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PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team will open a three-game MIAA weekend series against 12th-ranked Missouri Western State University Saturday (Apr. 6). The two teams will play a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. (CDT) at Al Ortolani Field, then close out the series with a final game at 1 p.m. Sunday (Apr. 7).

Pitt State is 18-11 overall and 15-10 in th MIAA, sitting fourth in the conference standings. The Gorillas split a pair of home games against Northeastern State University Thursday (Apr. 4). Pitt State dropped a 6-5 decision in game one, before rallying for a 12-3 win in the nightcap. The Gorillas have won six of their last seven contests, after dropping four of five games previously.

Western is 25-4 overall, 19-1 in the MIAA and ranked No. 12 in the most recent NCBWA Top 25 poll. The Griffons currently sit atop the MIAA standings. Western posted a 2-0 victory against Southwest Baptist University in its last outing Tuesday (Apr. 2). The Griffons have won eight straight games.

As a team, Pitt State is batting .330 and scoring 7.6 runs per game. The Gorillas have a 4.78 ERA. Junior infielder Brad Foss belted a pair of home runs against NSU Thursday, raising his batting average to .411 for the season (44-for-107). Junior outfielder Tory Stoffregen, who was named the MIAA Hitter of the Week Tuesday (Apr. 2) after batting .611 in five games for the Gorillas last week, also is hitting .394 with a team-leading 13 doubles and 12 stolen bases. He's also scored 31 runs on the year.

Pitt State figures to send senior lefthander Matt Stalcup (3-2, 3.34 ERA), sophomore righthander Jake Stevenson (2-2, 4.30 ERA) and senior righthander Cody Wren (2-3, 5.93 ERA) to the hill against the Griffons.

The Griffons are batting .385 as a team with 40 home runs and scoring 9.6 runs per game. Western has a 4.22 team ERA.