West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's baseball team is preparing for two upcoming in-state matchups. The Leathernecks will face Southern Illinois in Carbondale on April 17, followed by a series against SIUE from April 19 to 21 in Macomb.

Over the weekend, Western Illinois catcher Adam Juran reached a milestone by surpassing the 100 career hit mark with a double to right center field. Juran has been recognized as the Ohio Valley Player of the Week, marking the first time he and Western Illinois have received this honor since joining the OVC. "Juran started the season red-hot from both offensive and defensive sides," stated an announcement from the league.

The Leathernecks are seeking their first win against an in-state opponent this season, currently holding a record of 0-4 against teams within Illinois. Designated hitter J.R. Heavilin has been a standout performer, maintaining a .556 batting average during games against Tennessee Tech.

All six victories for Western Illinois this season have been narrow wins within two runs. Catchers Adam Juran and Brock Lummus were effective at bat against UT Martin, each achieving five hits over three games. Lummus played a key role in securing a come-from-behind victory with his performance on both offense and defense.

Caden Kratz continues to excel as Western Illinois' closer, adding two more saves to his total over the weekend, bringing him to six saves for the year and ranking third in NCAA baseball.

Liam Bushey demonstrated strong batting skills recently against Cincinnati and Iowa, driving in four RBIs and scoring four times while hitting .588.

Western Illinois achieved its first win over a Big 12 opponent since 2009 with a victory against Cincinnati on March 12th. Head Coach Terry Davis also celebrated his first win as head coach following their game against Austin Peay.

The university joined the Ohio Valley Conference on July 1st as its 11th member. The Leathernecks will don new uniforms donated by members of their Hall of Fame Baseball team from 1974 for upcoming games. This donation was part of celebrations marking that team's 50th anniversary since making it to an NCAA regional tournament.

In addition to these athletic achievements, Western Illinois successfully raised over $18,000 at their First Pitch Dinner event earlier this year to support various aspects of their baseball program's development needs.