LIBERTY, Mo. - The William Jewell baseball team opens the 2023 season this weekend with a three-game series at Northeastern State in Oklahoma.
 
NCAA ERA SERIES

• 1-3
• First Meeting: February 21, 2020
• Last Meeting: February 22, 2020 (5-0, L)
   

CARDINAL NOTES

• Jewell is coming off their best season since 2016, going 30-21 on the year and getting back to the GLVC Tournament.
• Gone from that team is All-American left fielder Anthony Hansen and All-GLVC first baseman Cameron Fliege. That duo combined for 147 hits, 33 doubles, 24 home runs, 124 RBI.
• Alex Epp headlines the list of returners around the diamond after earning first team All-GLVC honors as a junior. He set the NCAA era single season batting average record, hitting .409 with 81 hits, 49 RBI and nine home runs.
• Also back are infielder Cole Conner, outfielder Quincy Aldrich and utility men Drew Reed and Jake Wilcox. Additionally, Jonah Sanford, who started 23 games before a season ending injury, returns.
• On the mound, the Cardinals return multiple key arms, including starters Jake Sawyer, Jake MacDonald and Jackson Bodinson who combined to go 19-6 with 147 strikeouts over 192.2 innings of work last year.
• Drew Dant is also back after setting the NCAA era single season mark with eight saves in 2022.
• Mike Stockton who is in his 22^nd season at the helm of the Cardinal baseball program, is a member of the William Jewell Athletics Hall of Fame, owning more than 600 career victories.  
   

STATISTICAL LEADERS (Returning)

• Average: Alex Epp (.409)
• RBI: Alex Epp (49)
• Runs: Jake Wilcox (61)
• Home Runs: Alex Epp (9)
• Stolen Bases: Jake Wilcox (30)
• Innings Pitched: Jake MacDonald (69.0)
• ERA: Jake Sawyer (4.34)
• Strikeouts: Jake MacDonald (69)