Baseball Preview
Drury Panthers (24-20, 14-10 GLVC) vs. McKendree Bearcats (15-25, 12-12 GLVC)
April 25-27, 2025
Mark Worley Field at Meador Park
 
Game Information
Tickets: $5 (children under 12, FREE), $30 season passes
Live Video
Live Stats

 
Drury and McKendree are set for a four-game series this weekend in Springfield
McKendree travels to Springfield on Friday to open up a four-game series against Drury at Mark Worley Field at Meador Park.
 
The Panthers enter play this weekend winning their first-ever series at Indianapolis. Drury took three of four games from the Greyhounds. On the weekend, Drury had six homers and was led by Hesston Gray. Gray went 7-14 with five doubles and a homer. He was responsible for 13 of the 30 runs that the Panthers scored in the series. Drury's game-one starter, Cody Bahl, threw seven innings against Indianapolis. In those innings, he struck out eight and allowed seven hits and five runs. He was given the win. Luc Fuller earned the two-inning save, in game one. This weekend, the Panthers are looking to break a couple of records. Cody Bahl is two outs away from setting the career innings pitched record at 299.2 innings. Bahl will be passing Austin Simms, who threw 299.1 innings from 2015-2018. Hesston Gray is two doubles away from breaking the single-season record with 22. He currently sits at 20. The first-year Panther will pass Clayton Engel and RJ Knese, who both have 21.
 
McKendree enters this weekend winning five of the last six games they have played. The Bearcats swept William Jewell last weekend and split with Kentucky Wesleyan on Tuesday. In those six games, Drury has a +5.6-run differential and is averaging 9.6 runs per game. Last season, the Panthers won the final three games of the series against the Bearcats. In the last ten games, Drury is 8-2 against McKendree. Peyton Bittle is McKendree's best bat based on the numbers. He is hitting .361 with a 1.074 OPS. Bittle leads the team with 17 steals. He has only been caught twice this season. The best Bearcat pitcher is Trey Cole. Cole has started ten games and is the only consistent starting pitcher that McKendree has had this season. Cole has a 6.43 ERA and a 4-3 record.
 
Drury will host #3 Central Missouri on Tuesday for a single game at Mark Worley Field. The game will start at 6 p.m.
QUICK FACTS

Probable Starters

DRURY
LHP Cody Bahl (2-4, 6.35 ERA)
RHP Nick Gales (3-2, 5.40 ERA)
RHP Gage Hayes (5-1, 4.01 ERA)
RHP Markell Dixon (2-4, 7.24 ERA)
 
McKENDREE
RHP Mitchell Alba (2-2, 5.55 ERA)
 Cody Bledsoe (2-3, 7/17 ERA)
RHP Trey Cole (4-3, 6.43 ERA)
 Ben Vaughn (0-2, 11.29 ERA)

Head Coach
Drury - Scott Nasby (13^th season, 358-273-1)
McKendree – Tim Gurnow (2^nd season, 32-58)
 
Stat Leaders
Drury - #29 Gage Hayes (4.01 ERA, 5-1, 3 CG, 58.1 IP), #34 Jackson Crider (.427BA, 1.233 OPS, 32 RBIs)
McKendree - #17 Cole Trey (6.43 ERA, 49.0 IP, 4-3), #4 Peyton Bittle (.361BA, 1.074 OPS, 32 RBIs)
 
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