Fullerton's Wes Roemer was Collegiate Baseball's co-National Player of the Year in 2006, when he went his first 65 2/3 innings without issuing a walk. He hasn't been as strong this year, but has picked up his game recently and has kept his strikeout high, fanning 107 in 96 1/3 innings. He still rarely walks anybody, but opponents are hitting .261 against him, up from .220 last year.

Travis Banwart, for WSU, took the Friday starter's job from Aaron Shafer early this season and run with it. He's 8-3 with a 1.63 ERA. His strikeout rate isn't as good as Roemer's, but Banwart is at his best when he combines the strikeout with plenty of groundball outs. He's allowed 65 hits in 82 2/3 innings, and has held opponents to a .214 average.

It's a beautiful night for baseball. The sun is out in Wichita for the first time in what seems like weeks. The wind has mostly died down, but the occasional breeze feels great against the 80+ degree temperature. Fans piled onto the Coleman Hill, located beyond the outfield fence, early, and now the stadium seats are beginning to fill. The series is competing with the River Festival, an annual event held downtown near the Arkansas River. Hard to imagine being in a better place than Eck Stadium, though, so expect a big crowd.