MOLINE, Ill. – The Augustana Vikings baseball team remains home on Saturday, April 29 for a conference doubleheader against the Illinois Wesleyan Titans.

The Vikings hold a 28-6 overall record, 11-2 in conference, and are coming off a 21-4 run-rule victory over the Knox Prairie Fire on Thursday. Knox plated four runs in the top of the first but met a nine-run response from the Augustana offense in the bottom of the frame to put the score at 9-4. The Vikings added three more runs in the third, beginning with Zachary Vrbancic reaching home on a wild pitch before Alex Simon and Kyle Campbell batted in a pair of runs. Augie scored one run in the fifth inning prior to exploding for eight runs in the sixth to put the game out of reach at 21-4. The Vikings had 14 hits, with five different players collecting two, led by Campbell and Alec McGinnis, who each had three runs batted in. Adam Bendoraitis earned his first win of the season, allowing just one hit and striking out nine across four innings of action. 

Illinois Wesleyan possesses a 15-18 record, 7-6 in CCIW play, and is on a five-game winning streak coming into Saturday's doubleheader. The Titans' most recent action resulted in a 4-0 victory over Carroll on Tuesday, April 27. A pitching duel ensued early, as the game remained scoreless through the third inning before Illinois Wesleyan broke the silence in the fourth with a lone run. The Titans scored the game's final three runs in the fifth inning, increasing their lead to 4-0, while starting pitcher Jake Pullam pitched eight scoreless innings, striking out ten batters on the way to the conference victory. Illinois Wesleyan outhit the Pioneers 8-3, led by Ethan Burgh's 3-for-4 performance. 

In the storied all-time series between the two programs, Illinois Wesleyan holds a 118-85-1 edge over Augustana. The Vikings won the most recent meeting 4-3 on May 2, 2022 to secure the regular season series against the Titans. The game remained scoreless through the first three innings before Illinois Wesleyan grabbed the opening score in the fourth to seize a 1-0 lead. The Vikings countered in the sixth with a pair of scores to take a 2-1 edge, but two runs in the seventh from the Titans saw them regain a one-run advantage. McGinnis began the rally in the top of the ninth with an RBI triple that scored Cole Green before Vrbancic's bunt sent him home for the go-ahead run. 

The conference doubleheader is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. from Swanson Stadium. Stream link can be found here.