With its season on the line, the Baker baseball team’s playoff hopes were cut short Friday with a 12-2 loss to MidAmerica Nazarene University.
The ‘Cats had to win their final three games to advance to the postseason and fell just one game short of their goal. The conference’s top pitcher, Harrison Helms of the Pioneers, halted the BU offense to just four hits while the ‘Cats gave up 11.
However, Baker showed its true colors by responding with a senior day sweep Saturday at Sauder Field where seniors Nick Peterson, Dustin Moomau, Jeremy Wright, Tad Eubanks, Ian Sutherland and Jeremiah White were recognized. Wright said the loss was disappointing to the team, but he was proud of the comeback efforts.
“As a team we came together and played the last two games hard and it shows the overall character of our team being able to battle back after that,” Wright said.
BU handled the Pioneers easily in game one with a 15-2 run-rule game after five short innings. Peterson, junior Brandon Truitt and sophomore Jared Herbert contributed three hits apiece, while Moomau, sophomore Steven Stewart and Herbert collected three RBIs each. Baker showed a collaborative effort at the plate, exploding for 18 hits to MidAmerica’s three. Peterson said the sweep was special for his senior day.
“Everybody was relaxed and we wanted to enjoy the last two games of the year and of the careers for the seniors,” Peterson said. “We tried to have fun, which we did.”
In game two, Baker gained a one-run advantage in the sixth inning to seal the game 3-2. Wright went a perfect three-for-three at the plate in his career finale. Head coach Phil Hannon said he was proud of his players and seniors for their finish.
“I’m really inspired by our guys to come back the next day out of contention and play for pride and play good BU baseball,” Hannon said.
Baker finished its season in a three-way tie for fifth place in the HAAC with a 13-15 record. However, instead of the top six teams advancing to playoffs like usual, new changes were made so the top three teams from the East and West divisions of the HAAC advanced to the tournament.
“It really was disappointing,” Hannon said. “There’s two other teams who are in the playoffs who don’t have as good of records as we do.”
With a sweep over the Pioneers, the Wildcats concluded the season with a 17-24 record.
