West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's baseball team is preparing for a challenging week as they face two Power Five opponents. The Leathernecks will play against Cincinnati on March 12 and 13, followed by a three-game series against Iowa in Iowa City from March 15 to 17. Last season, Western Illinois had an 0-8 record against Power Five schools.

In recent games, the Leathernecks faced defeats against Saint Louis and Northern Kentucky. They lost to Saint Louis 14-4 and were swept in a three-game series by Northern Kentucky after winning two out of three games against Eastern Kentucky.

Caden Kratz, a standout performer for Western Illinois, excelled over the weekend with two saves against Eastern Kentucky. He pitched three innings without allowing any walks and struck out six batters.

Catcher Adam Juran has been recognized as the Ohio Valley Player of the Week. This marks the first time both Juran and Western Illinois have received this honor since joining the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). Juran's performance included hitting .333 with two home runs and maintaining a perfect fielding percentage.

Head Coach Terry Davis celebrated his first win with Western Illinois following a victory over Austin Peay. Davis is noted as the first head coach since 1955 to start his career at Western Illinois with a win.

The Leatherneck Baseball team recently raised over $18,000 at their First Pitch Dinner event. The funds will support various aspects of the program, including facility upgrades and player development tools.

This season also marks the 50th anniversary of Western Illinois' 1974 Hall of Fame team, which achieved significant success with a record of 31-12 and made it to the NCAA Division II Mideast Regional.