COMING UP: vs. Eastern Oregon (DH), Saturday, 12 p.m.; vs. Eastern Oregon (DH), Sunday, 11 a.m.

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION All four games of the EOU series will be carried live on the Owls Sports Network, with Live Stats available throughout the series through the OIT SIDEARM Stats Portal.
 
SCHEDULE UPDATE: Due to a Tuesday snowstorm in the Basin, the OIT-EOU weekend series has been pushed back to Saturday-Sunday to allow Bocchi Field ample time to be prepared for the games.
 
ABOUT EASTERN OREGON: Tech opens the long homestand against the only Cascade Conference team they have not faced in 2025, as Eastern Oregon makes the trip to the Basin. The Mountaineers (9-23, 5-16 CCC) have played the top teams tough – defeating LC State and playing both UBC and Bushnell to 1-run games. EOU will score runs, posting a team .292 batting average, hitting 31 home runs and averaging six runs a game – paced by outfielders Greyson McDaniel (.375 8 HR 19 RBI) and Parker Cumberland (.302 3 HR 18 RBI), along with infielders Trevor Baker (.358 5 HR 23 RBI) and Mario Landeros (.358 5 HR 27 RBI). Pitching has been the concern for the Mounties, as Eastern ranks last in the CCC in team ERA (9.05) – with arms surrendering 145 walks and 59 hit-by-pitches – and the opposition hitting .333 on the year. Starters Danny Burns (3-4 4.61 ERA) and Shane Sinclair (0-3 7.58 ERA) have been EOU's top pitchers.  OIT holds a 54-40 series edge since 1979 – with Eastern looking for their first win in the Basin since 2004 – as Tech is 23-1 against EOU since they brought the program back in 2020.
 
BEST STARTS: The Hustlin' Owls improved to 21-11 on the season with the series split at LC State, one game off the best 32-game start in program history. The 2023 Tech team opened the year 22-10, while the 1982, 2022, 2024 and this season's club all opened the year 21-11.
 
20-WIN SEASONS: The Game 2 win at LC State secured OIT their 15th 20-win season in program history and the fifth-straight 20-win season. The last three years, the Owls have posted 30 wins – including a school record 34 wins in 2024.
 
HOME FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL: OIT will close the regular-season with 16-straight home games – the fifth time the Hustlin' Owls will have a homestand of 16 games or longer (21 games in 2017, 18 games in 2018, 16 games in 2004, 2007 and 2025). Since changing their home venue from Kiger Stadium to Bocchi Field at Steen Sports Park in 2022, the Owls have had a decisive home field advantage – recording three consecutive winning seasons on their own diamond. OIT is a combined 39-17 on their own turf since 2022, including a 3-1 mark this season.
 
HUGE SERIES SPLIT: The Owls split their final road series of the regular-season, taking 2-of-4 games at No. 20-ranked Lewis-Clark State. It marks the third-straight series vs. the 19-time NAIA champs that Tech has won or split, posting an 8-7 record vs. the Warriors over the last 15 meetings.
 
LONGEST GAME EVER: Game 2 at LC State was a marathon – the longest game in Cascade Conference history – as Tech earned a 6-5 victory in 17 innings. The game surpassed a 16-inning game between C of I and UBC in 2016 and two innings longer than a 15-inning game between Tech and Concordia in 2013. Julien Jones doubled home a run in the 17th to provide the winning run – as OIT set records for most team at bats and defensive chances in a game, with Patrick Barry becoming the first OIT player to have eight at bats in a game.
 
BULLPEN THE KEY: Tech got outstanding work throughout the LC series from their bullpen against one of the top offensive teams in the NAIA. The tandem of Riley Cronin and Alex Rodriguez blanked LC over the final seven innings of the marathon win – Cronin working four innings, striking out four – stranding runners in the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th innings, with Rodriguez earning the win with three shutout innings – inducing a pair of double play balls to end LC threats. Noah Loew earned the win in Game 4, allowing an unearned run in two innings; Kaden Melzer allowed just one hit in three strong innings, striking out three; with Caleb Randolph combining to throw three and two-thirds innings, allowing a run on one hit, striking out four.
 
CHAPPLE RETURNS: The LC series saw the return of CCC Pitcher of the Year Bronson Chapple, who made a pair of appearances, combining to throw five innings, allowing three runs on three hits, striking out four. The hard-throwing righty got the save in the series finale, retiring all nine batters he faced in Tech's 11-6 win.
 
ORTIZ BREAKS RUNS RECORD: Senior Matthew Ortiz scored five runs in the LC series, surpassing Kory Locken's all-time OIT runs mark – with the infielder now sitting with 155 career runs scored – finishing the series 6-for-18 at the plate.
 
HORNER EXTENDS ON-BASE STREAK: Tyler Horner extended his school-record on-base streak to 41 games during the LC State series, going 6-for-17 in the four games, hitting a pair of homers and driving in six. The senior did have a 19-game hit streak snapped in Idaho, but walked five times in the series, becoming the first OIT player with over 100 career walks. Horner leads the CCC in batting average (.406), ranks second in RBI (41) and third in home runs (11) – becoming the second OIT player to have multiple double-digit home run seasons.
 
HOME RUN CHASE: A new Cascade Conference home run leader will be determined in 2025 – as four players are on the chase of C of I's Greg Schelhaas' record of 39 long balls from 1996-99. LC State's Charlie Updegrave has tied the mark with 39 – hitting five homers last week – with Tech's Tyler Horner sitting at 38. Both Jordan Wilson (36) of Bushnell and Cade Crist (34) of Bushnell are still in the mix.
 
MORE ON THE OFFENSE: Ka'ala Tam capped a strong month of March, going 6-for-20 in the LC series with six RBI and heads into weekend play recording hits in 9-of-10 games. Logan Macy stepped up at the hot corner in Lewiston, going 5-for-15 – posting his first career 3-hit game in the 17 inning marathon, while adding three RBI in Game 4. Korrey Siracusa was the lone OIT player with hits in all four games at LC, finishing the series 5-for-15 at the plate.
 
NAIA'S TOP DEFENSE: The Owls played stellar defense in Idaho, committing just three errors in 174 defensive chances, turning five double plays in the series. Tech continues to lead the NAIA in fielding percentage (.983), ahead of LSU-Shreveport (.982) and UBC (.975).
 
AROUND THE LEAGUE: The top-four teams have separated themselves from the bottom four teams – as five games sit between fourth-place OIT and fifth-place C of I. Last week UBC swept Warner Pacific and Bushnell swept Eastern, with C of I taking 3-of-4 from Corban and Tech and LC splitting their series. This week, Bushnell is at Corban, C of I travels to UBC, Warner Pacific is at LC, with EOU at OIT.
 
LEAGUE LEADERS: Batting Average – Tyler Horner (OIT) .406, Jonny McGill (UBC) .402, Mitchell Middlemiss (UBC) .398, Ryan Clay (CRB) .392; Home Runs – Charlie Updegrave (LC) 13, Jordan Wilson (BU) 12, Horner 11, Cade Crist (BU) 11; RBI – Updegrave 42, Horner 41, Wilson 37, Middlemiss 36; Stolen Bases – Ka'ala Tam (OIT) 19, Fran Gross (CRB) 19, Ike George (LC) 15, Patrick Barry (OIT) 14; Pitching Wins – Ryan Heppner (UBC) 5, Evan Canfield (LC) 4, Garrett Vohs (BU) 4, Matt Chapman (BU) 4; Pitching Strikeouts – Jaden Williamson (LC) 54, Heppner 53, Oliver Massie (CI) 49, Josephan Gonzalez (CRB) 45.
 
CHANGES IN THE CASCADE CONFERENCE: The league added an eighth team during the offseason, as Warner Pacific will offer baseball for the first time since 1990. The league will play a 37-game schedule – three 3-game series to start (creating an unbalanced schedule), followed by a 4-game round-robin schedule against all opponents. The Top-5 teams in the final standings will earn bids to the CCC Championships, to be played at the regular-season champion.
 
RANKINGS: Two teams from the CCC were in the latest NAIA Top-25 poll – as LC State sits at No. 20, while UBC is among the group receiving votes. In the BoChip power ranking – UBC leads CCC teams at No. 39, OIT has climbed to No. 46, with LC State at No. 49 and Bushnell at No. 69.
 
RECORD BOOK: Currently, 10 players rank among the Top-25 in the OIT career record book. Tyler Horner currently holds the all-time record for home runs (38), RBI (183), hits (269), doubles (59) and walks (104), No. 4 in hit by pitches (34), No. 5 in games started (189), No. 6 in at bats (738), No. 7 in triples (8), No. 8 in games played (190), No. 10 in sacrifice flies (7), ranking No. 12 in runs scored (116), with Matthew Ortiz holding the record for runs scored (155) and sacrifice flies (23), ranking No. 2 in hits (257), No. 3 in stolen bases (55), walks (81) and RBI (154), No. 5 in at bats (753), No. 6 in games started (185), No. 7 in doubles (46), No. 9 in games played (181) and sacrifice hits (100), ranking No. 10 in triples (7). Ka'ala Tam is No. 2 in stolen bases (63), No. 6 in sacrifice flies (8), No. 8 in hit by pitches (28), No. 9 in home runs (17) and RBI (112), No. 10 in runs scored (118), No. 12 in walks (63), games played (167) and sacrifice hits (9), No. 15 in at bats (521), No. 16 in hits (153), No. 17 in games started (138), No. 21 in triples (5) and No. 22 in doubles (25); Julien Jones is No. 2 in hit by pitches (47) and sacrifice flies (13), No. 4 in stolen bases (40), No. 5 in home runs (22), No. 7 in RBI (122), No. 9 in runs scored (123), No. 10 in triples (7), No. 13 in doubles (35), No. 15 in hits (161), No. 20 in at bats (459), No. 22 in walks (51) and games started (121), ranking No. 25 in games played (121). Korrey Siracusa holds the mark for hit by pitches (47), ranking No. 12 in walks (63) and No. 14 in runs scored (107); Riley Cronin is No. 2 in saves (11), No. 16 in pitching appearances (43) and just outside the Top-25 in wins (8); Tim Williams is No. 5 in saves (5); Bronson Chapple is No. 20 in wins (9), with Patrick Barry and Dane Bradshaw both No. 11 in stolen bases (31).
 
NEXT WEEK: Tech continues their long homestand, welcoming Warner Pacific to the Basin for the first time since 1991 for a 4-game series (April 11-12).