This Week: The Notre Dame College baseball team will play six games, beginning with a non-conference bout at Walsh University on Thursday Mar. 30 at 3 p.m. Next, NDC heads down to West Virginia State University on Saturday April 1, followed by a road series at the University of Charleston on Sunday April 2 for a pair of MEC doubleheaders starting at 1 p.m. The Falcons wrap up with a home game against Malone on Tuesday April 4 at 1 p.m.
 
Records: NDC begins the week at 3-14 (3-5 MEC). Walsh sits at 9-11, as WVSU is 10-10 (5-3 MEC) and UC is 19-5 (7-1 MEC). Malone holds a record of 12-11.
 
Coaches Corner: Len Barker is in his 12^th season at the helm of the NDC baseball program for the 2022 season. Barker has a career record of 229-283. Tim Mead has been the head coach at Walsh for 37 years, amassing 820 career wins. Sean Loyd holds a career record of 145-112 in eight seasons with WV State. Robbie Britt leads Charleston in his fourth season, as Tom Crank begins his 18^th season with Malone.
 
Rankings: None of these teams are ranked according to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) poll.
 
Series History: NDC is 7-29 all-time when facing Walsh University, dating back to their first meeting in 2005 and including WU's 11-5 win back in 2018. The Falcons are 14-19 all-time when playing WV State, dating back to their first meeting in 2012, and including NDC's sweep (6-3 and 7-2) last season. Notre Dame holds a 6-15 all-time record against Charleston, dating back to their first meeting in 2014, and including UC's three wins last year. Lastly, the Falcons are 11-30 in the all-time series against Malone, dating back to their first meeting in 2005 and including NDC's 9-6 victory last season.
 
Noting the Falcons: Last week, Notre Dame split their home opening series against both Concord and Glenville State. On Sunday against CU, the Falcons dropped the first game 3-1, before storming back to claim game two in walk-off fashion. Junior Johnny Costella sealed the deal with a walk-off RBI fielder's choice after a back-and-forth 5-4 affair. On Monday, Notre Dame enjoyed their second walk-off win in as many games, as freshman Devon Minney singled up the middle, to defeat Glenville State 5-4. The Falcons closed out the home stand with a 3-0 loss in extra-innings to GSU.
 
NDC's starting pitching was on-point during the weekend, as Alec Mendoza, Kyle Farrell and Matthew Brown tossed quality innings for the Falcons. Mendoza posted a complete game, allowing five hits and three runs, while striking out four and walking none. Farrell followed up with 5.0 innings pitched, allowing zero earned runs and one hit, while punching out a career-high six. Lastly, Brown closed out the series with 5.0 innings pitched, allowing one hit and zero runs, while sending down three.
 
On the year NDC deploys a balanced offensive attack with nine players tallying between three and five RBI. Minney paces the Notre Dame College offense with a team-high .293 batting average and five RBI. 
 
Maximilian Schweiger touts the second-best batting average on the team (.281), while leading the team with four doubles and five RBI.
 
During limited action, Zachary Kakos has produced meaningful numbers for NDC, with a .300 batting average and .481 on-base percentage.
 
As a whole, Notre Dame maintains a slash line of .202/.303/.250 (BA/OBP/SLG), to go with 45 runs scored, 12 doubles, two triples and two home runs.
 
On the mound, Mendoza leads the Falcon pitching staff with 22.0 innings pitched and two complete games, ranking tied for second in the MEC. The Pickerington, Ohio native maintains a 6.55 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, .280 opponent batting average, to go with 12 strikeouts and five walks allowed.
 
Reliever Danny Brammer leads NDC in ERA (1.50), WHIP (1.33) and opponent batting average (.136).
 
As a unit, Notre Dame posts a 10.59 ERA, 2.23 WHIP, .315 opponent batting average, to go with 73 strikeouts and 109 walks allowed.
 
Noting the Cavaliers: Last time out, Walsh took three of four games from Trevecca Nazarene, winning 13-7, 7-6 and 3-0, before dropping the series finale 8-3 on Sunday.
 
The Cavaliers flash seven players with double digit RBI totals, including five players with averages above .300. WU is led by Brodey Acres 17 RBI, while maintaining the second-best batting average on the team at .313.
 
Jax Miller paces the team with a .352 average at the plate, to go along with four doubles, two triples, three home runs and 11 RBI.
 
Starting pitcher Brody Ware posts the most innings pitched (28.1) and strikeouts (30) on the squad, as reliever Marshall Shepherd owns a team-best 1.80 ERA over 10.0 innings pitched.
 
As a whole, Walsh slashes .270/.361/440, to go with 119 runs scored, 38 doubles, six triples and 22 home runs. On the mound, the Cavaliers total a 6.68 ERA, 1.79 WHIP, to go with 132 strikeouts and 69 walks allowed over 159.0 innings pitched.
 
Noting the Yellow Jackets: Most recently, West Virginia State split their weekend series against Fairmont State and Frostburg State, before falling to Malone on Tuesday 7-4. On Saturday, The Yellow Jackets dropped game one 5-1, before rebounding for a 12-5 victory in game two. Come Sunday, WV State earned a split with Frostburg State, following a 4-3 defeat in game one and 6-2 win in game two.
 
Tyler Overaitis leads the Yellow Jackets in batting average (.357, 8^th MEC), on-base percentage (.424) and RBI (16).
 
Connor Fizer provides the power for WV State with a team leading five home runs (t-5^th MEC), 1.071 on-base-plus-slugging percentage and .704 slugging percentage.
 
As a unit, West Virginia State slashes .251/.332/.402, to go with 99 runs scored, 23 doubles, two triples and 20 home runs.
 
On the hill, WV State boasts a well-rounded pitching staff as Tyler Lafferty owns a team leading 1.50 ERA and .167 opposing batting average, both second in the MEC. Nick Loftis and Chase Norris have each struck out a team-high 22 batters, as Cameron Lewis holds a 0.83 WHIP.
 
As a team, West Virginia State tallies a 4.97 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, .259 opponent batting average, to go with 137 strikeouts and 70 walks allowed.
 
Noting the Golden Eagles: Last weekend, Charleston went 3-1 with a series sweep of Fairmont State (19-5 and 12-3) on Sunday, after splitting with Frostburg State 8-9 and 9-7 on Saturday.
 
The Golden Eagles tout a potent offense with four players ranking inside the top ten in the MEC in runs batted in. Tyler Dellerman and Kyle West are UC's one-two punch at the plate as they rank first and second in the conference in home runs and RBI.
 
West holds a .357 batting average, an MEC-leading 1.319 OPS, .833 slugging percentage, seven doubles, three triples, nine home runs and 23 RBI.
 
Dellerman adds a .341 average at the plate, 1.129 OPS, seven doubles, seven home runs and 25 RBI.
 
As a whole, Charleston slashes .263/.407/.465, to go with 178 runs scored, 50 doubles, 12 triples and 25 home runs.
 
On the bump, five Golden Eagle relievers lead the pitching staff with sub-2.00 ERA. Caleb Rush and Owen MacNeil are yet to allow an earned run in five and four appearances, respectively. Starters Ethan Soderna and Dane Sykes have each pitched 30.1 innings to lead the staff, as Sykes has sent down 40 batters (3^rd MEC) to Soderna's 36 (6^th MEC).
 
Charleston pitching staff carries a 4.38 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, .232 opponent batting average, to go with 236 punchouts and 116 walks allowed in 201.1 innings pitched.
 
Noting the Pioneers: Last week, Malone suffered a series sweep at the hands of Findlay, losing 6-3, 7-3, 7-3, 12-5 in the four-game set between Friday and Monday. MU responded with a 7-4 victory at home against West Virginia State on Tuesday.
 
Tyson Gingerich is an on-base machine for the Pioneers, leading the team and ranking inside the top 25 nationally in batting average (.449) and on-base percentage (.550).
 
In addition, three Pioneers boast 20 or more RBI on the year, as Jeremy Tonelli has driven in a team-high 25 on the season.
 
As a group, Malone slashes .299/.394/.393, with 154 runs scored, 39 doubles, 11 triples and three home runs.
 
On the mound, MU is carried by starting pitchers Mitch Maurer and Devin Norton who post 32 and 41 strikeouts, respectively, while allowing just eight and six walks apiece.
 
Reliever Danny Miller flashes a team-best 0.73 ERA, .167 opponent batting average and two saves over seven appearances this year.
 
The Malone pitching staff holds a 6.08 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, .291 opponent batting average, to go with 166 strikeouts and 74 walks allowed.