ELMHURST, Ill. – Augustana baseball remains on the road as the team opens their conference slate on Sunday, April 2 against the Elmhurst Bluejays.
The Vikings possess a 15-4 record and are coming off a three-game series against St. Olaf, where they went 2-1 against the Oles from March 26-29. Augie won the series' first two games by scores of 8-5 and 16-6, with double-figure hit totals in each game. The series' final and most recent game for the Vikings resulted in a 10-3 defeat, where the Oles leaped to a 7-0 advantage after three innings to put Augie on the back foot early. In the bottom of the fourth, Augie produced their lone scoring inning with three runs but could not mount the comeback as St. Olaf tacked on three more scores to prevent the three-game sweep. Augie secured five hits as a team, with Kyle Campbell, Brett Benedetti, Cole Green, Alec McGinnis, and Matt Ozanic each grabbing one.
Elmhurst owns an 8-7 record this season, with Sunday also marking the beginning of their conference schedule. The Bluejays are currently on a four-game winning streak, with their most recent action resulting in a 6-4 victory over the Bowdoin Polar Bears in Davenport, Fla. on March 22. Elmhurst found themselves at a 3-0 deficit after four frames but responded with scores in four-straight innings, including a three-run surge in the sixth to take a 6-3 lead. The Bluejays staved off a late Bowdoin comeback attempt after the Polar Bears grabbed a run in the ninth but could not find the equalizer. Calvin Keith and Troy Taller both knocked in two runs to propel the Elmhurst offense.
Augustana holds a 91-58 edge over Elmhurst in the all-time series and is currently on a seven-game winning streak against the Bluejays. The most recent meeting between the two clubs was on April 16, 2022 with Augie securing a 9-5 road victory and Addison Southwick earning the win in 1.2 innings pitched, striking out three hitters in relief. Four Vikings grabbed multiple hits, led by Ozanic with three.
The conference showdown begins at 1:00 p.m. from Butterfield Park. Follow along with a live stats link here.
