The Omnibus

Issue date: 4/15/04 Section: Sports

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The Southwest Baptist baseball Bearcats are now 15-25 on the season and 4-11 in the MIAA. Junior pitcher Dustin Childress has picked up the first seasonal award for the team. He was named the MIAA Pitcher of the Week for his performance against Washburn University.

Media Credit: Mandy Waller Junior Dustin Childress was named MIAA Pitcher of the Week after leading the Beatcats in a 13-0 shutout win over the Washburn University Ichabods.

On April 9, SBU played a doubleheader with Washburn, losing the first game 5-1, and winning the second 13-0.

In the second game, Childress picked up his league-best eighth win of the season with a rain-shortened, five-inning one-hit shutout.  He retired the last 13 batters he faced after giving up a two-out single in the first inning. Childress struck out four players, three in the last two innings he pitched, and walked none. The shutout, his first of the season, lowered his ERA to 2.91. Freshman first baseman, Andrew Gilstrap had five RBI's and two hits in the game, including a grand slam home run.

On April 12 the team played a home doubleheader against the University of Missouri-Rolla, losing the first 13-4, but winning the second 3-1. 

Freshman catcher Skyler Powers said, "We didn't quite have the confidence in the first game that we had in the second." 

Freshman catcher Chris Martin claimed that junior pitcher Drew Osborne had a lot to do with the team's victory in the second game. "Osborne pitched a heck of a game," he said. Osborne improved to 3-6 on the season with the win.

On April 13 the Bearcats took on Pittsburg State in another doubleheader. They dropped both games (6-4) and (7-5).

The losses against Pittsburg did not get the Bearcats down.

"We still have high goals and an opportunity to do well in the MIAA. We look to play well down the stretch," Martin said.

After pitching Tuesday, April 13, against Pittsburg, Osborne only needs five more strikeouts to break the single season strikeout record for a pitcher. The record is currently 80 strikeouts and is held by assistant coach Jeff Abbott.

The Bearcats next game will be at 3 p.m. Friday, April 16 at Truman State University.  The team's next home game will be against Northwest Missouri State University on April 23.

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