out two, then struck out four in the final three innings of Friday's opening game, extra-inning win against Bellevue.   

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MCMURRY GAME TIME CHANGED

The Pioneers doubleheader at McMurry University, originally scheduled as a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28 has been changed.  The two teams will play one single, nine-inning game beginning at 5 p.m.

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WBU SWEEPS A TWINBILL

The Wayland Baptist Pioneers were held to just three singles in the first game of the three-game series against 7th-ranked Bellevue University at Wilder Field.  In Friday’s doubleheader, WBU belted out 19 hits, including seven doubles, two triples and two home runs, to sweep the Bruins by scores of 5-4 and 7-5.

Joe Covarrubias was Friday’s game one hero, getting the Pioneer’s first hit on a double in the second and their final hit with no outs in the bottom of the 10th when he sent a 3-0 pitch over the left centerfield wall and onto the top of Hutcherson Center to give WBU the one-run victory.  Sean Iverson, Matt Knobbe and Sam Hayden also hit doubles in the game for Wayland.

Zach Winter started on the mound for WBU, pitching five strong innings in which he gave up just two runs on four hits.  The junior struck out four and did not issue a walk, although he did hit four batters.  Gary Gates pitched a scoreless sixth, retiring the three batters he faced.

Bellevue scored two runs in the top of the seventh off Pioneer reliever Richard Cruz to tie the score at four and force extra innings.  Seth Andrews picked up his second win of the season, pitching the final three innings.  The senior did not allow a hit, walked one and struck out four.

In the nightcap of the twinbill, a leadoff walk to Jonathan Reynoso in the bottom of the first was followed by Iverson’s blast over the right centerfield wall to make the score 2-0.  The Pioneers added three more in their half of the second when Knobbe opened the inning with a triple.  Sophomore leftfielder Todd Jeffress doubled home Knobbe, advanced to third on a single up the middle by catcher Brian Bueno, and scored on a passed ball.  Iverson’s sacrifice fly brought home Bueno’s courtesy runner, Eric Brown, and WBU starter Darren Davis had himself a 5-0 lead.

The bottom of the Pioneer order got the job done again in the 4th when Knobbe led off with a double and scored on a Jeffress triple.  Bueno hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Jeffress, and WBU had a 7-1 cushion.

Davis, who got the win, surrendered four runs in the fifth and sixth, three of which were earned, but Shea Clark came in to close out the seventh and earn his first save of the season.

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PIONEERS FALL TO #7 BELLEVUE

The fans that braved the cool weather Thursday afternoon at Wilder Field saw a whole different kind of baseball game compared to the last two home games of the season. In a battle between the hard-hitting Pioneers and the 7th-ranked Bruins of Bellevue University, it was pitching that ruled the game. Both teams combined for just nine hits and the visitors came out on top by a score of 3-1.

Sophomore Todd Jeffress started on the mound for WBU, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out six to get the loss. On the other side, three Bellevue pitchers combined to allow just one run on three hits and getting eight strikeouts.

After Jeffress shut down the Bruins in the first, WBU walked the bases loaded. First baseman Joe Covarrubias hit a sacrifice fly to right field to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead. Sam Hayden and Eric Brown both singled in the bottom of the second, but were left stranded.

Jeffress allowed his first two base runners in the third on a walk and a single, but Hayden threw out both runners. Bellevue tied the score in the fourth on three walks and a fielder’s choice. The Bruins scored the winning run in the top of the sixth after two hits, a walk and a balk, then got an insurance run on a RBI ground out.

Sophomore Gary Gates relieved Jeffress in the eighth after the Plainview High graduate surrendered a lead-off single, and senior Seth Andrews pitched a scoreless ninth.

The Pioneers threatened in both the final two innings. Designated hitter reached base in the eighth on catcher’s interference, then stole second, but was left stranded, and in the ninth shortstop Matt Knobbe drew a lead-off walk, but a groundball double play eliminated the threat.

WBU coach Brad Bass was pleased with the way his team played, although not with the outcome.

“It was a well-played game by both teams. The pitchers dominated, and that’s how it’s going to be once we get to conference games, so it was a good experience for us. We’ll just come out tomorrow and hope we get the same kind of performance from our pitching staff, and more timely hits from our bats.”

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GAME TIME CHANGED AND SPRING BREAK TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE SET

The game time for the Pioneer game versus Bemidji State University on Wednesday, March 15 has been changed to 1 p.m.  The other two game times against BSU remain at 6 p.m.

The schedule has also been set for the annual Pioneer Spring Break Tournament. Three teams will be joining the Pioneers in the tourney this year including College of the Southwest, the University of Texas-Permian Basin and Lubbock Christian University.

Thursday's games begin at 4 p.m. with College of the Southwest taking on LCU.  The Pioneers follow at 6:30 with a match-up with UTPB.  Friday's action is set to start at 11 a.m. with CSW against WBU.  UTPB takes on CSW at 1:30 p.m., then LCU and UTPB will go against each other at 4 p.m.  Wayland finishes up the day with a meeting against LCU at 6:30 p.m.

The tournament concludes with play on Saturday when the third and fourth seed will battle it out at noon, then the top two seeds will conclude the tournament with a game at 3 p.m.

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OFFENSIVE BARRAGE CONTINUES

The Wayland Baptist Pioneers continued their torrid hitting pace, pounding out 17 hits in a 13-8 win over West Texas A&M University Tuesday at Wilder Field. Ten of those 17 hits went for extra bases and five cleared the fences. WBU has hit 20 long balls in its first 11 games this spring.

Senior second baseman Chasen DeLeon led the Pioneer attack with two home runs, a double and five RBIs. Sam Hayden, a senior catcher, also had three hits, including two doubles.

The home run barrage started early for the Pioneers when first baseman Joe Covarrubias slammed a pitch over the left field fence in the first inning. After the Buffaloes tied it up in the top of the second on a homer to left center, WBU took the lead for good when Jacob Palomarez and Hayden hit back-to-back doubles to lead off the bottom half of the second, followed by a DeLeon walk, Todd Jeffress’ RBI single, a single by Eric Brown down the left field line, and a sacrifice fly by Sean Iverson.

DeLeon hit the first of his two homers in the third, a three-run blast to left to make the score 7-1. WTA&MU closed to within four with a two run shot to left center in the top of the fourth, but the Pioneers answered with Brown’s lead off homer in the home half of the inning.

WBU got one more in the fifth on doubles by Hayden and DeLeon, and four in the seventh on a solo blast by DeLeon and a three-run bomb by Iverson.

Pioneer Coach Brad Bass used five pitchers with senior right-hander Seth Andrews getting the win, allowing just one base runner on a walk in two innings of work.

The Pioneers committed only one error in the game, a marked improvement from their defensive effort in Arizona last week.

“I liked what I saw,” said Coach Brad Bass. “We changed up practice a little on Monday, put more intensity in our workout, and I think it showed up on the field tonight. We still have some things that need improving, but it’s definitely looking better.”

Up next for WBU, now 4-7, is a three-game series on Thursday and Friday against Bellevue University. The Nebraska school was ranked seventh in this year’s NAIA preseason baseball poll, and is 2-1 on the season. Thursday’s single, nine-inning game will begin at 2 p.m. with Jeffress scheduled to start on the mound for the Pioneers. The doubleheader on Friday starts at 1 p.m. with juniors Darren Davis and Zach Winter slated to pitch.

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PIONEERS SWEEP UTPB IN OPENER

The Wayland Baptist Pioneer baseball team opened their season with a sweep of the University of Texas-Permian Basin in Odessa on Tuesday afternoon in Odessa. WBU took the first game of the doubleheader, 7-0, and came from behind to win the nightcap, 11-5.

Pioneer pitchers Todd Jeffress and Seth Andrews combined on a three-hit shutout in game one. A sophomore from Plainview, Jeffress pitched five innings for his first win of the season, striking out seven and walking just one. Andrews, a senior, pitched the final two innings, allowing just one baserunner.

After a scoreless first, WBU got on the board in the second with back-to-back singles by left fielder Jacob Palomarez and designated hitter Trey Roberson, a sacrifice bunt by Plainview junior Armando Garza and a Falcon error.

Jeffress’s only trouble of the game came in the bottom of the second when he gave up two singles to lead off the inning. Following a sacrifice bunt, Jeffress got a strikeout swinging for the second out. A hit batsman loaded the bases, but a soft grounder to third baseman Sean Iverson ended the threat.

Joe Covarrubias, Roberson, Iverson and Jonathan Reynoso all had doubles in the first game for the Pioneers. Covarrubias also had two runs batted in, while Eric Brown swiped four bases.

In the nightcap, WBU spotted UTPB a 5-0 lead before the bats came alive. Reynoso, the Pioneer centerfield, got things going with a two-out solo home run in the fourth to start the comeback. Roberson led off the top of the fifth with a single to right centerfield. Shortstop Matt Knobbe then hit a single through the left side, and following a Falcon error, Wayland catcher Brian Bueno slapped a two-run single to left field. A sacrifice fly by Iverson got the Pioneers to within one.

WBU tied the game up at five when Chasen DeLeon’s infield single in the sixth brought in Covarrubias, who had led the inning off with a double down the right field line.

After both teams failed to score in the seventh, the Pioneers unloaded for six runs in the eighth. Roberson and Knobbe walked with two outs, advanced to second and third on a passed ball, then scored on DeLeon’s single up the middle. A Falcon error and another base on balls preceded a two-run single by Iverson, then Reynoso drove in the final two runs with a double to left.

Shallowater sophomore Gary Gates pitched a solid three and two-thirds innings in relief of starter Darren Davis, allowing just one hit and striking out two. Newcomer Rodolfo Olivarra got the win, pitching the final inning and a third. The sophomore from Puerto Rico pitched to four batters, recording three fly balls and a ground out.

The Pioneers travel to Cedar Hill, Tex., this weekend to take on Northwood University with a doubleheader on Friday and a single game Saturday. Northwood swept defending NAIA World Series Champion Oklahoma City in two games last weekend at Cedar Hill.

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