ABOUT THE GAMES

• After a nine-game road trip to start the season, the Millersville University baseball team makes its home debut in Saturday's doubleheader with Goldey-Beacom. The Marauders come in 5-4 and winners of four of the last six. Goldey-Beacom, which reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history in 2021, is 3-9 and coming off being swept in a four-game series by Shippensburg. Millersville is one win away from its 200th all-time win at Cooper Park, which opened in 2007. Millersville has gone 199-79-1 (.715) at home since the park's opening in 2007. Millersville has posted a winning home record in each season since 2008. 
• Coach Jon Shehan is also closing in on some history. He sits at 474-235-1, just 16 wins away from his 500th. He already owns the most wins of any coach in Millersville history. Since 2010, Millersville ranks 12th in Division II in winning percentage
• After starting the season No. 2 in the NCBWA Atlantic Region poll, Millersville has slipped to No. 5

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS

• Millersville has shown the ability to score runs in bunches, totaling nine or more runs five times already this season. The team has recorded double-digit hits four times and drawn six or more walks four times. As a team, the Marauders are reaching base at a .425 clip.
• Tyler Wright leads the lineup with a .417 average, and he opened the season with a hit in seven-straight games. Thomas Caufield is riding a six-game hitting streak, and last weekend, he performed the rare feat of hitting for the cycle. He also leads the team with nine RBIs and a 1.149 OPS. Jimmy Losh has a hit in 10-straight games and has reached base in 13 in a row dating back to last season. Losh and Caufield are tied for the team lead in doubles with five each. Luke Trainer has four two-hit games as well.
• Starter Ben Wilchacky has been outstanding in his first three starts, going 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA and 0.86 WHIP. He's fanned 16 and walked just four in 14 innings. In his last outing on Feb. 25, he gave up a first-inning single and went on to pitch five one-hit inning withs even strikeouts and no walks.
• 2021 PSAC East Pitcher of the Year Jeff Taylor has been limited with his innings early in the season, logging just two appearances with three innings in each start. He's still been effective, allowing two hits and one run with eight strikeouts.
• Veteran reliever Christian Wingard has been nearly unhittable, allowing just one run in four outings spanning 5 ? innings. Against Glenville State on Feb. 27, Wingard fanned six in three hitless, scoreless innings. 
   

SCOUTING THE LIGHTNING

• The Lightning sandwiched three wins with four losses to start the season and five losses in a row leading into this weekend's series. They were shutout twice against Shippensburg and totaled just six runs in that four-game series. Goldey-Beacom has held its opponent to five runs or fewer six times in 12 games.
• Innings leader Jake Heskett pitched seven shutout innings in the NCAA Tournament a season ago, and he has logged 18 ? innings in his three starts so far in 2022, pitching at least 5 ? in each start. Extra-base hits have been trouble for Heskett as he's allowed four homers and five doubles.
• At the plate, Marshall Awtry leads the team in hitting (.386) and RBIs (10). Awtry hit .280 as a junior in 2021, and was off to an outstanding start in 2020 before COVID-19 hit with a slash line of .359/.479/.615 through 14 games. Mason Maxwell leads the Lightning in slugging (.561) with three doubles, triples and a homer among his 13 hits. 

SERIES HISTORY VS. GOLDEY-BEACOM

• Millersville and Goldey-Beacom have played 13 times in the last five years with Millersville winning 12 times. The Marauders are also 6-0 all-time at Cooper Park vs. the Lightning. Millersville has scored double-digit runs in 10 of the games, although in the 2020 series, Goldey-Beacom got its first win, beating Millersville 7-1 at home. G-B's Heskett started that game and held Millersville to one run on three hits over five innings. Jeff Taylor earned a win in that 2020 series as well, going five innings with one run allowed. Jimmy Losh had six hits and scored five runs in that series. 
• The Last Meeting vs. Goldey-Beacom - Millersville 6, Goldey-Beacom 0 (March 1, 2020)