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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Otterbein baseball team experienced a memorable Saturday afternoon at Fishbaugh Field against Muskingum University, sweeping the visiting Muskies by scores of 13-4 and 7-6 to clinch at least a share of the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) regular-season championship.

The Cardinals, improving to 30-8 overall and finishing 14-4 against the league, were also holding Senior Day for 16 upperclassmen and become just the fourth group in program history to hit the 30-win mark. Baldwin Wallace (12-4 OAC) will need to sweep Muskingum on Sunday to share the OAC regular-season with Otterbein, otherwise the Cardinals will win the league outright.

"I've been fortunate to coach some really good teams, but this is the first group that I wish I could have been a part of as a player," head coach George Powell said. "The camaraderie, atmosphere and genuine fun these guys create is second to none, but they do it all while remaining extremely competitive. You don't see this type of commitment from top to bottom very often."

In addition, Otterbein earns the top seed in next week's OAC Tournament and will serve as the host as a result of holding the tiebreaker with Baldwin Wallace, sweeping the Yellow Jackets earlier this season in Berea. Marietta dropped both games of a twinbill at Ohio Northern on Saturday to finish 13-5 within the conference.

Eager for the potential prize at hand, Otterbein jumped all over Muskingum (16-18, 6-10 OAC) in Saturday's first game by scoring five times in the first inning and then plating another three in the second. Seniors Tyler Kent and J.C. Gibson both ripped RBI doubles in the initial at-bat before Kent launched his OAC-leading ninth home run to left field in the ensuing plate appearance.

The Cardinals blew the game open in the fifth, taking advantage of a few Muskie errors in the field and ultimately bringing across five more runs, pushing the margin to 13-0. Seniors Shane Frazier, Brady Willis and Jason Combs all saw their first action of the season as the game progressed.

Senior Mark Walton hit 3 for 5 while Kent went a perfect 4 for 4 in the opener, driving in four runs and crossing the plate three times himself. He now has exactly 200 hits for his career and sits 12 shy of tying former All-American Wes Meadows' all-time record.

Junior Robert Kemer improved to 6-0 on the bump, allowing just two hits over five shutout innings before giving way to senior Justin Roberts, Frazier, senior Terrell Dorsey and senior Nick Muse. The Cards ripped three doubles in the first game and another two in the second, running their total to 105 and setting a new Otterbein single-season record.

Game two was much closer, with Muskingum grabbing a 2-0 lead in the third inning before Otterbein got RBI from senior leadoff hitter Taylor Hutchison in the third and fifth to tie the contest. Designated hitter Christian Chiero came up with a huge hustle play to begin the fifth-inning sequence, beating out an infield grounder by sliding, head first, into first base and ultimately coming around to score.

The Cards appeared to be in control after opening a 5-2 lead courtesy of RBI from senior J.C. Gibson and freshman shortstop Ben Beachy in the sixth, but the Muskies strung together a rally in the seventh and tallied three unearned runs to regain the lead, 6-5.

Otterbein quickly regrouped, reaching on an error to begin the bottom of the inning before Kent ripped a double to left field. The Cards then benefited from a passed ball after a swinging strikeout, which scored Walton to even the matchup. Catcher Stephan Hernon then delivered the go-ahead hit with an RBI-single to left field.

Senior Jordon Mally tossed a scoreless eighth inning before Otterbein went to closer Caleb Norton, who worked around a pair of hits to get the final batter to pop up and record his seventh save of the spring, second-best in the OAC. Mally snagged the win and now stands a perfect 7-0 this spring.

Sophomore Craig Prince took the no-decision as Otterbein's starting pitcher, fanning seven batters and allowing just two earned runs over 6.2 innings of work before Mally entered in the seventh. Hernon and Beachy both hit 2 for 4 in the second affair.

After the games, Otterbein recognized all 16 members of its senior class, who walked the field with family members at their side.

"This class is very special," Powell said. "We have guys that played from day one and others who only had limited opportunities, but the way everyone feels about one another has never changed. Each of them has played a key role in sustaining this success by sticking through their own trials and tribulations along the way. I can't wait to see what happens next."

Otterbein will get right back on the road Sunday for a pair of key regional matchups at La Roche College (Pa.). The Cards will play 17th-ranked Frostburg State at 2 p.m. before taking on the host Redhawks, who sit 18th in the national poll.

The four-team, double-elimination OAC Tournament will be played May 12-14. Stay tuned to www.otterbeincardinals.com for more updates and information as the event moves closer.