Baseball moves to No. 9 in NAIA top 25

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics released its first in-season Baseball Coaches' Top 25 Poll on Wednesday, and the Loyola Wolf Pack stayed in the Top 10 with a No. 9 ranking. Loyola started the season ranked No. 7 in the preseason poll.  
 

The Pack is still the highest-ranked Southern States Athletic Conference, as Faulkner (No. 13) and William Carey (No. 15) are also in the poll. Abraham Baldwin is still receiving votes, just outside the Top 25 as well. 
 

The Wolf Pack has started the season 15-6 overall and 2-1 in Southern States Athletic Conference play. Of those 15 wins, eight of those wins have come against teams that were either in the preseason rankings or receiving votes. After taking two of three from Thomas University (Ga.) last weekend, Loyola will travel to Tifton, Georgia, this weekend to take on ABAC (14-7, 1-2), which is coming off a series loss at William Carey. 
 

Offensively, Loyola has six batting better than .300 through 21 games so far this season, led by Nathan McDonald's .393 average. Ayden Authement (.389), Jaxon Buratt (.326), Jordan McKenzie (.324), Jovan Swasey (.311) and JJ Garcia (.305) also make up that list. McDonald (1.182) and Authement (1.010) also have a high OPS, which takes into account on-base and slugging percentages. 
 

On the mound, Frank Fernandez (0.00 ERA) and Jake Cohen (0.00) have been stellar in relief, as the two have combined for 19.1 innings out of the bullpen, with Cohen already racking up five saves. Cole Bordes (2-0, 2.57 ERA), Brady Bowen (2-1, 2.54), and Michael Hotard (3-1, 4.03) have been a part of a shuffled starting rotation as well.