PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team will travel to Edmond, Okla., to open a three-game MIAA series against the University of Central Oklahoma. The Gorillas and Bronchos will play games at 5 p.m. Friday (Mar. 22), 2 p.m. Saturday (Mar. 23) and 1 p.m. Sunday (Mar. 24) at Wendell Simmons Field.

Pitt State enters the series 13-10 overall and 7-5 in MIAA play. The Gorillas sit in fifth place in the conference standings. Pitt State claimed a 5-3 home win non-conference home win over Baker University in its last action Wednesday (Mar. 20).

UCO, the defending 2018 MIAA regular season co-champion, is 13-9 overall, 6-6 in the MIAA and tied for sixth place (with NWMSU and LWU) in the conference standings. The Bronchos will seek to halt a three-game losing streak. UCO dropped the final two games of an MIAA weekend series to Emporia State University as well as a 9-8 non-conference decision to Southeastern Oklahoma State University Tuesday (Mar. 19).

Pitt State enters the series batting .249 as a team and scoring 6.0 runs per game. The Gorillas pitchers have a 4.07 team ERA and the defense has a .969 fielding percentage. UCO is batting .243 as a team and scoring 5.3 runs per game. The Bronchos have a 3.64 team ERA and a .989 fielding percentage.

UCO leads the MIAA in team ERA (3.64) and team fielding percentage (.989), while Pitt State ranks second in the conference in both categories.

Junior outfielder Chaz Burgess is batting a team-leading .421 with four home runs and 17 RBIs in 16 games played. He has missed the Gorillas past two games due to illness. Junior first baseman Ty Herrenbruck is hitting .262 with six home runs and 20 RBIs. Herrenbruck ranks in the top 10 in the MIAA in both home runs and RBIs.

Senior lefthander Brad Kinsey (4-1, 1.95 ERA) and senior righthander Alex Achtermann (2-3, 5.08 ERA) each have made seven starts on the mound for the Gorillas. Senior righthander Brendan Stanek (2-1, 4.91) also has made six starts for Pitt State.