NOTEBOOK (PDF)

Top 25 Series Win
DBU’s series win over No. 13 North Carolina was the Patriots’ best series win over a top 25 opponent in program history. Prior to this weekend, DBU’s series victory over then-ranked No. 22 Sam Houston State in March of 2018. 

Patriots Polling
Following DBU's series win at North Carolina, the Patriots jumped from No. 23 to No. 18 in this week's Baseball America Top 25 poll and also appear in the D1Baseball.com Top 25 for the first time this season at No. 23.   

Other Power Five Wins
The MVC also claimed two more wins over Power Five teams, including another win over a Top 25 team.  Illinois State beat No. 23 Oklahoma 7-5 in the finale of the four-game series Saturday.  Southern Illinois recorded its first ever regular season win against Southern Cal on Saturday afternoon in San Diego.

Close Losses
During the first two weeks of action, MVC teams have combined to go 3-13 in one run games and 2-5 in extra inning contests.  Evansville, Illinois State and Southern Illinois all sit 0-3 in one run games so far this season. 

VS. 2019 NCAA Tourney Teams
The league went 3-5 against 2019 NCAA Tournament teams during the second weekend after going 0-1 during the opening week of action (Indiana State lost to Ohio State in extra innings). 

DBU claimed a 2-1 series win at North Carolina, while Indiana State split a pair of games with Omaha. Valpo dropped all three games at #3 Louisville over the weekend. So far in 2020, the MVC is 3-6 against the 2019 field.

National Pitcher of the Week
DBU’s Dominic Hamel was tabbed the National Pitcher of the Week by Collegiate Baseball on Monday. Hamel improved to a perfect 2-0 on the season, shutting out No. 13 North Carolina over a season-high 7.0 innings of work last Sunday. In the Patriots’ 3-0 win over the Tar Heels, Hamel took a no-hitter into the eighth inning, striking out a season-high 10 batters, while eventually allowing just one hit and one walk on the afternoon.

Hamel becomes the third pitcher in DBU history to receive National Pitcher of the Week honors, joining Colin Poche (2016) and MD Johnson (2019).

Craig Continues Success
Evansville junior Tanner Craig continued to hit the ball well over the weekend. Craig added two more home runs to his total with homers against Lipscomb and Austin Peay, giving him six on the season.  His six home runs rank second nationally behind New Mexico State's Nick Gonzales (7).  On the year, Craig is hitting .478 with 12 RBI and nine runs scored.

Wiley In Command
Missouri State's Logan Wiley turned in yet another standout performance on the hill for the Bears on Friday, holding Belmont to five hits in 8.0 shutout frames. The Springfield, Mo., native allowed three hits over 7.0 innings in a 1-0 season-opening win at UCA on Feb. 14, extended his personal scoreless streak to 16.2 consecutive innings, dating back to last May 21 vs. Valparaiso at the MVC Championship. He has also registered wins in each of his last six decisions and now has seven quality starts in his last eight outings (since April 19, 2019), over which he has gone 5-0 with a 1.71 ERA.

This week's Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Player/Pitcher of the Week are Bradley's Dan Bolt and DBU's Dominic Hamel, respectively.

MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Dan Bolt, Sr., OF, Bradley
Bolt led a Bradley offense that averaged 6.2 runs per game by hitting .421 (8-for-19) with three home runs and seven RBI during the four-game trip to the SAF Dirt Classic in the Nashville area. Bolt heated up Friday when he went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run at Lipscomb. He followed that effort by going 4-for-6 with two home runs and three RBI in Saturday’s 11-4 win at Austin Peay. Bolt closed the trip by going 1-for-4 with a HBP and a RBI in Sunday’s 8-7 loss at Belmont.

Other Notable Performances: Blayne Jones (DBU); Indiana Stanley (UE); Brian Fuentes (INS); Brad Hudson (SIU); Nolan Tucker (VALPO)

MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PITCHER OF THE WEEK:
Dominic Hamel, Jr., RHP, DBU
DBU’s Dominic Hamel worked seven shutout innings and took a no-hitter into the eighth inning in the Patriots’ 3-0 win over #13 North Carolina on Sunday. Hamel, a junior right-hander from Chandler, Arizona, struck out a season-high 10 batters and allowed just one hit, while issuing only one walk against the Tar Heel lineup. With the win, DBU claimed the series over North Carolina. Hamel is now 2-0 on the season with a 0.75 ERA and has struck out 19 batters in 12.0 innings.   

Other Notable Performances: Nick King (BRAD); Caleb Reinhardt (UE); Colton Johnson (ILS); Tristan Weaver (INS); Logan Wiley (MSU); Brad Harrison (SIU); Trent Turzenski (VALPO)