LINCOLN (May 11, 2022) - The Nebraska Wesleyan baseball team opens the 2022 American Rivers Conference Tournament on Thursday, May 12 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. NWU earned the third seed in the tournament and will play sixth-seeded Wartburg College in Thursday's first round. 

After being picked eighth in the A-R-C preseason coaches poll, the Prairie Wolves will make their first appearance in the conference tournament since joining the A-R-C in 2016-17. It will also be the program's first conference tournament since 2013. In addition, NWU has won 20 games for the first time since 2012 and is looking to secure its first winning season since 2009 when it won the Great Plains Athletic Conference title. 

As a team, Nebraska Wesleyan enters the postseason with a league-leading 42 home runs and a .468 slugging percentage. The Prairie Wolves are currently second in the conference with 98 doubles and 630 total bases and rank top-five in runs scored, hits, and RBIs. On the mound, Prairie Wolf pitchers have combined for 303 strikeouts, fifth-most in the A-R-C. 

Individually, Derek Kolbush sets the program's single-season home run record with 13 home runs, which is a conference-best. Kaleb Knox sits atop the program's record book and conference leaderboard with 164 at-bats, 65 hits, and 21 doubles. Both Knox and Kolbush rank second and third, respectively, for slugging percentage in the league. 

Leading the pitching is a trio of Prairie Wolves. Dylan Cox ranks eighth with 64 strikeouts and Noah Unger is ninth by striking out 16 batters looking. Noah Wing set the program record for saves in a season with six saves, which also ranks tied for third in the conference. 

The 2022 A-R-C Baseball Tournament will be held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa at Veterans Memorial Stadium. For more information on the conference tournament, click here.