PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team will host Southwest Baptist University in a three-game non-conference series Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 17-18).

The Gorillas and Bearcats will play a single game Saturday at 2 p.m. (CST) and a doubleheader beginning at Noon Sunday at Al Ortolani Field. The series originally was set to begin Friday (Feb. 16) but was pushed back a day due to the threat of rain in the Pittsburg area Friday.

The Gorillas will bring a 6-3 record into Friday's action. Pitt State dropped a 10-6 road decision to Arkansas Tech University the last time out Tuesday (Feb. 13) at Russellville, Ark. SBU brings an 0-4 record inot the series. The Bearcats were swept in a four-game season-opening series against Harding University Feb. 9-10 at Searcy, Ark.

As a team, Pitt State is hitting .297 and scoring 6.7 runs per game. The Gorillas have smacked 18 doubles and 10 home runs and stolen 23 bases to date. Pitt State pitchers have a 4.14 ERA registering 68 strikeouts in 76.0 innings pitched. Defensively, the Gorillas have a .963 fielding percentage with 12 errors in 326 total chances.
 
Junior infielder Blake Mozley leads the squad with a .455 batting average. He has a double, a home run and seven RBI to his credit. Graduate infielder Dylan Kurahashi-Choo Foy is hitting .370 with four doubles, two home runs and seven RBI. Junior infielder Austin Warkins is batting .343 with eight runs scored, one double, two home runs and six RBI.

Junior righthanders Brady Pacha (0-2, 12.79 ERA) and Tanner Leslie (2-0, 1.80 ERA) and graduate righthander Alex Kafka (0-0, 2.00 ERA) are slated to start on the mound for the Gorillas in the series.
 
Following the weekend series, the Gorillas will open MIAA play next Friday (Feb. 23) in a three-game series against Washburn University at Falley Field in Topeka.