As the final stretch of the Stevenson’s men’s baseball team is around the corner, the team looks to dig its cleats into the mud for a push for the playoffs. The team’s record currently is 16-17, with a 7-8 record in conference play.

The Mustangs are coming off a tough loss to Arcadia University, April 15-16 at Sugar Field. Arcadia hit their way to a 14-8 and an 18-10 win in the doubleheader before the Mustangs rebounded to take a 7-5 win in the third game.

The Mustangs currently sit in fifth place, with six conference games remaining. The Mustangs open up a three-game series against fourth-place Messiah College, Friday, April 22, a team with a 9-6 conference record. The Mustangs look to gain ground on Messiah in hopes of earning the last spot in the MAC Commonwealth playoffs.

For senior Ian Eberly, this is his last go-round, and he, along with his teammates, will do everything in their power to make a late-season push for the playoffs. Eberly said, “We need to play fundamental baseball: hitting, pitching, and defense to win the majority of our six conference games.” Eberley currently has the highest batting average on the team this season with a .352 average along with 21 RBIs, according to gomustangsports.com.

The Mustangs have also received a spark from the plate, thanks to sophomore Jake Hall, who  has an average of .333 with 6 HRs and 17 RBIs, according to gomustangsports.com. After returning from a torn ACL last year, Hall credits his success to his mentors: “The coaching staff has helped me get to the point where I am now. Extra work with them before practices has my swing in a good place,” adding, “We all get along well as a team, and don’t have team cancer. Whether it is getting a man over or laying down a sacrifice bunt, we are able to pick each other up and do things for the team.”

Stevenson is off until Friday, April 22, when it opens up a three-game series with Messiah College, on the road at 3:30 p.m.