TIFFIN, Ohio - Following a 3-1 series win over Hillsdale, the Dragons will take their three-game win streak on the road to Alderson Broaddus for four games on Saturday and Sunday.
Game Information:
Tiffin Dragons (9-21, 6-8 GMAC) at
Alderson Broaddus Battlers (10-16-1, 9-5 GMAC)
Saturday, April 6 | 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Sunday, April 7 | 12:00 p.m. (DH)
Philippi, W.Va.
Video | Live Stats
Series History:
Since TU joined Division II, Tiffin and Alderson Broaddus have never played each other in baseball.
Dragon Details:
After a rough start to the season, Tiffin has picked up the pace considerably as of late as the Dragons have won three in a row, four of their last five, and seven of their last 11 games. After splitting with Findlay last Wednesday and taking three of four from Hillsdale on Monday and Tuesday, TU has vaulted up from 12th to seventh in the GMAC standings at 6-8 in conference play.
During the four games against Hillsdale, Tiffin outscored the Chargers 35-18 while racking up 42 hits. Kyle Vance (7-16, 7 runs scored, 3 RBI, 3 BB) and John Heckman (4 hits, 3 runs scored, 7 RBI) were especially impressive during the series. Heckman continues to rank among the conference's elite, entering the weekend series 8th with a .366 BA, 7th with a .644 slugging %, tied for 2nd with 37 hits, tied for 5th with 29 RBI, tied for 2nd with 11 doubles, and tied for 3rd with five home runs.
Scouting the Battlers:
Alderson Broaddus has had a similar season to Tiffin, opening the year by dropping nine of their first ten contests but entering this weekend winners of five of their last seven. The Battlers are currently third in the GMAC at 9-5, with a series win over Cedarville and splits with Walsh and Ohio Dominican as well as a pair of wins over Davis & Elkins in their first two games with the Senators.
Todd Sekowski has had a great start to 2019, leading the team and ranking eighth in the GMAC with a .363 batting average, third with a .693 slugging %, and tied for third with five home runs. Vincenzo Rauso is another potent bat in the Battler lineup, hitting .343 and coming into the weekend fifth in the conference with a .500 on-base percentage.
The Battlers have a trio of starting pitchers (Gordon Swiger, Zach Salmon, Ryan Varley) with over 30 innings pitched on the year, with Swiger leading the way at a 4.38 ERA. Bradan Mullenix has been AB's go-to guy out of the bullpen, allowing just five hits and three earned runs in 14 innings for a 1.93 ERA.