PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team will resume a 16-game homestand this weekend when the Gorillas play host to MIAA rival Lindenwood University in a three-game series beginning Friday (Mar. 2). Pitt State will face the visiting Lions in single games Friday at 2 p.m. (CST), Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Gorillas enter the series with a 9-4 overall record and a 3-0 mark in MIAA play. Pitt State, which has posted five straight wins, sits in a tie atop the MIAA standings early in the season after sweeping a three-game series from Fort Hays State University last weekend at Al Ortolani Field.
The Lions, who captured the 2017 MIAA Postseason Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Division II World Series a year ago, comes in with a 9-4 overall mark and a 2-1 MIAA record.
Pitt State is batting .346 as a team and averaging 8.6 runs per game. The Gorillas have a 5.68 team ERA. Pitt State leads the MIAA in scoring early in the season and the Gorillas rank second in batting average. Pitt State also ranks second in fielding percentage (.967).
Senior shortstop Colton Pogue leads the team with a .449 batting average. He enters the series on an 11-game hitting streak. He has compiled two doubles, two triples and two home runs while driving in 11 runs. He has scored a team-leading 18 runs. Pogue ranks fourth in the MIAA in batting average and he leads the conference in runs scored (1.38 pg).
Senior third baseman Cody White also is hitting .429 with five doubles, three home runs and 14 RBIs. White also has a 1.93 ERA in four relief pitching appearances with four saves to his credit.
Senior righthander Cody Whiting leads the Pitt State pitching staff with a 3-0 record and a 2.70 ERA. He has registered 28 strikeouts against just six walks in 23.3 innings of work. Junior righthanders Andy Pagnozzi (0-1, 13.86 ERA) and Brendan Stanek (2-1, 4.26 ERA) also have made four starts apiece on the mound for the Gorillas.
Lindenwood is batting .244 as a team and scoring 5.2 runs per game. The Lions have a 3.83 team ERA.
