SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS Last season the Mustangs finished with an overall record of 19-25, finishing 10-14 in conference action. In 2016, Mount Mercy returns a majority of their main core, which includes top talents in the field and on the mound. Both of the Mustangs' top hitters from a season ago return in the form of Ben Larsen and Cody Williams who hit .394 and .349 respectively. On the mound, Mount Mercy returns Cale Henke, a right-handed starting pitcher who led the teams pitching staff with a 2.97 ERA in 2015. In his lone start of the 2016 season, Henke struck out eight batters over 7.0 innings.
STEINES KEY TO DUHAWK SUCCESS IN 2016 Senior
Alex Steines aims to become the new ace of the Duhawks in 2016, after playing pitching in the No. 3 and 4 roles a season ago. The Dubuque, Iowa native completed his first season with Loras last year, making 12 appearances to the tune of a 4.01 ERA, which ranked second on the team among starting pitchers. Steines showcased superior arm strength last season, making him a devasting contrast to the off-speed dominant Schwoebel at times. Using the fastball as his main weapon, Steines led the team with 55 strikeouts.
WALSH CLOSING IN ON MILESTONES Senior
Patrick Walsh enters his senior campaign hitting .300 for his career. On top of being productive at the plate, Walsh has also been a mainstay on the mound. Heading into the 2016 season, Walsh is closing in on milstones that will further mark his presence in the record books. Currently, he sits 34 RBIs from 100, 46 hits away from 150 and 53 at-bats from 400. On the mound, Walsh sits at 70 career strikeouts and could crack the century mark in that category as well.
DUHAWKS FIND SUCCESS WITH BABIP The Duhawks are looking to regroup after losing 11 seniors to graduation. Juniors
Luke Leibforth and
Nolan Ritter will look to capitalize on their growing roles as upperclassmen in the 2016 season. Leibforth and Ritter return as team leaders in BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play). Ritter posted a .330 mark followed by Leibforth at .304. Of the seven Duhawks from the 2015 season, who tallied a BABIP of .300 or higher, four return inclduing senior
Patrick Walsh and sophomore
Danny Weis among Leibforth and Ritter.
MULTI-HIT WARRIOR Senior
Patrick Walsh enters into his final season with 37 career multi-hit performances. The Lombard, Ill. product has proved himself to be a crucial part of the offense for the Duhawks, hitting over .300 in each of the last two seasons, while accounting for 32 of his 37 multi-hit games. In addition, Walsh led all players on Loras' roster last season with a RC (Runs Created) rating of 28.75 over 43 games.
BATTLING IN ONE-RUN GAMES The Duhawks finished their 2015 season with an overall record of 21-22. Loras played many close games in 2015, combining to go 8-7 over that span. In total, the Duhawks played in 15 one-run games. In 2016, Loras looks to have a little more luck on their side with hopes to improve on its record from a season ago. A young infield led the Duhawks into committing 94 errors, but added expereience will help to mitigate that issue from a year ago.
