Butler Baseball Splits Series with DMACC; Wheeler Earns First Wins as Grizzlies Head Coach

EL DORADO, Kan. – First‑year Butler head coach Seth Wheeler picked up the first wins of his Grizzly career as Butler split a four‑game series with Des Moines Area Community College at McDonald Stadium.

Game 1 (6 Inn.) – DMACC 18, Butler 6

The Grizzlies fell to Des Moines Area Community College in game 1 by a final score of 18-6 in six innings from McDonald Stadium on Friday afternoon. 

DMACC controlled the game from the start, taking an 8-0 lead through two innings and never looked back. 

The Grizzlies did manage to cut the lead in half, making it an 8-4 ball game heading into the fifth. DMACC responded by scoring two runs in the top half of the inning, then putting up an eight spot in the sixth and winning in six 18-6. 

Butler managed only six hits in the contest to DMACC's 14. 

Hank Welu (L, 0-1) suffered the loss in his first start of the season. 

Game 2 (7 Inn.) – Butler 12, DMACC 6

The Grizzlies came back in game two of the day with a 12-6 win, giving first year head coach Seth Wheeler his first win with the Grizzlies.

Butler finally got the bats going, finishing with 12 hits in the game. 

University of Oregon transfer Danny Wideman had a day, going 2-3 with two runs and four RBIs. Both of Wideman's hits were home runs, with the first being a solo homer coming in the bottom of the third and again going yard in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run homer. First baseman Holden Lough went 2-4 with one RBI, a solo home run in the bottom of the second. Catcher Logan Hicks also homered in the bottom of the second. 

Shane Holman (W, 2-1) started on the mound for the Grizzlies and picked up his second win of the season. Holman threw six innings and had a career high nine strikeouts in the win. Connor Clark came into relief in the seventh and allowed just two hits to secure the victory. 

Game 3 (7 Inn.) – Butler 11, DMACC 4

Butler won game three of the four game series 11-4 in seven innings. 

The bats were red hot yet again for the Grizzlies, amassing 12 total hits in back-to-back games. 

Wideman had another terrific outing, going 3-4 with four RBIs and two home runs. Second baseman Yusei Uzawa finished 2-3, two RBIs, one home run and two walks. 

The Grizzlies jumped out to a 6-0 lead through two innings with the help of a pair of home runs from Uzawa and Wideman. The Grizzlies led by as much as 10-1, but after a three spot in sixth from DMACC, the Bears cut the Grizzly lead to 10-4. Shortstop Jackson Ellison finished things off with the Grizzlies with a solo home run of his own in the bottom half of the inning.

Sophomore pitcher Whitley Rhodes (W, 1-0) earned his first win of the young season for the Grizzlies. Rhodes threw five innings and allowed only four hits and one earned run. 

Game 4 (7 Inn.) – DMACC 15, Butler 12

The Grizzlies dropped the final game of the four-game series 15-12 on Saturday afternoon. 

DMACC led by as many as eight in the top of the fifth 9-1, but the Grizzlies managed to come all the way back and tie the game, putting up an eight spot in the bottom half of the inning. 

DMACC eventually put the game out of reach in the sixth, scoring six runs in the inning. 

Wideman continued his hot streak at the plate, hitting another solo home run in the game. Wideman hit five home runs in the four-game series vs DMACC. 

Next up: The Grizzlies will be on the road on Tuesday for a single nine-inning contest against the Coffeyville Red Ravens at 1 p.m.