The Region's Team Of Northwest Indiana

MONDAY’S GAME:
Northwest Indiana Oilmen (9-4)
at MCL Minutemen (4-9)

July 20, 2020 • 3 p.m. • Midlothian, Ill. • Howie Minas Field
Broadcast: Oilmen Broadcasting Network (Facebook Live)

The Northwest Indiana Oilmen will look to put Saturday’s loss in the rearview mirror and start a new winning streak on Monday afternoon in a rematch with the MCL Minutemen. The matchup will be an attempt at redemption as the guests try to rebound from Saturday’s 11-2 defeat that snapped a four-game winning streak.

Pitching Matchup – Northwest Indiana RHP Mike Madura (Purdue Fort Wayne / Munster, Ind.) vs. Minutemen RHP Ryan Troxel (Indiana Tech / Valparaiso, Ind.) 

Game Notes

• The Oilmen incurred their most lopsided loss of the season on Saturday night, falling 11-2 to the Minutemen to snap a four-game winning streak. The team’s nine-run margin of defeat was its largest since June 11, 2019 (L 13-3 at DuPage County) and largest at home since July 24, 2018 (L 15-4 vs. Southland).
• An Oilmen pitching staff that entered the night averaging just over four walks per game issued 12 bases on balls on Saturday. The offense stranded 14 on base.
• The Minutemen lived up to their reputation as the fastest team in the league, stealing five bases in Saturday’s win.
• Nick Anderson had his third three-hit game of the summer on Saturday and ranks second on the team in batting average at .350. Michael Machnic batted in his 10th run of the season, becoming the first Oilmen player to reach double figures in the RBI department.
• Mike Madura toes the rubber on Monday, all set to make his third start of the summer. He is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA over his first two outings, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and four walks while striking out seven over nine innings.
• The pitching matchup is a rematch of a week ago, an 11-1 seven-inning victory for the Oilmen in Lansing. Minutemen starter Ryan Troxel allowed six runs (four earned) on six hits while striking out seven and walking two over five innings in that one. He has worked 11 innings and owns a 4.91 ERA in two outings this summer.
• The Oilmen have not had back-to-back losses all season and will look to move to 4-0 following defeats on Monday.
• The Minutemen have won two of their last three, going on the road to knock off Southland 9-4 and NWI 11-2. Those victories were sandwiched around a narrow 5-4 defeat to Crestwood.
• The Oilmen are 2-1 this season against the Minutemen, who lead the league in stolen bases with 43.
• The Oilmen are 6-0 all-time in games played at Howie Minas Field, with the previous games all coming against the Crestwood Panthers in 2018 and 2019.  

Season Notes

• The 2020 Oilmen roster features representatives from numerous Division-I institutions including the following conferences: Big 10, American, Ohio Valley Conference, Missouri Valley Conference, Horizon League, Mid-American Conference, Summit League and the ACC.
• The Big Ten is well represented on this year’s roster, with players from five different conference members on the squad – Indiana, Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan and Iowa.
• This marks the Oilmen’s first season under the direction of Chris Cunningham, who is the fourth manager in team history. Cunningham is no stranger to the MCL, as the former professional ballplayer in the Tampa Bay Rays organization managed the Southland Vikings from 2011-2014. In his final two seasons, the Vikings won back-to-back MCL championships.
• Oilmen legend Matt Pobereyko is serving as the team’s pitching coach this season. He racked up an MCL-record 18 career saves in 2013 and 2014 including a single-season MCL record 13 in his final campaign with the Oilmen. Pobereyko is an active professional pitcher and has reached as high as Triple-A.
• As usual, the Oilmen are loaded with local talent. Three Oilmen players graduated from Andrean High School, one from Highland, three from Griffith, one from Valparaiso, two from Munster and two from Lake Central. Expanding to Illinois high schools, two Oilmen competed at Brother Rice, one at Oak Forest, one at Marist, one at Marian Catholic, three at Homewood-Flossmoor, one at Carl Sandburg, one at St. Rita and one at St. Laurence.