CHICKASHA, OK: The 23rd ranked and third seeded Texas Wesleyan University Baseball team (35-15) dropped its opener in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament 11-10 against sixth seeded Oklahoma Panhandle State University (25-30) before posting a convincing 15-0 win over seventh seeded Bacone College (15-35) Friday evening. During the 15-0 romp, senior outfielder
Kiki Menendez blasted three home runs to set a new Texas Wesleyan single season record with 26 on the season.
A New Home Run King
Menendez, who is the NAIA's home run leader, got the record in style. He entered the game needing two to tie the mark, and he accomplished that in just two innings. The game was his fifth multi-homer game of the season and his second 3-homer game (one shy of the Rams' single game record). He also drove in eight runs for the second time this season (one shy of another single game record).
After singles from
Michael Davila and
Donnie Lopez, Menendez touched off a 3-run shot in the first inning. He came up again in the second and blasted a two-run bomb, joining Randy Foyt (1984) and Dave Griffin (1982) atop the Texas Wesleyan record book with 25 home runs.
Menendez knocked in a run in the third. Then, in the fifth inning, he said goodbye to Mr. Foyt and Mr. Griffin with a two-run home run over the left field fence.
Menendez has had the single most prolific offensive season in school history with a unique combination of power and consistency. In addition to the home run record his 1.022 slugging percentage is well ahead of the school record of .856. His .475 batting average is also well ahead of the school mark of .444. His 187 total bases have blasted the school record of 178 (Griffin in 1982), and he needs one hit to tie the Rams' record of 88, eight runs to tie the record of 73, eight RBI to tie the record of 91. He also had a school-record 21-game hitting streak this season and has hit safely in 46 of his 50 games played.
Menendez leads the nation in home runs (26), RBI (83), total bases (187), and slugging percentage (1.022) while ranking third in hits (87), fifth in batting average (.475), sixth in doubles (22), and tenth in runs scored (65), and he has done all that despite ranking 93rd with just 183 at bats.
Vs. OPSU
Menendez was by no means the only Ram swinging a hot bat on Friday as the Rams put 26 runs on the board in two games.
Against OPSU, the Aggies jumped ahead 3-0, but
Michael Davila delivered a game-tying three-run homer in the third. The Rams then sent ten men to the plate in the fifth, scoring four runs in an inning that included a three-run bomb from
Cory Gallegos.
OPSU got back in the game with back-to-back home runs from Jaylon Burnett and Kasey Leatherwood in the sixth. They took an 11-7 lead when a Texas Wesleyan error opened the door for a 5-run seventh inning.
The Rams did not go quietly in the ninth.
Donnie Lopez got things started with a leadoff homer. After a one-out single form Gallegos,
Jacob Barfield got the Rams within a run with a two-run shot. Singles from
Ted Wisdom and
Julio Ibarra put the tying run at second base, but OPSU's Adrian Lopez induced a game-ending double-play ball.
The Rams outhit the Aggies 14-10.
Donnie Lopez went 3-for-5 at the plate, while Gallegos (2-for-5), Barfield (2-for-5), Wisdom (2-for-5) and Ibarra (2-for-3) each had a pair of hits.
Vs. Bacone
Against Bacone, the Rams put a crooked number on the board in five of the first six innings.
Cory Gallegos went 3-for-3 at the plate while
Michael Davila (2-for-3),
Donnie Lopez (2-for-2),
Ted Wisdom (2-for-3), and
Julio Ibarra (2-for-4) all had multi-hit games as well.
Stephen Yancey,
Dusty Cloud,
Steven Frederick, and
Cody Thompson combined on the shutout for Texas Wesleyan, allowing only four hits between them. After Yancey worked the first two innings, Cloud (3-0) picked up the win with two perfect innings in which he struck out a pair.
Up Next
The Rams will take on the loser of tomorrow's matchup of 8th ranked USAO and OPSU. That elimination game is scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. start.
Ramblings
- There has been one 4-homer game in Texas Wesleyan history. Andy Franks accomplished that feat against Emporia State on March 13, 1984. Al Hemlee holds the school's single game RBI record with 9 against Dallas Baptist on April 24, 1983.
- The Rams have scored at least 10 runs 20 times this season and are 18-2 in those games.
- Texas Wesleyan is now 8-9 all-time in SAC Tournament play.
- The Rams lead the all-time series with OPSU 3-1 and Bacone 28-12. The all-time series with USAO is tied 11-11.
