GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Golden Eagles have qualified for the conference tournament for the third consecutive year, and they get set to begin action against WHAC regular season champion Northwestern Ohio. CU will take on the tournament host Racers on Sunday at 12 p.m. CU is then guaranteed to play a second game on Monday at noon as a part of the double-elimination tournament with the opponent yet to be determined. Cornerstone looks to win their first ever conference tournament game in Lima, Ohio. Live video and stats will be available for the game, and the links are posted on cugoldeneagles.com.  

Scouting the First Round Opponent
Northwestern Ohio has been one of the best in the NAIA all season long, as they have closed the regular season out with 22 consecutive victories. UNOH sits ranked seventh in the NAIA's final poll, and has lost just one game in the WHAC all season. The Racer offense is powered by a multitude of dangers hitters, with Jeff Cardenas leading the charge at a .422 batting average and  a WHAC second best 62 RBI. From the mound, Northwestern Ohio has the weapon of arguably the best pitcher in the WHAC in Damian Proctor who is 11-0 on the year with a 1.59 ERA and an astonishing 110 strikeouts. As a team, UNOH has held opponents to a batting average of .224 while their offense holds an average of .354.
 
How Does it Work?
The WHAC Tournament is a double-elimination tournament in which the top six teams in the conference are seeded based on conference win percentage. Cornerstone, as the sixth seed, will face the top seed Racers of Northwestern Ohio in the first round Sunday at noon. The winner of that game will go on to face the winner of the Indiana Tech vs. Concordia game, while the loser will play an elimination game vs. the loser of the Davenport vs. Madonna game. Regardless of the result in CU's first round game against UNOH, Cornerstone will play a second game at noon on Monday. If they win, they will play at UNOH's facility, and if they lose they will play at Lourdes facility.
 
WHAC Tournament History
The Golden Eagles have made the WHAC Tournament for the third consecutive year, placing as the sixth seed for the second straight time. The highest seed CU has ever attained was the five in the 2014-15 season. Cornerstone has yet to ever win a conference tournament game, going 0-4 all-time. Last year CU lost in walk-off fashion to the one seed Madonna in their first game, followed by an 11-2 loss to Davenport in an elimination game.
 
Last Week Recap
The Golden Eagles final week of the regular season saw many unexpected changes, as they were only able to get two of their three scheduled games in against Lourdes due to weather conditions. Cornerstone was unphased by the changes, as they ended the season with a pair of dominant wins over the Gray Wolves, 15-4 (in seven) and 6-1. CU ends the regular season with a 24-27 overall record and 15-15 in conference play, as they clinch the sixth and final WHAC Tournament spot for the second consecutive year.
 
Getting Hot
After starting the 2016-17 season with just an 8-16 record, Cornerstone has been hot since returning from their spring break trip from Florida, posting a 16-11 record down the stretch. Cornerstone has seen a season best six game winning streak in the end of March through the beginning of April along with key conference wins to bring their WHAC record to an even 15-15 after starting just 3-6.
 
Surpassing 100
Cornerstone is winding down their fifth year of baseball since restarting the program in 2013. The Golden Eagles were able to reach a major milestone to conclude the season, recording their 100th program victory. Overall, CU is 100-145 in its five years, as they are making major strides toward being a top team in the WHAC. The Golden Eagles are very young under first year head coach Chuck Lowitzki, as they graduate just three seniors this season.
 
Nearing Single Season Record
Cornerstone is just two wins away from tying and three away from surpassing the program record for victories in a single season. CU went 26-31 in the 2014-15 season, while they are 24-27 this season. If CU is able to post an upset in the conference tournament, they will have an opportunity to surpass the program record.
 
Krupansky Defensively
Sophomore shortstop Aaron Krupansky has always been a force defensively for the Golden Eagles, but as of late Krupansky has been near perfect. Krupansky has not recorded an error in his last 10 starts and he has also made a few highlight real plays in that time. Krupansky leads the Golden Eagles with 144 assists on the season to go along with a .957 fielding percentage. Aaron Krupansky and his second base mate John Stewart have also combined to record 35 double plays on the season.
 
Multiple Golden Eagles on an Offensive Tear
The Golden Eagles ended the regular season with yet another double-digit scoring performance, putting their season total to a program best 15 times where they have scored 10 or more runs. In their last double-digit scoring performance vs. Lourdes Jonny Abbadusky, Brady Eeles, Aaron Krupansky, and Adam Harvey all recorded three or more hits to help the team record 22 total. 22 hits ties a season high that was previously recorded in Lake Myrtle, Florida vs. Cleary University on March 3rd.
 
Reed Closing the Door
Olivet Nazarene transfer Noah Reed has been dominant ever since coming out of the bullpen, as he has only allowed three earned runs in his last six appearances. Reed leads the Cornerstone pitching staff with 51 strikeouts this year, while possessing the highest velocity of any Golden Eagle pitcher.
 
Abbadusky Nears 200 Career Hits
Senior Jonny Abbadusky is having a career year, as he already holds program records in hits, runs, stolen bases, and total bases. Along with that, Abbadusky is now just five hits away from 200 in his career. This season, Abbadusky is the only Golden Eagle batting above .400 with a .417 average along with a team high 75 hits, 47 runs, and 18 stolen bases. Abbadusky has at least two games remaining to reach the 200 hit mark.
 
Baseball Contact: Jesse Campbell 
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