ONU's Tanner McLain waits for a pitch during a game last year. | www.onutigers.com
ONU's Tanner McLain waits for a pitch during a game last year. | www.onutigers.com
The Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) baseball team recently announced its 2017-2018 schedule, which covers the upcoming fall and spring semesters.
The fall schedule will feature several scrimmages, a number of home games and ONU’s annual fall game against the Kankakee Community College Cavaliers (KCC), who were crowned NJCAA Division II national champions last year. They play KCC in early September, and head coach Todd Reid said it will be an important test for the Tigers.
“We have a great fall rivalry each year with Coach Todd Post and the Cavaliers,” Reid said in a press release. “This year we are especially excited to play against the defending champs."
The Tigers then hold scrimmages every Wednesday until Sept. 22, when they open the regular season by hosting Lincoln Christian University (LCU). Following a three-game series against LCU, the Tigers will take on Mount Vernon Nazarene University.
ONU’s fall season ends on Oct. 7. The Tigers then open the spring season on Feb. 16 against Bethel University. Their first home game is on March 17 against Calumet College of St. Joseph.
In the spring, the Tigers will face off against a number of local rivals, including University of St. Francis, Robert Morris University-Illinois and St. Xavier University.
The team will wrap up its regular season on May 1, when the Tigers take on Indiana University-South Bend. The Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament will get underway on May 4 and the NAIA National Championship Tournament begins on May 14.
ONU will see a number of players returning from last year, when the Tigers went 32-19 overall and 20-7 in conference play. The Tigers will also add a number of recruits, including shortstop/right-handed pitcher Gunnar Pullins, who comes to ONU from Valparaiso High School (VHS) in Valparaiso, Indiana.
Pullins began playing for the VHS varsity team as a sophomore and was named to the Duneland Athletic All-Conference team after his junior year. Pullins also was a member of the Outsiders Baseball Club, an area travel team.
In a press release, Reid said that he is excited to add Pullins to the team and believes he will excel at ONU.
“We are very excited to add Gunnar to the Tiger Baseball Family,” Reid said in the release. “ We think he is a great fit on the field, in the classroom, and as a part of the ONU community.”
For more information on the upcoming ONU baseball season and to view the team’s full schedule, visit www.onutigers.com.
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