The Coyotes completed the sweep of No. 21 ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan with a 3-0 win on Sunday at Dean Evans Stadium and earned a third straight trip to the NAIA Opening Round next month, and a second conference regular season title.
KWU is 38-8 overall and 29-4 in the KCAC heading into the final series of the season next weekend at Avila. The Coyotes hold a three-game lead with three to play over No. 23 Tabor, but the Coyotes also hold the tiebreaker over the Bluejays, meaning KWU will be the No. 1 seed in the tournament no matter what happens on the final weekend of the year.
This marks the first time the Coyotes have claimed back-to-back regular season titles since 2009 and 2009 and only the third time in program history since 1950, the first time in 1969 and 1970.
The sweep is the second big weekend series sweep for the Coyotes in as many tries as KWU took down Tabor last weekend in three straight.
Kansas Wesleyan has won 27 of its last 28 games, the lone loss in a non-conference game to Hastings on April 10. KWU hasn’t lost a conference game since March 2.
Pitching was again phenomenal for the Coyotes in the game, holding OKWU to eight hits, and striking out 12 batters. It was only the second time this season that OKWU has been shut out in a game.
Oklahoma Wesleyan loaded the bases in the first, but the Coyotes got out of it without allowing a run.
In the bottom of the first it looked like the Coyotes had a chance to get on the board as Jacob Williamson led off the inning with a single and went to second when Kendall Foster was hit by a pitch, however the Coyotes couldn’t push a run across.
The Eagles again left the bases loaded in the third, on a 2-out rally, but the Coyotes again avoided danger ending the inning on a fielder’s choice at second base.
In the third, the Coyotes broke the scoreless tie. Adrian Villalobos walked and Alex Garcia singled to put two on for Williamson who launched a ball over the scoreboard in left field to put the Coyotes up 3-0. KWU threatened to score more as Foster followed with a triple but could not get the run home.
OKWU threatened again in the seventh. The Eagles loaded the bases with just one out, but Jorge Aldrete would ground into an inning-ending double play.
KT Gearlds struck out the side in the top of the eighth and in the ninth it was Ryan Sandoval time. The Eagles got two runners on but Sandoval got Josh Logan to strikeout swinging to end the game and secure the win for the Coyotes.
Williamson had two hits for the Coyotes and drove in all three runs. Five others had one hit each.
Pedro Ramirez got the win, going five innings allowing three hits with five strikeouts. Nathan Galusha, Ritter Steinmann, Gearlds and Sandoval all worked an inning each down the stretch. Ramirez improved to 3-0 on the season, Sandoval picked up his seventh save.
KWU will play two with Avila on Friday and wrap up the regular season on Saturday in Kansas City.
