Complete PDF Notes
Upcoming in Gray Wolves Baseball: As the 2021 baseball season begins at Lourdes University, the Gray Wolves open their 10th season of intercollegiate competition hoping to play more games than a season ago when the year ended abruptly.  Lourdes opens the campaign on Saturday morning facing Truett McConnell in a neutral site game before facing third-ranked Georgia Gwinnett later that evening and again on Sunday in a three-game series.

Head Coach Josh Bradford: In his second season in the Lourdes dugout, Josh Bradford has a 7-7 (.500) record at the helm of the Gray Wolves, as well as in his career as a collegiate head coach.  He is the third head coach in Lourdes program's history.

Probable Starters: Lourdes has not announced its starting pitching for any of the games this weekend at this point.

Series Notes: Lourdes and Truett McConnell will be meeting on the baseball diamond for the first time ever Saturday morning.  Georgia Gwinnett is 2-0 all-time against the Gray Wolves in a series that began on March 6, 2020.  Last season the Grizzlies won 5-0 and 17-3 decisions in Lawrenceville, Ga.

Wrapping Up Last Season: Lourdes finished the 2020 campaign 7-7 overall before the season came to an abrupt end on March 13 due to COVID-19.  The Gray Wolves did not play any Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference games last season nor did the league hand out any honors.

Scouting Truett McConnell: The Bears enter the weekend having defeated Columbia International at home 7-2 on Wednesday afternoon and will face Georgia Gwinnett on Friday before battling Lourdes Saturday morning.  Devyn Munroe is hitting .333 while Andrew Johnston is batting .321 with 12 runs batted in already on the young season.  As a team, Truett McConnell is hitting .292 offensively.  The Bears' pitching staff has a 6.05 earned run average and is allowing the opposition to hit .289 against them this year.  

Scouting Georgia Gwinnett: The Grizzlies begin the weekend with a four-game winning streak after downing Freed-Hardman 4-3 and 8-3 last Saturday (Feb. 13).  Livingston Morris leads the offense with a .381 average and eight RBI while Gabe Howell is hitting .360.  Georgia Gwinnett is batting .277 as a team while the pitching staff has limited the opposition to a .203 average and has a 3.57 earned run average.

Gray Wolves Tabbed Seventh in WHAC Preseason Poll: Lourdes was picked to finish seventh in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference in the 2021 preseason poll conducted of the league's head coaches.  The Gray Wolves were slotted just behind Aquinas and just ahead of Michigan-Dearborn.  Indiana Tech was picked as the preseason favorite.

Lourdes in Season Openers: The Gray Wolves are 4-5 all-time in season openers, having won last year's first contest 8-1 against Rio Grande.  Lourdes has won three straight season openers.  This year will mark the second time the Gray Wolves open in a neutral site game, having also began the 2016 season in Auburndale, Fla. against Cleary and last year in Chillicothe, Ohio against Rio Grande.

First .500 Season Ever: Although it was an abbreviated season, Lourdes finished 2020 with a 7-7 record, marking the program's first .500 season in program history.  The Gray Wolves' previous best in terms of finishing near .500 was a 22-23 record in 2018.

Earning Athletic and Academic Honors: Jay Denman was named a CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team selection last season for his work both on the diamond and in the classroom.  He was also a First Team Academic All-District I honoree along with teammate Cameron Gallo in 2020.

Top Returning Offensive Leaders: From the abbreviated season of 2020, Harrison Jackson is the Gray Wolves' top returning hitter.  The rookie batted .357 with a homer and nine runs batted in while scoring 14 runs in 14 games.  Bryce Gargus hit .333 with nine hits in eight games of action.

2020 Pitching Leaders: Braxton McKart went 3-1 with a 5.31 earned run average in 2020.  While logging a team-leading 20.1 innings, he struck out 21 hitters, allowing opponents to bat just .260 against him.  Kolby Rogge also started four games, going 1-2 with a 4.58 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 19.2 innings of work. 

Catchers Have Streaks Going: Lourdes two backstops, Bryce Gargus and Alex Pallottini are the only Gray Wolves entering 2021 with hits in consecutive games.  Both have two-game hitting streaks entering the new campaign.

Reaching Base: Brad Ammons enters the year having reached base in six consecutive games to end 2020.

This and That: Lourdes is 122-248-1 all-time entering its 10th season of baseball ... the Gray Wolves are 28-33 all-time in neutral site games ... Lourdes is 13-13 in extra inning contests after going 1-0 one season ago.