During opening weekend at Eck Stadium, the Wichita State baseball team made easy work of the visiting Utah Tech Trailblazers, winning all three games of the series.
The Shockers are 7-3 on the season and 9-1 in their all-time series against Utah Tech. The Trailblazers are now 1-11 this year.
Friday
Caden Favors, a senior left-handed pitcher, threw a complete game shutout in an 8-0 win against the Trailblazers on Friday. This shutout was aided by a career-high 10 strikeouts from the Midwest City, Oklahoma, native.
Favors brought his win-loss record to 2-0 on the season.
The Shockers’ offense lit up the scoreboard as Jaden Gustafson, a sophomore outfielder, clipped two runs and three RBIs. Gustafson matched his career high in runs and set a new high in RBIs.
Wichita State did the bulk of its scoring in the third inning. An error from Utah State allowed Gustafson to reach third base and Mauricio Millian, a junior catcher, and Camden Johnson, a freshman infielder, to score.
Camden Johnson led Wichita State in hits with three for the game.
Later in the inning, senior outfielder Seth Stroh flew a ball out to center field, bringing Derek Williams, a junior utility player, home for another run. The Shockers finished their third-inning scoring run when Dayvin Johnson, a senior outfielder, hit out to right field and brought Gustafson home.
Saturday
Utah Tech got in their lone run of the weekend as the Shockers banged out three home runs for the win in its Saturday matinee game, 4-1.
The first home run came in the second inning as junior infielder Josh Livingston hit a solo homer to left field. Williams hit two homers, one in the sixth inning and one in the eighth. He finished the game with three RBIs.
The Trailblazers scored in the second inning as a ground ball to third base allowed Hank Dobson to come home.
Nate Adler, a senior right-handed pitcher, picked up the save while sophomore right-handed pitcher Daniel Zang got his second win as a Shocker.
Sunday
Tommy LaPour, Brady Hamilton and Ryan Geraghty, a trio of freshmen right-handed pitchers, combined for 12 strikeouts in the Shockers’ final game against the Trailblazers. Wichita State won 5-0.
LaPour got the win to bring his season record to 1-1. Hunter Holmes, a junior left-handed pitcher, and Caleb Anderson, a sophomore right-handed pitcher, tacked on a strikeout each at the end of the ninth inning.
Williams picked up his third home run of the weekend and Dayvin Johnson slugged four RBIs and two home runs.
The team will head to Norman on a five-game winning streak to take on the University of Oklahoma on Tuesday, March 5. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
The Sooners are 5-4 on the season and 3-1 at home.
