West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's baseball team, the Leathernecks, is set to face Eastern Kentucky in a series from March 1-3 in Richmond, KY. This follows their recent three-game series against Saint Louis University, where they were unable to secure a win. Tyler Kapraun delivered a notable performance by pitching six innings and allowing only three runs.

The Leathernecks' offense has been strong this season. Catcher Brock Lummus leads the league with a .500 batting average and a slugging percentage of 1.000, sharing this top spot with teammate Cesar Franco. Maxton Polad ranks fifth in the conference for RBIs and second for doubles, while Adam Juran and Franco are among the top ten in home runs.

Adam Juran has been named Ohio Valley Player of the Week. His early-season performance included hitting .333 with two home runs and achieving an OPS of 1.611 over the weekend. Defensively, he maintained a perfect fielding percentage with 13 putouts and three assists.

Head Coach Terry Davis celebrated his first victory as Western Illinois' head coach with a narrow 6-5 win over Austin Peay. Davis is noted as the first coach since 1955 to begin his tenure at Western Illinois with a win.

The Leathernecks joined the Ohio Valley Conference on July 1, becoming its 11th member, marking a new chapter for Western Illinois Athletics.

In February, the team raised over $18,000 at their First Pitch Dinner event held at Park Place of Macomb. The funds will support various aspects of the baseball program including facility upgrades and player development resources.

This season also marks the 50th anniversary of Western Illinois Baseball's Hall of Fame team from 1974, which achieved a record of 31-12 and made it to the NCAA Division II Mideast Regional for their first postseason appearance.