OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University handed its head coach Denney Crabaugh his 1,600th career win in a 7-5 decision over Kansas Wesleyan on Monday night at Jim Wade Stadium in the NAIA Baseball Championship Opening Round Oklahoma City Bracket.
Crabaugh has guided OCU to a 1,600-491-2 record in his 34th year as Oklahoma City head coach. OCU has the winningest college baseball program since 1991 entering this season. Evan Maun struck the big blow by tripling in the tying run, then scoring the winning run in the seventh inning.
The third-ranked Stars (48-4) advanced in the tournament to meet MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at Jim Wade Stadium. The winning teams in the NAIA Championship Opening Round make the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho.
Crabaugh is a four-time hall of famer (American Baseball Coaches Association, NAIA Hall of Fame, Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Association and OCU Athletics Hall of Fame). He has led OCU to 14 World Series appearances, three national runner-up finishes and the 2005 national championship. Among the NAIA, Crabaugh leads active coaches and ranks third all-time in wins.
"I've been blessed to be able to coach at OCU all these years," OCU coach Denney Crabaugh said. "It also means I've been surrounded by good players and coaches, most notably Keith Lytle. He's been there since the beginning and has had as much to do with these wins as anybody. These wins belong to him as well."
Maun crushed an RBI triple to the right-center field wall to even the score 5-5. Felix Chenier-Rondeau's ground ball bounced off the second baseman Kevin Esquilin-Cruz to allow Maun to come home with the go-ahead run.
Cross Factor launched a pair of home runs to move into second place by himself among OCU's single-season home run leaders with 28. Factor belted a homer beyond the right-field wall in the first to stake the Stars to a 1-0 lead. Factor crushed a homer well beyond the right-field wall in the fifth to put Oklahoma City ahead 3-1. Brent Weaver holds OCU's program record with 37 homers hit in 2009. Factor, a senior from Yukon, Okla., tied Miguel Beltran (2012), David Dennis (2008), Nick Klusaw (2005) and Rick Nadeau (1999) with his 27th homer in the first.
In the fourth, the Stars broke the 1-1 deadlock as Dylan Taylor put down a bunt that moved along the third-base line. Cade Stephens reached home plate on Taylor's sacrifice bunt. Rondeau grounded out to the first-base side to bring in a run in the fifth.
Kansas Wesleyan's Jarrett Gable hit a homer to left. Dustin Sipe's grand slam in the sixth put Kansas Wesleyan ahead 5-4.
Tanner Schoeninger became the winning pitcher. Schoeninger, a senior right-hander from Fort Collins, Colo., turned in eight innings of work and struck out four. Schoeninger (11-0) retired Kansas Wesleyan in order in the first, fourth and eighth.
Braden Hill took the mound for the Stars with the tying run at the plate. Hill, a senior righty from Edmond, Okla., earned his fourth save by getting the final three outs. Chad Pike threw out Diego Fisher at first base with the last out.
