Ottawa is 43-8 overall and earned the program's eighth KCAC regular season championship with a record of 29-4 in 2022. OU has qualified for the program's second NAIA Opening Round and for the first time in program history, as the no. 1 seed.
Through 51 games, Ottawa has scored 447 runs and hit 78 home runs. The Braves have a .321 batting average, a .431 on base percentage, and a .549 slugging percentage.
OU had nine players named to the All-KCAC Teams. Head Coach
Gabe Grinder was named KCAC Coach of the Year,
Holland Boan was named KCAC Player of the Year, and
Tyler Bryant was selected KCAC Pitcher of the Year. First Team:
Holland Boan (1B),
Jonah Weisner (2B),
Tyler Bryant (SP),
Hector Sepulveda (SP), Creed Jeffers (RP). Second Team:
Nicholas Sizemore (C),
Connor Jeffers (LF),
Stephen Norrell (SP). Gold Glove:
Nicholas Sizemore (C) and
Tyler Farnham (CF).
In the 5-4 victory over Reinhardt on Monday night, the Braves set a new school record of doubles in a single season with 104. The old mark was 103 set in 2017.
The Braves defeated nationally ranked Reinhardt University 5-4 to take the victory. Ottawa finished the game with a .294 batting average and three extra base hits. OU had four stolen bases. The OU pitching staff had a 3.00 ERA, striking out eight. Reinhardt hit .200 against the Ottawa pitching staff.
In the last three games,
Carson Johnson is hitting .692 (9-for-13) with two doubles, three RBI, one walk, two stolen bases, and has a .846 slugging percentage, and a .714 on base percentage.
Ottawa will be playing its 12th game against a ranked opponent when it faces Faulkner on Tuesday. OU has a record of 8-3 against NAIA nationally ranked opponents this season.
Faulkner University has an overall record of 35-15 and finished first place in the Southern States Athletic Conference with a record of 20-4. The Eagles were defeated in the SSAC Tournament Championship Game by the third seed, William Carey University, 7-0. That loss snapped Faulkner's four game winning streak. The Eagles defeated Keiser University 7-6 in their first game of the NAIA Opening Round on Monday.
In the last 13 years, Faulkner has won the 2013 NAIA World Series and finished national runner-up in 2016 and 2017. The Eagles have appeared in 11 NAIA World Series, nine out of the last 10 years. Faulkner has won seven SSAC regular season titles and four SSAC tournament championships. The Eagles have won seven out of the last 10 regular season league titles.
Three Eagles earned All-SSAC honors and Faulkner swept the regular season awards for the conference. Shawn Ross was named SSAC Player of the Year, July Sosa earned SSAC Pitcher of the Year, and head coach Patrick McCarthy was named SSAC Coach of the Year. Alex Arauz earned First Team All-SSAC and JC Toro was named Second Team All-SSAC.
Through 50 games, Faulkner has scored 374 runs and hit 50 home runs. The Eagles have a .286 batting average, a .418 on base percentage, and a .437 slugging percentage.
Shawn Ross leads the Eagles in batting average (.344) and RBI (68). July Sosa is Faulkner's leader in ERA (1.69) and strike outs (119).
