PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team will play host the University of Central Missouri in an MIAA series beginning Friday (Apr. 14).

The Gorillas and Mules will face one another at 6 p.m. (CDT) Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and Noon Sunday at Al Ortolani Field.

Pitt State will bring a 27-11 overall record (18-6 MIAA) into the weekend series. The Gorillas posted a 13-8 win over Emporia State University Tuesday (Apr. 11) and currently sit in a tie for second place in the MIAA standings.

UCM is 28-10 overall and 19-5 in MIAA play, a game ahead of Pitt State and Missouri Southern State University in the conference standings. The Mules most recently posted a 10-5 victory over Missouri Western State University Tuesday.

The Gorillas enter the series batting .320 on the season and scoring 9.3 runs per game. Pitt State's pitching staff currently sports a 6.23 ERA and the squad has a .972 fielding percentage to date. The Gorillas opponents are hitting .270 and scoring 6.8 runs per game. The opposition has an 8.54 ERA and a .965 fielding percentage to date.

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

Junior catcher Nixon Brannon leads the squad with a .444 batting average. He has 17 doubles, 14 home runs and 61 RBI to his credit. Brannan leads the MIAA in batting average and RBI and ranks second in the league in doubles and home runs. He currently ranks third in D2 in RBI per game (1.74 pg).

Junior infielder Cade Clemons is hitting .348 with 40 runs scored, nine doubles, two triples, 14 home runs and 39 RBI. Junior outfielder Karson Coffee also is batting .375 with an MIAA leading 18 doubles, six home runs and 32 RBI.

Graduate LHP Zac Shoemaker (7-0, 2.82 ERA), junior LHP Ben Des Rosiers (6-0, 4.65 ERA) and sophomore RHP Tanner Leslie (3-2, 5.08 ERA) are expected to make starts on the mound this weekend.

Shoemaker leads the MIAA and is tied for ninth place in Division II in victories. He also ranks 12th nationally in strikeouts (13.06 K/9 IP).