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Baseball at Graceland Today

April 14, 2009
Contact: Evangel University Athletics 865-2815, Ext. 7282

Evangel Crusaders (22-19, 14-12) at Graceland Yellowjackets (9-24, 7-17)
1pm – Lamoni, Iowa

Games # 43-44

Probable Starters

RHP Andy Pfeifer (3-5, 5.48 ERA) &
LHP Casey Staudt (3-0, 3.45 ERA)

Crusaders Enter Week in Fifth

Evangel starts a six-game road trip Tuesday at Graceland and enters the week in fifth place in the Heart of America conference with a 14-12 league record. The Crusaders are a game out of fourth place and six games behind conference leading Lindenwood.

Today’s Starters

Andy Pfeifer will start today for Evangel…It will be his seventh start and 12th appearance of the season…He took a loss in his last game, a relief appearance against Central Methodist on Saturday: 0.2 inn, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO…Lost his last start on Apr. 8 against MidAmerica Nazarene in a 5-0 defeat: 6 inn, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO…Is 1-2 with a 7.10 ERA in his last three games…Got a win in a relief appearance against Graceland on Mar. 25 (3/1/1-0/2/6 in a 6-5 win)…Evangel is 1-5 when Pfeifer starts…Has 41 strikeouts in 44.1 innings…Is in his sophomore season from Springfield and Hillcrest High School.

Casey Staudt will also start for Evangel today…Has primarily been a reliever…Staudt has won his last two appearances, Apr. 10 against Central Methodist and Apr. 8 against MidAmerica Nazarene…Picked up a win last Friday: 3.1 inn, 2 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO…Is 2-0 with 0.00 ERA in his last three games and 5.2 innings…Has not allowed an earned run since Mar. 7 against Baker, a streak covering 11 innings…Is a junior from Halltown, Missouri.

Squeakers

Six of the Evangel’s 10 games in April have been decided by just one run and another game was a 14-inning contest won by the Crusaders 14-9. Evangel has gone 4-2 in the recent 1-run games and are 8-3 this season in games decided by one run.

Waiting until Late

In addition to one-run games, Evangel’s last four wins have come in their last at-bat. For the season, Evangel has won seven games in their last at-bat and their opponents have won three times in the final chance at the plate in the game. The Crusaders biggest rally in the stretch was a six-run sixth inning in a home win over MidAmerica Nazarene 9-8.

Season Series

Tied 1-1
Mar. 25 at Evan: Grc 7 Evan 1 (WP: Kaleo, 7 inn, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO)
Mar. 25 at Evan: Evan 6 Grc 5 (5-run Evangel 5th inning; Osner 3-4, RBI, R, SB)

Farmer Honored

Evangel shortstop Zach Farmer was named the Heart of America conference Player of the Week today. The junior from Branson went 10 for 19 for a .526 average. Farmer had 10 RBIs in six games, scored six runs, hit four doubles, a triple and had a slugging percentage of .842 as Evangel won four of their six games last week. Farmer had a four-hit game in the second game of a doubleheader on April 10 against Central Methodist. He drove in three runs, scored three times and had a stolen base in a 11-10 win against the Eagles. Farmer is the first Evangel position player to win Player of the Week honors from the league so far this season.

Crusaders At a Glance

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