The Tiffin University baseball team is on a mission as they come down the back stretch of the 2017 baseball season, with eight regular season games remaining, Tiffin is focused on the task at hand. The Dragons open a four game set with the University of Findlay Oilers on Saturday afternoon, putting their 23-18 overall record on the line.
Tiffin University @ University of Findlay - April 29-30 - 1:00 PM
Location: 3420 N. Main St., Findlay, OH
Series Record Since 2009-10 - The Dragons have dominated the series since the 2010 season, winning 18 of the 26 games played.
Oilers - Findlay started the season on a roll, posting a 14-5 record through the month of March. Then April showers washed away that mark, as Findlay is 3-15 in the month of April, and losers of 13 straight games.
Blanked: Findlay ranks last in 11 offensive categories in the GLIAC, and amongst 259 NCAA Division II teams are 254th in bases on balls, 227th in batting average, 254th in home runs per game, and 248th in on-base percentage. In the month of April, the Oilers have been shutout four times, averaging only 2.38 runs per game during their 13 game losing streak.
Powerless: The Oilers have had trouble generating extra base hits, collecting only 62 as a team. Their 49 doubles are last in the GLIAC, and 11 less than the closest team. Home runs have been even harder to come by, posting only six. In the GLIAC, there are 10 players that have more home runs than the entire Findlay team.
No Walks To Be Had: Findlay has managed only 89 walks as a team. That is 39 less than the next closest team. The lack of free passes has contributed to the Oilers' .327 on-base percentage which is last in the GLIAC.
Good With A Glove: The Oilers boast the top fielding percentage in the GLIAC at .971. They have committed only 35 errors on the year, and they've thrown out the most base runners attempting to steal.
Staff Support: The Oilers are 3rd in the GLIAC in earned run average at 4.25. Findlay has also allowed the least amount of hits in the GLIAC at 311.
Whiff: The Oilers pitching staff has had the strikeout pitch working this season, averaging a league high 9.20 per nine innings.
Tiffin: Tiffin is currently 23-18 overall, and need only seven more wins to reach 30, done only once before in program history. To assure a winning season, Tiffin must win two of their final eight games. In GLIAC play, the Dragons are in a heated battle for 2nd place, trailing Wayne State by only two games.
Jack Of All Trades: Jack Dennis has made the most of his early season opportunity, batting .389 for Tiffin, 7th in the GLIAC. Last week, Dennis finished with 10 hits, a .556 batting average, seven runs scored, and three runs batted in. In the month of April, Dennis is hitting .411, and has seven multi-hit games.
Durham's Aboard: That phrase is said a lot by broadcast crews, as Kyle Durham leads the GLIAC in on-base percentage with a .526 mark. At the NCAA Division II level, Kyle is 8th.
Home Turf: The Dragons have made hay when they've been home, winning 11 of 15 games this season. Tiffin last had a winning record at home during the 2014 season.
Rookie Arms Producing: The Dragons' young pitchers have done a nice job, combining to win nine games.