The Basics
Games #8-10
Oral Roberts (5-2, 0-0) vs. No. 19 Dallas Baptist (6-2, 0-0)
Dates: Feb. 28^th – Mar. 2^nd | 3:00 p.m. | 2:00 p.m. | 1:00 p.m.
Location: Tulsa, Okla. (Chapman Park)
Watch: ORUSN | Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
 
Tulsa, Okla. – The Oral Roberts baseball team continues their home stand into the weekend as they face their first-ranked opponent of the year, the Dallas Baptist Patriots.
 
The Golden Eagles are coming off of a walk-off win in extras against Missouri State last Tuesday night, their first extra-inning game of the season.  ORU was down 5-0 at the end of the first innings but battled back to take it in the tenth thanks to a Cooper Combs single into right field to win 8-7.
 
The Patriots are fresh off of a ranked matchup against No. 3 LSU at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas where they fell to the Tigers 7-3.  DBU was outhit in the game 12-3 and scored all of their runs via the home run ball.
 
DBU has been one of the most successful programs in recent memory making their 10^th consecutive NCAA Tournament in 2024.  The Patriots rank 73^rd in the country in team ERA at 3.97 in 68.0 innings of work, and 60^th in team batting average at .306 (78-255). 
 
Oral Roberts ranks 72^nd in the country in team batting average hitting .300 (73-243), and 103^rd in team ERA at 4.50 in 60.0. innings.
 
Pitching Matchups: 
LHP Weston Rouse (1-0, 6.75) vs. RHP Ryan Bucknam (1-0, 4.82)
RHP Nathan Love (1-1, 5.40) vs. RHP James Ellwanger (0-0, 1.50)
LHP Trent Martin (1-1, 1.29) vs. RHP Rian Schwede (2-0, 2.70)
 
Inside the Series:
All time, ORU trails DBU in the series 34-12.  The last meeting between the two programs came on June 4^th, 2023 in Stillwater, Okla. in the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Eagles defeated the Patriots 6-5 en route to a CWS berth that season.  DBU has won seven of the last eight meetings however, sweeping ORU in Tulsa on their last visit to the J.L. Johnson Stadium.
 
Quick Hits: 

• Oral Roberts is coming off of a walk-off win vs. Missouri State Tuesday night (8-7, F/10)
• Cooper Combs leads the team with 11 RBIs, picking up no. 11 on his walk-off single
• ORU rolls with the same starting rotation for the third straight weekend

 
Scouting the Opponent: 
Dallas Baptist has been one of America's best baseball programs in recent memory, making 10 consecutive NCAA Tournaments. 
 
The 19th-ranked Patriots have seen the Summit League this season already opening the year with North Dakota State where they swept the Bison.  The Patriots outscored NDSU 27-9 across the weekend.
 
DBU was defeated against UTRGV by a score of 15-5 but followed that up with a sweet of SIU Edwardsville outsourcing them 35-5 in three games.
 
The Patriots took on No. 3 LSU on Wednesday night falling to 7-3 to the Tigers.  DBU was outhit 12-3 in the contest and got all three runs via the home run ball from Grant Jay and Jake Bennett.
 
Rian Schwede and Micah Bucknam have been the two consistent weekend starters for the Patriots through two weeks.  Schwede has posted a 2-0 record with a 2.70 ERA in 10.0 innings. Bucknam with a 1-0 record and a 4.82 ERA in 9.1 innings striking out 17 in that span.   

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