07/26/2020 9:24 AM - SUNDAY’S GAME:
Crestwood Panthers (9-8)
at Northwest Indiana Oilmen (12-6)
July 26, 2020 • 4:10 p.m. • Whiting, Ind. • Oil City Stadium
Broadcast: Oilmen Broadcasting Network (Facebook Live)
The Northwest Indiana Oilmen will look to get back in the win column on Sunday afternoon, but in order to do so they must cool off a red-hot Crestwood team that comes in already owning the longest winning streak in the team’s Midwest Collegiate League era. The Oilmen are trying to dodge their first set of back-to-back losses this season, while the Panthers are attempting to extend their tear to seven consecutive victories.
Pitching Matchup – Northwest Indiana RHP Mike Madura (Purdue Fort Wayne / Munster, Ind.) vs. Crestwood RHP Dylan White (University of Chicago / Danville, Calif.)
Game Notes
- Perhaps the biggest bright spot in Saturday’s 4-0 loss to DuPage County was the control of the Oilmen pitching staff, which issued no walks. It marked the first time this season the Oilmen did not walk a single batter in a game.
- The Oilmen were held off the scoreboard on Saturday night against DuPage County. That marked the first time the Oilmen were shut out since June 29, 2019, a 3-0 loss vs. Southland.
- The Oilmen still have not dropped back-to-back games this season. This marks the first time since 2013 that the Oilmen will get to at least the 19th game of the season without incurring back-to-back defeats. Both the 2012 and 2013 squads had consecutive losses in the 18th and 19th games of the season for the first time in that year, so if the Oilmen lose on Sunday, history will repeat itself. However, if the Oilmen come away victorious, they’ll be the first team in franchise history to get to Game 20 without back-to-back setbacks.
- Oilmen third baseman/pitcher Tommy Windt collected two more hits on Friday and has hit safely in every game he’s played in an Oilmen uniform. His hitting streak reached 11 games with Friday marking his second multi-hit showing in his last three contests.
- The Oilmen have lost two of three against Crestwood this season and are 0-2 in matchups played at Oil City Stadium, including a 12-4 setback that featured nine Oilmen errors on Thursday night. The Oilmen are 24-5 all-time against Crestwood and were 14-1 at home against the Panthers entering this season.
- NWI has had a propensity for getting on base this season, as the team’s .396 on-base percentage leads the league.
- Oilmen starting pitcher Mike Madura has a 2-0 record and 1.80 ERA while striking out 17 and walking five over 15 innings spanning three starts. He permitted one run on five hits with 10 strikeouts in six innings against the Minutemen in his last outing, which came on Monday, July 20. He’ll face the Panthers for the first time this season.
- Crestwood’s Dylan White made his MCL debut with four innings of one-run, two-hit relief on Wednesday, July 15 against the Oilmen. He walked five hit a batter in his only Panther appearance to date.
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.
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