PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team will travel to Emporia, Kan., to play Emporia State University Tuesday (Mar. 28) before returning home for a non-conference match-up against Missouri University of Science & Technology Wednesday (Mar. 29).

The Gorillas and Hornets will take the diamond at 5 p.m. (CDT) Tuesday at ESU's Glennen Field, while Pitt State's game against the Milers will begin at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Al Ortolani Field.

Pitt State is 21-7 overall and 13-3 in MIAA play heading into Tuesday's action. The Gorillas have won eight straight games after sweeping a three-game series against Fort Hays State University over the weekend.

ESU is 11-19 overall and 6-10 in MIAA play. The Hornets were swept in a three-game MIAA series against Missouri Southern State University over the weekend. Pitt State defeated ESU, 9-8, in Pittsburg in the first meeting of the season on Mar. 14.

MST is 10-14 on the season heading into Wednesday's match-up against the Gorillas. The Miners have dropped seven of their last eight games.

The Gorillas enter Tuesday's action batting .319 on the season and scoring 9.2 runs per game. Pitt State's pitching staff currently sports a 5.56 ERA and the squad has a .968 fielding percentage to date. The Gorillas opponents are hitting .258 and scoring 6.2 runs per game. The opposition has an 8.83 ERA and a .965 fielding percentage to date.

The Gorillas rank second in the MIAA in runs scored and batting average. Pitt State is fifth in the league in pitching (ERA) and fielding.

Junior catcher Nixon Brannon leads the MIAA with a .431 batting average. He's hitting .586 during a current seven-game hitting streak (17-for-29). Brannan leads NCAA Division II in RBI per game (49, 1.96 pg). He has 12 doubles and an MIAA-leading 12 home runs to date.

Junior infielder Cade Clemons is hitting .360 with 28 runs scored, nine doubles, two triples, eight home runs and 24 RBI. Junior infielder Austin Warkins also is batting .395 with eight doubles and 13 RBI.

Graduate LHP Zac Shoemaker leads the Pitt State staff with a 7-0 record and a 1.26 ERA. He's registered 64 strikeouts in 43.0 innings pitched (13.4 K/9 IP). Shoemaker is tied for second in Division II in victories and he's 10th nationally in ERA among pitchers who have thrown 30 or more innings to date. He's also in the top 10 in strikeouts and WHIP (0.81).