DAYTON - The University of Dayton baseball team hosts their second home series of the 2024 season this weekend, welcoming South Dakota State to the friendly confines of Woerner Field at AES Ohio Stadium for a scheduled four-game series beginning Friday, March 8.
Due to rain in the forecast, the original schedule for the weekend series has been altered. Friday is now a doubleheader with the first game scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., and after an idle day on Saturday, the teams will also play a doubleheader on Sunday, March 10 beginning at 12 p.m.
CLINICAL PERFORMANCE
- Dayton and Toledo played a quick 2:21 midweek game Wednesday afternoon, with the Flyers coming away with a 6-2 victory over the Rockets.
- UD scored five runs in the fourth inning, sending 11 men to the plate, scattering six singles, and drawing a pair of walks to erase an early 1-0 deficit. The FlyBoys tacked on a run late as insurance, but it was more than enough for the pitching trio of
Ryan Steinhauer,
Luke Baker and
Michael Fortes.
STEINY STIFLES THE ROCKETS
- Wednesday's performance by starter
Ryan Steinhauer was arguably the best of the season for a #FlyBoys starter and was the best for the fifth-year senior since the 2022 campaign.
- The Saline, Mich. native pitched into the seventh inning, striking out six and walking only two, allowing just two earned runs in the process. The 6.2 innings of work marked the longest outing for Steinhauer since throwing a nine-inning complete game against Fordham in the 2022 season.
MENDEZ NAMED A-10 ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
- Freshman
David Mendez had a tremendous week for the Flyers as he worked his way into the starting lineup, hitting .625 with an on-base percentage of .769 for the week. The Aldie, Va. native reached base five times via hit, five times via walk or hit-by-pitch, scored five times, and drove in four, while also going 2-for-2 in steals.
- The freshman is hitting .583 in seven games played on the young season, turning in an OPS of 1.570. Mendez hit his first career home run against No. 1 Wake Forest last week and has walked more than he's struck out (4 / 1).
SCOUTING THE JACK RABBITS
- South Dakota State is 6-6 on the season, and comes to Dayton to start a three-city, nine-day road trip that concludes with the Jackrabbits' first Summit League series March 15-17 at defending champion Oral Roberts.
- The Jackrabbits have hit the ball all over the yard to start the season, turning in a .301 team batting average while also slugging 25 home runs and 27 doubles. SDSU has three qualified batters hitting over .400 - Dawson Parry (.408), Jess Bellows (.405) and Cael Frost (.400).
- South Dakota State's pitching has a team ERA of 6.80 and an opponent batting average of .295 through the first 12 games, with game one starter Nic McCay turning in a team-best 3.38 ERA. Game two starter Jake Goble leads the Jackrabbits in strikeouts with 15.
