The Basics
Games 23-25
Oral Roberts (14-8) at Memphis (13-9)
Date: March 24-26
Location: FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field (Memphis, Tenn.)
Watch: None | Behind the Mic: ORU Sports Network | Live Stats: StatBroadcast

TULSA, Okla. – The Oral Roberts baseball team will look to extend its four-game win streak as they travel to face Memphis for a three-game set starting Friday at 2 p.m. from FedExPark. Game two of the series is slated for Saturday at 4 p.m., while Sunday's finale is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Fans can listen to all three games on the ORU Sports Network and can also follow along on ORU's Twitter, @ORUBaseball.

Important Links
ORU Game Notes
Summit League Notes

Inside the Series
• Friday's series opener marks the fourth meeting all-time between the two clubs and the first since 2015. 

• Back in 2015, the Golden Eagles took two of the three against the Tigers in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

• Against opponents from the American Athletic Conference (AAC) this season, ORU is 2-0. 

Quick Hits  
• The Golden Eagles picked up their fourth straight win Tuesday night as they defeated Wichita State, 5-2, at J.L. Johnson Stadium.

• Blaze Brothers led the way offensively as the senior went 2-for-3, drove in a pair of runs, crossed the plate three times, stole a base and drew a walk. The Lowell, Arkansas, native also blasted his fifth homer of the 2023 campaign.

• On the mound, Joshua Caravalho delivered another strong start as the sophomore allowed one unearned run over five innings of work. In relief, Evan Kowalski picked up the win and Cade Denton earned his fourth save of the year.

• Earlier in the week, outfielder Matt Hogan was named the National Player of the Week by three different publications (Collegiate Baseball, D1 Baseball and NCBWA) and the Summit League Peak Performer of the Week. The Melville, New York, native enters the weekend as the League leader in homers (8), sacrifice flies (4) and RBI (34). Nationally, Hogan ranks ninth in sac flies and 11th in RBI.

• Junior Jonah Cox continues to be a tough out for opposing pitchers as the JUCO transfer currently leads the nation in hits with 42. The Thornton, Colorado, native also ranks fifth in the country in triples (4), sixth in hits per game (1.9) and 10th in batting average (.457).

• Entering the weekend, the Golden Eagle offense leads the Summit League in batting average (.311), runs (153), hits (242), home runs (27), triples (8), RBIs (142), on-base percentage (.389), slugging percentage (.488), stolen bases (39) and total bases (380). On the mound, ORU tops the conference in ERA (4.25), batting average against (.237), WHIP (1.30), saves (7), innings pitched (195.0), hits allowed per nine innings (7.8), strikeouts-to-walk ratio (2.3) and strikeouts (196). Defensively, the Golden Eagles top the League in putouts (585), assists (210), double plays (22) and fielding percentage (.985).

• Nationally, ORU ranks fifth in double plays, seventh in fielding percentage, eighth in hits, 21st in triples and 26th in stolen bases.

• ORU will send RHP Jakob Hall, LHP Harley Gollert and RHP Brooks Fowler to the mound this weekend. Through five turns in the rotation, the trio sports a 3.32 ERA.

• Fowler currently leads the League in ERA (2.49), while Gollert tops the conference in wins (3). At the national level, Hall ranks ninth in walks allowed per nine innings (0.90) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (12.0).

• The Golden Eagles are coming off their 20th Summit League Tournament Championship and 29th NCAA Regional appearance after finishing with a 38-20 record in 2022. ORU returns 15 players from last year's NCAA Regional squad and welcomed 17 newcomers in the offseason.

• After an electric 2022 season out of the bullpen, junior right-hander Cade Denton received Preseason First Team All-American honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association (NCBWA) and was tabbed the Preseason Summit League Pitcher of the Year by D1 Baseball and Perfect Game USA. The Rowlett, Texas, native was also named to the Preseason Watch List for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I Baseball. Through 10 appearances this season, Denton has recorded a 1.35 ERA and four saves, which ranks 22nd nationally.

• In the 2023 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll, ORU was selected as the unanimous favorite to claim the regular season crown. The Golden Eagles received 42 points and earned all six first-place votes they could. Redshirt senior Mac McCroskey and Denton were named the Preseason Player and Pitcher to Watch for ORU as voted on by the league's seven head coaches. Senior Jake McMurray and Denton garnered Preseason All-Summit League honors from Perfect Game USA.

• Entering the 2023 season, ORU ranks sixth all-time in NCAA history with a .652 winning percentage. 

• Since 2001, ORU has made 17 NCAA Regional appearances, which rank as the most among Oklahoma schools.

• Head Coach Ryan Folmar enters his 11th season at the helm of the Golden Eagles and has compiled a 333-218 (.604) overall record.  

Scouting the Opponent
• The Tigers enter the weekend on a three-game win streak after defeating Arkansas State, 7-6, Wednesday.

• Offensively, Memphis is led by Anthony Hansen who holds a .338 average to go along with four homers and nine RBI. 

• The Tigers will throw RHP David Warren, LHP Dalton Fowler and RHP Seth Garner in the weekend set.

• In the AAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, Memphis was picked to finish eighth.

For the latest information on ORU Baseball, follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics app from the App Store or Google Play Store.