The University of Chicago men’s baseball team went 1­–1 this weekend after splitting a doubleheader against UW–Platteville at home on Sunday. The team was supposed to have another doubleheader against UW–Oshkosh on Saturday, but those games were cancelled due to weather conditions consisting of snow and winds reaching 50 mph.

When the weather cleared up on Sunday, the squad won game one in a strong 5–1 performance before dropping the second game 13–4. The Maroons are now 6–8 while the UW–Platteville Pioneers are 10–5.

The offense consistently wore down the Pioneers, scoring a run in all but one inning in which the Maroons batted. The team combined for eight hits, led by second-year Max Larsen and first-years Connor Hickey and Ian Bohn.

Second-year Michael Davis knocked in Hickey for a run in the bottom of the first inning and the Maroons never looked back. The big story of the day, however, was fourth-year pitcher Lucas Friss, who pitched a complete game with eight strikeouts and only one run.

Friss is now 2–2 on the year and boasts a 1.04 ERA. Friss dominated with his fastball and curve, but was also aided by a defense that did not commit any errors.

The second game did not go the Maroons’ way. Going into the third inning the game was tied 3­–3, but by the time the inning was over the Maroons were on their third pitcher of the game and faced a six-run deficit that would only grow. As the game went on, it proved to be too much for the Maroons to fight back.

“We have a very young team and I think consistency is something that will come with time,” Hickey said. “And it’s not any big thing that this team is missing, which is a good thing. There are just small things that pile in those tough games. If we can limit those, we will be able to keep ourselves within reach, which is all this team needs.”

The inconsistency of the team could at least in part be due to the huge amount of newcomers transitioning into their first year of collegiate baseball. Hickey is just one of 14 first-years on the roster, with many of them serving as starters in the field such as Ian Bohn, Josh Parks, and Max Brzostowski.

“I think a big help has been the amount of freshmen that came in this year. With so many of us having to make the transition, it really I think,” Hickey added. “The upperclassmen have been very inclusive from the start, and I think that feeling of being a team has been very important for not only me, but all of the freshmen.”

The Maroons next game is this Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Dominican University.