Baseball Closes Out Regular Season at UIC

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Belmont (24-29, 13-11 MVC) and UIC (17-31, 13-11 MVC) face off in the final series of the regular season. Both teams enter the series 13-11 in MVC play – along with Illinois State – tied for fourth place in the conference standings. The outcome of the series will heavily influence which of the three teams will receive a top-four seed in the conference tournament. All games from Curtis Granderson Field will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
Series Schedule
Thursday, May 15 – 1 p.m.
Watch | Live Stats
 
Friday, May 16 – 4 p.m.
Watch | Live Stats
 
Saturday, May 17 – 1 p.m.
Watch | Live Stats
 
Bruin Bullets

• Pete Daniel leads the team and ranks second in the MVC in batting average (.369). Daniel also leads the Bruins with a .551 slugging percentage and a .442 on-base percentage. In 19 conference games, Daniel owns a .355 batting average, with five home runs and 16 RBIs.
• Charlie Davis leads the Bruins with 66 hits, tied for eighth in the MVC. Davis has stolen a team-high 23 bases and has recorded 22 multi-hit games.
• Ty Allen is one of four qualified position players with a 1.000 fielding percentage.
• Blake Barton carries a season-high eight-game hit streak into the series. Barton is tied for sixth in the MVC with 14 stolen bases.
• Landon Godsey leads the Bruins with 16 doubles this season.
• Joe Ruzicka continues to shine on the mound. The junior leads the MVC with a 3.13 ERA, ranks second in hits allowed (44), third in innings pitched (72) and sixth in strikeouts (63). Ruzicka is the only qualified pitcher in the MVC to hold opponents to a batting average under .200, achieving a remarkable .180 mark. In eight conference starts, Ruzicka owns a 4-2 record, a 2.61 ERA, with 44 strikeouts in 48.1 innings pitched. Ruzicka has contributed to three conference shutouts, including a complete-game shutout against Valparaiso.
• Ethan Harden has been almost untouchable in MVC play. In 14.1 innings and eight appearances, Harden owns a 0.63 ERA and has allowed one earned run, with 15 strikeouts and three saves.
• The Bruins lead the MVC with 96 stolen bases.

Scouting Report: UIC Flames

• Luke Nowak leads the MVC with a .373 batting average. Nowak is tied for second in the conference with 23 stolen bases and ranks third with 72 hits.
• Dillon Schueler is ninth in the MVC with a 4.93 ERA. He leads the Flames with 73 innings pitched and 56 strikeouts.
• Zack Millsap leads the team with four saves.

Matchup History

• Belmont is 1-6 against UIC.
• The series marks the second time Belmont will play at Curtis Granderson Stadium. The Bruins were swept in their first series against UIC in 2023.

Follow Belmont baseball on social media - @BelmontBaseball on X and @belmontbaseball on Instagram - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.