Both DePauw University and Washington University will come into this weekend's four game series at crucial points in their respective seasons.
Each team hovers around the magical .500 record that measures a quality baseball team. The Washington Bears will enter the important four game set at 14-14, while the Tigers will take a 10-11 record on the road with them to St. Louis.
"All of our team goals are still well within reach, and I'm sure wins this weekend would absolutely help everyone's confidence," said DePauw senior, J.T. Timmer.
The Bears' season thus far has been filled with parody, as they seem to be a team still searching for their identity. Their record includes a huge 23-7 loss to sixth ranked Webster University, but a pair of wins over 11th ranked Birmingham-Southern College.
Washington's offense will come roaring into the first game of the series. The Bears have scored 44 total runs over their last five games while accumulating a 4-1 mark over that stretch.
However, their solid play extends past this recent run of success. So far in April, the Bears are 6-2. This improvement comes after a lackluster 8-12 start that saw the Bears floundering about in the University Athletic Association Conference.
Junior Zack Kessinger will lead the Bears into this weekend's games. The infielder has an impressive batting average of .371 and driven in a team leading 23 runs. This includes a big three-hit day against Fontbonne University where he drove in three runs.
Similar to the Bears, DePauw will head into this weekend having found April much more kind than March. The Tigers' 6-2 record so far in April includes a four game sweep of Ohio Wesleyan University and a pair of wins over Wabash College.
The Tigers are trying to rebound off a tough 4-9 start to the season in which they lost seven of their first nine contests.
Contributing to the team's recent success has been the pitching staff led by junior Jack Peck. So far this season, the left-hander has gone in and out of the starting rotation. Peck has nine appearances on the year and three starts, but has found a way into the starting rotation more regularly.
"I came out of the bullpen my freshman year and started last year, so I'm comfortable either way," said Peck. "At the beginning of the year I was more in a closer role out of the bullpen, but since conference play has started I've been the game one starter."
Peck has embraced the lack of consistency and has put together a solid season thus far. He has a record of 2-1 with an earned run average of 3.47.
DePauw head coach Jake Martin seems to have found his closer as well. Senior J.T. Timmer has been Martin's guy recently when the game is one the line. The senior has three saves this season and a microscopic earned run average of 2.00.
"To me it's about going out and getting the job done in whatever situation that may be," said Timmer. "On any given day any one of our pitchers could be the closer, it just so happens I've had the opportunity to close some recent games. It's very enjoyable and I view the pressure as a privilege, but the staff and hitters all do a great job of putting us in a position to win and it's our job as bullpen pitchers to finish the game strong."
This series will serve as a home game for several of the Tigers from the St. Louis area, and that helps add to the excitement on the roster.
"It'll also be kind of cool because I know a few of the guys, including myself, were recruited by [Washington] and that sort of adds an extra element to the games," said first-year Andrew Quinn.
The series will open with a doubleheader tomorrow afternoon beginning at 1 p.m. at Washington's Kelly Field.