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ODAC Baseball Report: Week 8

ODAC baseball is really good. Deciphering who is the best continues to be a chore of luxury with three teams ranked in the top-10 by D3baseball.com. Nationally second-ranked Lynchburg continues to win, extending its winning streak to 12 straight games with one non-conference win this past week after seeing its midweek ODAC matchup with Virginia Wesleyan washed out. No. 6 Shenandoah went 4-0 to run its streak of victories to seven in a row. No. 10 Bridgewater went 3-1 with all three wins over ODAC teams including a sweep of Randolph-Macon, which continues to receive votes towards the national poll.

  • EVAN BERT | BRIDGEWATER | SP
    Bert, a senior from Harrisonburg, Va., helped Bridgewater earn a sweep at Randolph-Macon by tossing a seven-inning complete game shutout in the Eagles' 19-0 victory in game two. He allowed just three baserunners on two hits and a hit batsman, facing just three batters over the minimum. He held the Yellow Jackets to a .091 batting average thanks in part to a season-high eight strikeouts. He retired the first six batters he faced and struck out the side in the fifth while also recording eight ground-ball outs. For the season, Bert is 5-2 with a 4.43 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 40.2 innings of work.

  • TYLER SMITH | SHENANDOAH | 3RD BASE
    Smith, a junior from Crofton, Md., drove in nine runs and posted a .462/.500/1.154 slash line to help nationally sixth-ranked Shenandoah to three of their four wins in a 4-0 week. Smith, who missed a midweek game against Washington and Lee due to injury, opened his week with a 2-for-3 showing with a solo homer and a walk in a 10-0 triumph over York College (Pa.) in a non-conference tilt. On Friday and Saturday, Smith combined to go 4-for-10 with 8 RBI and two runs scored in a road sweep (12-11, 11-1) of Guilford. He singled and drove in a run in game two, but it was game one where he put together a career day in helping the Hornets erase a nine-run deficit. Smith went 3-for-5 and drove in seven runs powered by a pair of three-run homers. He left the yard for the first time in the eighth inning to pull SU to within five at 11-6. He then blasted his second three-run blast to push the Hornets to a 12-11 in the top of the ninth for the go-ahead and would-be game-winning runs. For the season, Smith is hitting .343 with a 1.153 OPS powered by five doubles and 11 homers. He has driven in 47 runs with the latter two figures ranking first and second in the ODAC, respectively.

Evan Bert
Tyler Smith