The WSU baseball (7-4) squad has yet to play a losing weekend to start the 2024 season and against Rhode Island, the offense took the forefront in the series win. Although originally planned to play four games, rain delays caused the series to be shortened to three.

Nonetheless, six players stood out as the top performers of the weekend. 

Starting Pitcher Grant Taylor 

Friday’s starter, Grant Taylor, got only 1.0 inning of work in before delays postponed his weekend start. He gave up one hit in that first inning and struck out two batters. After taking Saturday off, he technically made his second start Sunday to close out the weekend. 

Only pitching 4.0 innings to give projected starter Duke Brotherton a chance to work, Taylor dominated in his time on the mound. He faced one over the minimum, not allowing a hit, striking out five and bringing his season ERA down to 2.70.

His weekend line finished at 5.0 innings, seven strikeouts, one hit and one hit batter, facing two over-the-minimum batters and having Rhode Island’s number in both days he pitched. 

Outfielder Max Hartman

An 0-for-5 performance to close out the weekend is a rough end to the series, but back-to-back three-hit games during Saturday’s doubleheader solidify Max Hartman’s position on this list. On Saturday, he went a combined 6-for-10, adding two walks while hitting two doubles, driving in five runs and scoring five runs of his own.

He even added a stolen base in the second game of the doubleheader and completely dominated all-around to lead the team to their two victories.  

Third baseman Cole Cramer 

Cole Cramer finished the weekend with a hit in each of the three games, having a three-hit game in game one of Saturday’s double-header while also having a multi-hit game in Sunday’s loss. 

Over the weekend, the third baseman went a combined 6-for-12 with two doubles, five RBI and adding two drawn walks. His .500 batting average led players who played in all three games and with two additional walks, reaching base eight times kept the offensive train chugging along. 

More than just a bat, Cramer also had the defensive highlight of the series. Starting at third base, he ran over his right shoulder to snag a fly ball right as he got to the fence. 

Relief Pitcher Kaden Wickersham 

Kaden Wickersham made two appearances against Rhode Island, pitching a total of 2.1 innings, facing 10 batters without giving up a run. He gave up two hits and one walk, but constantly navigated traffic on base while striking out a batter over his successful weekend. 

Catcher Jacob Morrow 

Despite being given a game off during the doubleheader, Jacob Morrow proved to be one of the best WSU bats against the Rams. One of the few bright spots in Sunday’s loss, he had multi-hit games in both his appearances to finish 5-for-7 and bring his season average to an incredible .536.

He avoided striking out and added two additional walks, reaching base seven times over his two-game sample. His efficiency proved unmatched with his only downfall being his goosegg in the RBI category. 

Second baseman Crew Parke 

After an 0-for-3 start, Crew Parke picked up his slack to find his way on this list. In the final two games of the weekend, he went 3-for-6 with a double, a walk and three RBI. 

With clean defense and a .333 batting average over the weekend, Parke did more than enough to earn his notable performance recognition.