GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Golden Eagles will be traveling to Lake Myrtle and Winterhaven, Florida for a week long trip to compete in the Russ Matt Central Florida Invitational. Cornerstone will look to build on their 4-8 record so far this season with 12 games vs. six non-conference opponents. The invitational will begin for the Golden Eagles on Friday, March 3 when they take on Mount Vernon Nazarene at 10 a.m. and Cleary University at 3 p.m. Live stats will be available for all 12 games on cugoldeneagles.com.

Russ Matt Invitational News
The Golden Eagles are set to play 12 games and six opponents in the Russ Matt Central Florida invitational between March 3-10. CU will play games in one of two locations, located in Winterhaven and Lake Myrtle, Florida. Cornerstone will begin on March 3 vs. Mount Vernon Nazarene at 10 a.m. in Lake Myrtle with live stats available through cugoldeneagles.com.
 
Key Scouting Points
The Golden Eagles will be playing six different teams down in Florida, three from the CCAC, and two from the Crossroads league. Of the six opponents on tap, three teams have winning records, one is .500, and two are below .500. So far Trinity Christian has played the most games of all opponents, going 7-7 with Kyle Vankalker leading the offense with a .409 batting average.
 
History in Florida
Cornerstone has gone 14-22 in their history in Florida. CU has traveled to Florida for each of the five years in the programs history.
 
Last Time Out
The Golden Eagles traveled to Springdale, Arkansas for a four game set vs. NCCAA opponent Ecclesia College last weekend and went 1-3, moving their overall record to 4-8 on the year. CU out hit Ecclesia 39-21, but 20 walks cost the Golden Eagles in the series loss.
 
Dominate Hitting
Cornerstone's offense has been very balanced in the early season, as five Golden Eagle players are hitting above .300 on the year. CU already has 119 hits as a team this season, while in 52 games last season they had just 231 total hits.  The Golden Eagles are also playing a lot more "small ball" this season, as 87 of the 119 hits this season have been singles.
 
Success with Bases Loaded
CU has been dominating in the early season when the bases are loaded. Cornerstone bats .467 as a team, going 7-15 on the year in bases loaded situations.
 
Extra Inning Struggles
Cornerstone has suffered some late inning setbacks this season, as they were handed their third extra inning loss of the season last weekend. CU is now 0-3 on the year in extra inning games, and just 2-3 when leading after the sixth innings.
 
Krupansky from the Mound
Shortstop Aaron Krupansky has expanded his role for the team this season as he is not only leading the team with a .347 BA, but also saw his first collegiate appearance as a pitcher, sealing a 10-6 victory in in a hitless one inning outing. Look for Krupansky to continue to serve in a closing role as CU continues in the non-conference season.
 
Corsten Hitting Bombs
Third baseman Joe Corsten has been hitting the ball far as of late, recording three homeruns so far this season. Corsten hit two HR's last weekend to take over the Golden Eagle lead in this statistical category. As a team, CU has hit seven homeruns this season.
 
Wagner Returns to Action
Senior Evan Wagner has been injury ridden for a significant portion of his college career, but he has come back healthy and as good as ever offensively. Wagner played in three of the four games last weekend and batted .333 in his return from season ending injury in 2016. Wagner will primarily play in the outfield and DH roles this season.
 
Baseball Contact: Jesse Campbell 
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