Baseball Preview
Drury Panthers (5-9, 0-0 GLVC) vs. William Jewell Cardinals (6-5, 0-0 GLVC)
March 7-9, 2025
Mark Worley Field at Meador Park
 
Game Information
Tickets: $5 (children under 12, FREE), $30 season passes
Live Video
Live Stats

 
Drury opens GLVC play with William Jewell at home
William Jewell will travel to Springfield for the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) opening weekend against Drury from March 7 to 9 at Mark Worley Field at Meador Park.
 
Drury is coming off a weekend series against Maryville in a non-conference bout. The Panthers and Saints split the four-game set. Drury's offense exploded for 14 runs in the series opener but combined for only four runs in the next three games. In the series finale, Wesley Laaker threw a complete game shutout. He did not allow a hit until the sixth inning in that game. Jackson Crider extended his hit streak to 13 games in the series.
 
The Panthers are expected to have Gage Hayes, Nick Gales, Markell Dixon, and Laaker all pitch this weekend against Jewell. Drury and Jewell have not played in the regular season since 2023, the Panthers took that series three games to one. Last season, the two teams did play twice in the GLVC tournament with Jewell winning both. Jackson Crider is one of the top bats in the league hitting .426 on the season. The Redshirt Freshman also leads the league in hit-by-pitches. The Drury starting pitchers lead the league in innings pitched with Gales, Dixon, and Hayes all in the top ten. Nick Gales is also 7th in the league in strikeouts with 16.
 
On Monday, William Jewell played Washburn resulting in a loss for the Cardinals, 13-5. The Cardinals fell apart in the 5th inning after giving up seven runs. In the GLVC Preseason Coaches' Poll, Jewell was voted to miss the postseason by one spot. Will McCombs leads the Cardinals in batting average with a .432, good for ninth in the GLVC. Justin George has the third-best OPS in the GLVC with a .564. On the pitching end, Charlie Rambo is 10th in ERA with a 3.31 and has the second most strikeouts looking with seven.
 
Following this weekend, Drury will head to Joplin to play Missouri Southern on March 12 in a single game at 6 pm.
 
QUICK FACTS

Probable Starters
DRURY
RHP Gage Hayes (2-0, 4.00 ERA)
RHP Nick Gales (1-2, 5.16 ERA)
RHP Markell Dixon (0-1, 6.19 ERA)
RHP Wesley Laaker (1-2, 8.53 ERA)
 
WILLIAM JEWELL
RHP Jake Sawyer (1-0, 3.00 ERA)
RHP Chandler Ashby (1-1, 6.75 ERA)
LHP Charlie Rambo (2-1, 3.31 ERA)
LHP Nick Taylor (1-1, 12.79)
 
 
Head Coach
Drury - Scott Nasby (13^th season, 339-262-1)
Jewell – Mike Stockton (24^th season, 655-484-1)
 
Stat Leaders
Drury - #10 Nick Gales (1.64 ERA, 1-0, 1 CG, 11 IP), #34 Jackson Crider (.421BA, 1.152 OPS), #15 Landon Willbrand (25 TC, 7 PO, 18 A, 1.000 FLD%)
Jewell - #41 Charlie Rambo (3.31 ERA, 16.1 IP, 2-1), #11 Will McCombs (.432BA, 1.049 OPS), #26 Ilyas van den Bos (34 TC, 30 PO, 1.000 FLD%)
 
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