PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team will travel to Hays, Kan., to play Fort Hays State University in a three-game MIAA series beginning Friday (Mar. 24).

The Gorillas and Tigers will face one another at Noon (CDT) Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday and Noon Sunday at Larks Park.

Pitt State will bring an 18-7 overall record and a 10-3 MIAA mark into the weekend action. The Gorillas swept a three-game series from Northeastern State University last weekend at Al Ortolani Field.

FHSU is 13-16 overall and 4-9 in MIAA play. The Tigers have won four straight games after sweeping a doubleheader against Rockhurst Tuesday (Mar. 21).

The Gorillas enter the weekend series batting .315 on the season and scoring 8.9 runs per game. Pitt State's pitching staff currently sports a 5.77 ERA and the squad has a .968 fielding percentage to date. The Gorillas opponents are hitting .264 and scoring 6.4 runs per game. The opposition has an 8.76 ERA and a .969 fielding percentage to date.

The Gorillas rank second in the MIAA in runs scored and third in the conference in batting average.

Junior catcher Nixon Brannon leads the squad with a .389 batting average. He has nine doubles, nine home runs and 40 RBI to his credit. Brannan leads the MIAA in RBI and he's tied for second place in the league in home runs to date.

Junior infielder Cade Clemons is hitting .368 with 26 runs scored, nine doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 19 RBI. Senior outfielder Karson Carson also is batting .355 with nine doubles, four home runs and 18 RBI.

Graduate LHP Zac Shoemaker (6-0, 1.24 ERA), sophomore RHP Tanner Leslie (3-1, 2.70 ERA) and junior LHP Ben Des Rosiers (4-0, 3.60 ERA) are expected to make starts on the mound this weekend.