The Basics
Games 38-40
Oral Roberts (27-10, 12-0) at North Dakota State (10-24, 6-3)
Dates: April 21-23
Location: Doc Ross Field (Council Bluffs, Iowa)
Listen: ORU Sports Network | Live Stats: StatBroadcast

TULSA, Okla. – The Oral Roberts baseball team looks to continue its winning ways as they travel to face North Dakota State for a three-game set beginning Friday at 3 p.m. from Doc Ross Field in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Game two of the series is slated for Saturday at 2 p.m., while Sunday's finale is scheduled for 1 p.m.

The weekend series was originally scheduled to be played in Fargo, North Dakota, but due to field conditions at Newman Outdoor Field, the matchup was moved to Doc Ross Field. An audio broadcast for all three games will be available on the ORU Sports Network and fans can also follow along with the series on ORU's Twitter, @ORUBaseball.

Important Links
ORU Game Notes
NDSU Game Notes
Summit League Notes

Inside the Series
• Friday's series opener marks the 68th meeting all-time between the two programs.

• Despite dropping two of three last season to the Bison, the Golden Eagles lead the all-time series, 46-21.

• On the road, ORU is 14-10 all-time against North Dakota State.

Quick Hits  
• The Golden Eagles enter the weekend as one of the nation's hottest teams, having won 17 of their last 19 contests, including seven straight. The seven-game win streak is currently the sixth longest in the nation.

• ORU comes into the series with a perfect 12-0 record in Summit League play and is the only team in the nation still undefeated in conference action. The Golden Eagles' 12-0 start is their best since beginning 20-0 in 2004.

• In this week's Collegiate Baseball poll, the Golden Eagles checked in at No. 30. The ranking marked the first for ORU since 2011. For the third consecutive week, the Golden Eagles received a vote in the USA Today Coaches poll.

• ORU is coming off its third consecutive sweep and has won five straight series. 

• Shortstop Mac McCroskey, who was named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, has been red hot at the plate of late with six homers in his last six contests. During the stretch, the redshirt senior is hitting .416 and has driven in 15 runs.

• Senior Justin Quinn is coming off one of the best weeks of his Golden Eagle career after hitting .555 to go along with two homers and five RBI. Quinn bumped his batting average up 62 points during the four-game stretch.

• On the mound, Jakob Hall set the tone in the series sweep of Northern Colorado with seven shutout innings on Friday, while closer Cade Denton registered his League-leading ninth save of the year in Saturday's win.

• The Golden Eagles will send Hall, LHP Harley Gollert and RHP Brooks Fowler to the mound this weekend. The trio each recorded a win in last week's series against the Bears. 

• Saturday starter, Gollert, enters the weekend ranked third among active players in career strikeouts with 264.

• Entering the weekend, the Golden Eagle offense leads the Summit League in batting average (.317), runs (293), hits (413), home runs (58), RBI (266), stolen bases (67) and total bases (687). On the mound, ORU tops the conference in ERA (4.28), batting average against (.247), WHIP (1.33), saves (14), innings pitched (324.0), hits allowed per nine innings (8.2), strikeouts-to-walk ratio (2.5) and strikeouts (337). Defensively, the Golden Eagles top the League in putouts (972), assists (343), double plays (32) and fielding percentage (.984).

• Nationally, ORU ranks third in fielding percentage, sixth in hits, 15th in batting average, 19th in double plays, 16th in WL percentage (.730), 25th in slugging percentage (.527), 27th in stolen bases, 28th in WHIP, 33rd in ERA, 36th in homers and 39th in triples (11)

• Jonah Cox ranks second nationally in hits (66), sixth in hits per game (1.8), sixth in triples (5), 16th in batting average (.426) and 33rd in stolen bases (19).

• Matt Hogan remains the League leader in RBI (49) and sac flies (6). At the national level, Hogan ranks 10th in sac flies, 20th in RBI and 36th in homers (13).

• On the mound, Fowler tops the League in ERA with a 2.41 mark. Caleb Isaacs, Joshua Caravalho, who was named to the College Baseball Foundation Pitcher of the Year Watch List, and Gollert are all tied for the conference lead in wins with five.

• The Golden Eagles are coming off their 20th Summit League Tournament Championship and 29th NCAA Regional appearance after finishing with a 38-20 record in 2022. ORU returned 15 players from last year's NCAA Regional squad and welcomed 17 newcomers in the offseason.

• After an electric 2022 season out of the bullpen, Denton received Preseason First Team All-American honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association (NCBWA) and was tabbed the Preseason Summit League Pitcher of the Year by D1 Baseball and Perfect Game USA. The Rowlett, Texas, native was also named to the Preseason Watch List for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I Baseball. Through 17 appearances this season, Denton has recorded a 1.04 ERA and nine saves, which ranks third nationally.

• Among active players in Division I, Denton ranks second in career ERA with a 1.61 mark.

• In the 2023 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll, ORU was selected as the unanimous favorite to claim the regular season crown. The Golden Eagles received 42 points and earned all six first-place votes they could. McCroskey and Denton were named the Preseason Player and Pitcher to Watch for ORU as voted on by the league's seven head coaches. Senior Jake McMurray and Denton garnered Preseason All-Summit League honors from Perfect Game USA.

• Entering the 2023 season, ORU ranks sixth all-time in NCAA history with a .652 winning percentage. 

• Since 2001, ORU has made 17 NCAA Regional appearances, which rank as the most among Oklahoma schools.

• Head Coach Ryan Folmar enters his 11th season at the helm of the Golden Eagles and has compiled a 346-220 (.611) overall record.  

Scouting the Opponent
• North Dakota State enters the series with a 10-24 record after taking two of three from St. Thomas on the road.

• Peter Brookshaw paces the offensive attack for the Bison as the senior is hitting .315 with nine homers and 23 RBI.

• North Dakota State will send RHP Cade Feeney, RHP Tristen Roehrich and RHP Parker Puetz to the mound this weekend. 

For the latest information on ORU Baseball, follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics app from the App Store or Google Play Store.