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PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team will travel to Kansas City, Kan., to take part in the four-team double-elimination MIAA Baseball Championships. The championships take place at Community America Ballpark from May 9-11 with the winner earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Central Regional.
 
The seventh-seeded Gorillas knocked off second-seeded Central Missouri in a MIAA Tournament best two-of-three game first-round series last weekend (May 4-5) in games played at Hays, Kan. PSU claimed an 11-3 win over seventh-ranked UCM in the series opener Saturday, before the Mules countered with a 16-4 victory that evening. The Gorillas claimed a dramatic 9-7 victory in 10 innings over the defending MIAA Tournament champs on Sunday.

Pitt State will meet third-seeded Missouri Southern in opening-day action of the MIAA Championships Thursday (May 9) with first pitch set for 2:30 p.m. (CDT). The Lions won a first-round series over No. 6 seed Northeastern State last weekend at Joplin, Mo.

Top-seeded Missouri Western, the MIAA regular season champion, will face fourth seeded Central Oklahoma in the opening game of the tournament at 11 a.m. Thursday. [for complete tournament schedule, see page 4]

Radio/Web Streams:  Pitt State MIAA Baseball Championships games will be broadcast live on KKOW Radio (860 AM) and streamed at www.kkowradio.com. Additionally, the MIAA will web stream all the tournament action on a pay-per-view basis at www.americaonesports.com.

Tickets:  General admission day passes will be available for $10.  Student tickets are $5 with children six and under gaining free admission.

The Records
Pitt State enters the MIAA Baseball Championships with a 28-22 overall record. The Gorillas posted a 26-21 overall record, including a 23-19 MIAA mark, during the regular season.

The Gorillas 28 wins are the most since the 2005 squad posted a 29-21 (.580) record and Pitt State’s .560 winning percentage is its best since 2005 as well.

MSSU enters the championships with a 31-19 (.620) overall record. The Lions earned the No. 3 seed in the tournament with a 23-16 record in MIAA play. MSSU advanced from a first round tournament series with NSU by rallying to win the last two games of the series against the RiverHawks. NSU claimed a 4-2 win in game one Saturday (May 4), before the Lions posted 6-5 and 5-3 victories Sunday (May 5).

MWSU has a 37-8 record, including a 28-5 mark in MIAA regular season play. The Griffons posted 9-1 and 12-10 victories over Fort Hays State in their MIAA Tournament first round series last weekend.

UCO enters the championships with a 29-17 overall record (23-16 MIAA). The Bronchos swept a pair of games from Emporia State at Edmond, Okla., in their first round series victory, defeating the Hornets 4-3 and 9-2.
 
The Coaches
Matt Murray is in his first season as head coach at Pitt State and his first year as a collegiate coach, posting a 28-22 record.

Prior to assuming the head coach position for the Gorillas on June 1, 2012, Murray spent five seasons as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at UCM. He helped the Mules to three NCAA Division II College World Series berths (2008, 2010-11) as well as three MIAA regular season titles and four MIAA Tournament championships during his five seasons.

Prior to joining the UCM staff, Murray served as an assistant coach at Kansas State University in 2007.

Bryce Darnell is in his sixth season at head coach at MSSU, compiling a 169-142 (.543) overall record and leading his alma mater to four trips to the MIAA Tournament and one NCAA Regional appearance.  He is 14-10 in 24 games against the Gorillas.

Charles “Buzz” Verduzco is in his 14th season as head coach at MWSU, compiling a 399-303 (.568) record and leading the Griffons to seven trips to the MIAA Tournament and one NCAA Regional appearance (2006).  He is 35-16 in 41 games against the Gorillas, including 17 wins in the last 19 meetings since 2009.

Dax Leone is in his third season as head coach at UCO, compiling an 84-57 (.596) record.  Leone is 0-2 in his only two meetings against the Gorillas.

Series History
MSSU holds a 48-30 (.615) advantage in the all-time series against Pitt State. The Lions have a 2-0 record against the Gorillas in their only neutral site meetings, including a 1994 MIAA Tournament match-up at Warrensburg, Mo.  Pitt State and MSSU split four regular season meetings this year.

Missouri Western leads the Gorillas in the all-time series 46-26 (.639).  The Griffons have won 17 of the last 19 matchups with PSU.  MWSU took two of three games against the Gorillas in Pittsburg Apr. 6-7.

UCO holds a 10-4 (.714) advantage in the all-time series against the Gorillas, but Pitt State swept a twinbill against the Bronchos in the only meeting of the season at Edmond, Okla., on Mar. 26.

PSU in the MIAA Tournament
The Gorillas are making their ninth all-time appearance in the MIAA Postseason Tournament, the first since the 2004 season. Pitt State has a 13-13 (.500) record in conference tournament play.

The Gorillas captured the MIAA Tournament Championship in 1999 with Pitt State claiming an 8-7 win over UCM in the title game at Warrensburg, Mo., on May 9.

Scouting the Gorillas
As a team, Pitt State is batting .317 and scoring 6.7 runs per game. The Gorillas have a 5.17 team ERA and a .962 fielding percentage defensively.

The Gorillas rank fifth in the MIAA in batting average (.317), tied for 8th in run scored (333), ninth in RBI (290), second in triples (17), eighth in home runs (32) and fifth in steals (67).
 
Pitt State also ranks fifth in the league in ERA (5.17) and leads the conference in strikeouts (353).

Junior third baseman Brad Foss leads the Gorillas and ranks 10th in the MIAA in batting average (.383). Senior outfielder Ryan Ventura ranks in a tie for fifth place in the league in runs scored (53) and second in the conference in stolen bases (18). Junior outfielder Tory Stoffregen ranks 10th in the MIAA in RBI (46), tied for sixth in the league in doubles (18), tied for fourth in the conference in triples (5) and tied for fifth in the league in stolen bases (16). Senior first baseman Ryan Bilovesky ranks in a tie for fifth place in the MIAA in home runs (11).

Junior righthander George Brandecker (5-4), who earned MIAA Pitcher of the Week honors after one hitting Missouri Southern on Apr. 24, leads the MIAA in lowest opponent batting average (.240) and ranks second in the league in ERA (3.72).
Senior lefthander Matt Stalcup (7-3, 3.46 ERA) leads the MIAA and ranks fifth in NCAA Division II in strikeouts (12.3 K/9 IP) and ranks second in the MIAA in opponent batting average (.226). He also is tied for third in the conference in victories (7). Redshirt freshman righthander Ryan McKay (4-1, 1.57) leads the MIAA in appearances (29) and ranks in a tie for eighth place in the conference in saves (4).

Scouting the Lions
As a team, MSSU is batting .301 and scoring 5.6 runs per game. The Lions have a 4.52 ERA and a .964 fielding percentage defensively.

MSSU ranks in the top three in nearly every pitching category. They are third in ERA (4.52), opposing batting average (.279), strikeouts (331), wins (31) and saves (12). Southern is ninth in batting average and homeruns (26), as well as 10th in runs (280).

Senior utility player Dallas Burke leads the team in batting (.345), on-base percentage (.447) and runs scored (39). Senior outfielder Will Wagner leads the Lions in homeruns (7) and RBI (37).  

Freshman lefthander Payton Walker (6-4) ranks third in the MIAA in ERA (2.89) and fifth in the league in opponent batting average (.235), while senior lefthander Brett Abell (4-3, 3.90 ERA) leads the MIAA in innings pitched (85.3) and strikeouts (93). Bo Bergen leads the team in appearances with 23, coming out of the bullpen. The senior lefthander is 3-0 with a 3.79 ERA and three saves in 19 innings of work.

Scouting the Griffons
The MIAA regular season champions are batting .363 as a team and average 8.5 runs per contest. The Griffons hold a 3.98 team ERA and .964 fielding percentage.

The Missouri Western bats lead Division II in average and slugging percentage (.572) and the Griffons rank in the top 10 nationally in scoring (9th), hits (9th, 557), doubles (4th, 116) and home runs (2nd, 59).

Junior infielder Michael Schulze leads the team and ranks second in the conference, batting .445. The Lee’s Summit, Mo., native also paces the Griffons with 63 runs scored, 14 doubles and 16 stolen bases. His .519 on-base percentage ranks fourth in the league. Senior infielder Grant Fink is second on the team with a .410 batting average, ranking third in the conference. Fink leads MWSU with 13 home runs and a .735 slugging percentage. He ranks in the top five of the MIAA in both of those categories. Senior infielder Kyle Simpson leads the team and ranks third in the conference with 56 RBI. He is currently batting .382 with 13 doubles and four homeruns.

The Griffons ace, Brandon Simmons, has posted a perfect 10-0 record in 11 appearances with a 2.80 ERA. The senior right-hander has struck out 45 batters in 64.3 innings of work. He leads the conference in wins and ranks second in the conference in ERA. Senior southpaw Ethan Ward is the Griffons second starter. Ward has posted a 3-3 record with a 4.10 ERA in 63.7 innings on the mound. Logan Hollingsworth has been Western’s main reliever. The senior left-handed pitcher has tallied a 5-1 ERA with a 2.86 ERA and nine saves in 21 appearances.

Scouting the Bronchos
The Bronchos are currently batting .302 as a team and averaging 6.7 runs per contest. UCO pitchers have a collective ERA of 5.40 and the team holds a .963 fielding percentage.

Junior outfielder Tyler Crabtree leads the team in batting (.348) and ranks third in the MIAA in on-base percentage (.520). His 52 runs scored also paces the Bronchos. Junior infielder Matt Johnson is batting .313. Johnson leads the team with 20 doubles, nine homers and 48 RBI. His .654 slugging percentage places him sixth in the conference.

Senior righthander Edgar Lopez (8-3) ranks ninth in the MIAA in ERA (3.86), second in opponent batting average (.228) and third in strikeouts (78). Junior righthander Landon Hallman (2-6) is second on the team in innings pitched (54.0) Hallman holds a 5.67 ERA and ranks sixth in the conference in strikeouts (53).