PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team open a three-game MIAA series against Newman University Friday (Apr. 21).

The Gorillas and Jets will face one another at 6 p.m. (CDT) Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday and Noon Sunday at Al Ortolani Field.

Friday night's series opening action can be heard on ESPN 100.7 FM radio, online at espn1007.com or through the ESPN 100.7 or KSHQ app for phones or mobile devices.

Pitt State will bring a 29-13 overall record (19-8 MIAA) into the weekend series. The Gorillas currently sit in third place in the conference standings, trailing MIAA co-leaders Central Missouri and Missouri Southern by two games.

Newman is 19-24 overall and 11-16 in MIAA play. The Jets are currently tied for seventh place in the MIAA standings (with Rogers State), a game ahead of ninth place Emporia State (16-27, 10-17 MIAA).

The Gorillas enter the series batting .317 on the season and scoring 9.1 runs per game. Pitt State's pitching staff currently sports a 6.19 ERA and the squad has a .972 fielding percentage to date. The Gorillas opponents are hitting .265 and scoring 6.7 runs per game. The opposition has an 8.40 ERA and a .965 fielding percentage to date.

Junior catcher Nixon Brannon leads the squad with a .437 batting average. He has 19 doubles, 14 home runs and 63 RBI to his credit. Brannan leads the MIAA in batting average, doubles and RBI and ranks fourth in the league in home runs. He currently ranks fourth in D2 in RBI per game (1.62 pg) and 19th nationally in batting average.

Brannon enters Friday's action on a 21-game hitting streak, tied for longest streak in school history (Justin Annin, 4/2/00 – 5/7/00).

Junior infielder Cade Clemons is hitting .342 with 43 runs scored, 10 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 42 RBI. The Lee's Summit, Mo., native is tied for second place in the MIAA in home runs. He has reached base safely in each of the last 36 games.

Junior outfielder Karson Coffee also is batting .357 with 19 doubles, seven home runs and 37 RBI. Junior infielder Daegan Brady (.295 BA) also has an 11-game active hitting streak.

Graduate LHP Zac Shoemaker (8-0, 2.84 ERA), junior LHP Ben Des Rosiers (6-0, 4.58 ERA) and sophomore RHP Tanner Leslie (3-2, 4.81 ERA) are expected to make starts on the mound this weekend.

Shoemaker leads the MIAA and is tied for eighth place in Division II in victories. He also ranks 11th nationally in strikeouts (13.26 K/9 IP).