07/25/2014 9:04 PM -
TODAY'S GAMES: *Doubleheader*
Northwest Indiana Oilmen (24-17, 22-16)
at Lexington Snipes (23-16)
July 26, 2014 • 1 p.m. • Lexington, Ill.
Radio: AM 1230 WJOB
Internet Broadcast: nwioilmen.com
For Starters
The Oilmen visit the Snipes for a doubleheader on Saturday to conclude the regular season with a twin bill that will determine third place in the Midwest Collegiate League. The Oilmen can finish no higher than third, meaning they will start the postseason on the road on Tuesday, July 29. The Oilmen will have a home game on Wednesday, July 30 at 7:10 p.m. at Oil City Stadium. If the Oilmen sweep Saturday’s doubleheader, they will lock up third place in the league. Should the Oilmen lose both games, the Snipes will clinch third place. A doubleheader split would mean that the Snipes can take third with a victory over the Zephyrs on Monday. Whichever team finishes third will avoid playing the first-place team in the opening round of the playoffs and would have home-field advantage should the Oilmen and Snipes both advance to the MCL Championship.
Inside the Oilmen
The Oilmen will look to win the regular season finale for the first time in team history on Saturday. Last season, the Oilmen fell 6-2 to the Hounds on July 28, allowing DuPage County to lock up the MCL regular season title. In 2012, the Oilmen closed out the regular season with a 5-3 loss to Southland in a game that was meaningless in the league standings. The Oilmen are in position to finish with the best team ERA in franchise history at 3.20. Opposing hitters are batting .235 against Oilmen pitching this season, the best batting average against posted by an Oilmen pitching staff in club history. If Matt Pobereyko (0.79 ERA) does not allow an earned run on Saturday, he will break Aveeno Nasiloski’s record of 0.84 for the best ERA in team history. Pobereyko is already the Midwest Collegiate League all-time saves leader, 12-for-12 in save chances this season and 17-for-18 in his MCL career. Danny Pobereyko has already set the Oilmen franchise record for strikeouts in a single season with 46, surpassing Michael Steensen’s 43 from last year. Jason Gasser needs a triple on Saturday to tie Craig Austgen’s franchise record of four, while Andrew Ray needs a home run to match Bill Miller’s record of three. The Oilmen will likely send Keith Mahler and Danny Pobereyko to the mound for Saturday’s twin bill.
Inside the Snipes
The Snipes are coming off a doubleheader split with the Southland Vikings on Thursday, falling in game one 5-4 before capturing the nightcap 8-7. Lexington ace John Munyon is not available to pitch on Saturday after throwing against the Vikings on Thursday. He pitched 11 innings against the Oilmen on July 18. Adam Casson enters Saturday with seven home runs, tied with Gary Mayberry (DuPage) and Joey Burney (DeKalb) for the single-season Midwest Collegiate League home run record. Casson has already shattered the Snipes single-season home run mark of six set by John Thomas in 2004 and Eric Phillis in 2013.
About the Matchup
The last time the Oilmen and Snipes met, it was one for the record books as it took 16 innings for Lexington to pull out a 3-2 victory over the Oilmen on July 18. The Oilmen hold a 4-2 lead in the season series with the Snipes. Should the Oilmen and Snipes split Saturday’s doubleheader and the Snipes lose to the Zephyrs on Monday, the Oilmen and Snipes would finish tied for third, but Northwest Indiana would take third place by virtue of winning the season series. The Oilmen hold an all-time record of 10-5 against the Snipes.
Around the MCL
Southland and DuPage are battling it out for first place in the Midwest Collegiate League this weekend. The Vikings can clinch the top spot with victories over the Zephyrs both Saturday and Sunday.
Click "download attachment" to view a full PDF of Oilmen Game Notes.
