OKWU BASEBALL: Eagles tie best start through 28 games in team history
Cole Hancock pitches for the Doenges Ford Indians last summer. Hancock, a Dewey High School graduate, is an Oklahoma Wesleyan University pitcher. The Eagles are 26-2 on the season and are ranked No. 6 in the nation (NAIA).
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
March 19, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
How do I say the Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s baseball team has tied its best start ever?
Perhaps the direct way is the best: Oklahoma Wesleyan University baseball has tied its best start ever.
At 26-2 (following last weekend), the Eagles trail only the 2018 team for the most wins with only two losses (30-2).
Not only that — super skipper Kirk Kelley recently recorded his 300th career win at OKWU. There’s a solid chance he could get to the 325-victory milestone — or better — by the end of this season.
The Eagles are well on track to write an incomparable chapter in the already praiseworthy volume of Eagle diamond lore.
Considering the incredible wealth of talent the Eagles bid good-bye to after the 2024 season, the 2025 squad is smashing expectations and fueling hopes of a NAIA World Series appearance.
Head coach Kirk Kelley has proven once again he’s one of the most savvy recruiters in the nation.
More importantly he knows what pieces he needs and how to fit them together into a cohesive winner when he gets them.
The Eagles already have stormed into the No. 6 ranking in the nation (NAIA).
Kelley also surpassed his best season (2021) when his squad started at 26-3. Significantly, that year’s Eagles’ team was the most recent to appear in the NAIA World Series.
The team is a composite of prolific contributors from three classes.
SENIORS:
Ravaughn Morgan (OF): 25 G, .385 BA, 34 R, 14 2B, 6 HR, 32 RBI.
Victor Sanchez (IF): .25 G, .353 BA, 31 R, 6 2B, 7 HR, 24 RBI.
Jorge Aldrete (1B): 27 G, .415 BA, 25 R, 6 2B, 8 HR, 34 RBI, 20 BB, 8 HBP, .540 OBP
Michael Mendoza (RHP): 8 G, 6-0 W-L, 2.61 ERA, 41.1 IP, 47 K, 13 BB, .199 OBA, 1 WP.
Matthew Weidkamp (RHP): 8 G, 2-0 W-L, 3.43 ERA, 21.0 IP, 1 SV, 19 K’s, 2 BB, 0 HBP.
Evan Foor (RHP): 8 G, 7-0 W-L, 2.70 ERA, 46.2 IP, 48 K, 14 B, .239 OBA, 0 WP.
Connor Hickey (OF): 27 G, .441 BA, 39 R, 7 2B, 2 3B, 10 HR, 34 RBI, 8 HBP, .843 SLG,
Ashton Luera (RHP): 8 G, 5-1 W-L, 1.77 ERA, 2 CG, 1 SHO, 40.2 IP, 61 K, 18 BB, 1 HBP.
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JUNIORS:
Javier Marcial (OF): .28 G, .388 BA, 37 R, 10 2B, 8 HR, 34 RBI, 19 BB, 9 HBP, .619 OBP.
Luis Antigua (IF): 26 G, .380 BA, 29 R, 6 2B, 7 HR, 24 RBI.
Chase Pinheiro (OF/C); 19 G, .400 BA, 3 2B, 11 RBI.
Cole Hancock (LHP): 6 G, 1.93 ERA, 4.2 IP, 3 K.
Alan Covarrubias (RHP): 4 G, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 4 K, 0 BB.
(Note: Hancock and Covarrubias are Dewey and Bartlesville high school graduates, respectively.)
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SOPHOMORES
Braydon Caldwell (C): 28 G, .271 BA, 7 2B, 19 RBI, 15 BB.
Alejandro Quiles (SS): 28 G, .228 BA, 4 2B, 8 HR, 22 RBI, 3 SF.
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Kelley is trying to lead OKWU to its fourth-ever NAIA World Series appearance. (The first three are 2014, 2017, 2021.)
It’s a long, long journey. Going into this week, the Eagles had almost half their regular season yet to play, followed by their postseason journey.
Starting this weekend the Eagles eye 12 remaining regular season home games. They are:
March 21 (Friday): Host Sterling (Kan.) College, 2 p.m. (Doenges Stadium)
March 22 (Saturday): Host Sterling, noon, (Doenges Stadium)
March 22 (Saturday): Host Sterling, 3 p.m. (Doenges Stadium)
March 29 (Saturday): Host Park (Mo.) University, 2 p.m. (OKWU field)
April 1 (Tuesday): Host Evangel (Mo.) University, 2 p.m. (OKWU field)
April 15 (Tuesday): Host Evangel, 2 p.m. (Doenges Stadium)
April 18 (Friday): Host Kansas Wesleyan University 3 p.m., (OKWU field)
April 19 (Saturday): Host Kansas Wesleyan, noon, (Doenges Stadium)
April 19 (Saturday): Host Kansas Wesleyan, 3 p.m. (Doenges Stadium)
April 25 (Friday): Host Ottawa (Kan.) University, noon (Doenges Stadium)
April 25 (Friday): Host Ottawa, 3 p.m. (Doenges Stadium)
April 26 (Saturday): Host Ottawa, 2 p.m. (Doenges Stadium)