STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA – Fresh off four games at the Irish Alamo Classic, the University of the Incarnate Word baseball team will make the long trip north to Oklahoma State for a pair of 4 o'clock contests on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Cardinals (3-4) went 1-3 last weekend and will try to bounce back against the Cowboys (2-5).  They are hitting .237 as a team and are averaging a little over five runs per game.  Brance Kahle (Colleyville/Grapevine Faith HS) leads the team with a .400 batting average and a .526 on-base percentage at third base.  Freshman shortstop Ryan Gonzalez (Corpus Christi/Carroll HS) is hitting .310 with six runs and six RBI's.  Christian Divelbiss (Yuba City, AZ/Yuba City HS) leads the team with seven runs batted in.

Austin Preiss (La Vernia/La Vernia HS) and John Shull (San Antonio/Churchill HS) are expected to get the nod for the starting pitching assignments for UIW.  Preiss has made two appearances out of the bullpen tossing 5.2 innings while allowing four hits, three runs and six walks with six strikeouts.  Shull struck out a career high 12 in seven innings of relief last week and will be making his first start of the year.

The Cowboys are hitting .239 as a team and lost three one-run games last week to #10 North Carolina.  Donnie Walton leads the team with a .423 batting average, six runs and three doubles.  Dustin Williams is only hitting .231, but he has two home runs and has driven in 10.  The pitching staff has a 3.23 earned run average and is holding opponents to a .233 batting average.  Jensen Elliott and Thomas Hatch have been the top two starting pitchers for the team.
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