Gorillas Set to Battle Jets in MIAA Road Series

PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team will travel to Wichita, Kan., to start a three-game MIAA series against Newman University beginning Friday (Apr. 19).

First pitch is set for 3 p.m. (CDT) Friday at McCarthy Field with additional games scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday (Apr. 20) and 1 p.m. Sunday (Apr. 21).

Pitt State is 27-15 overall and 17-10 in MIAA play heading into the series. The Gorillas currently sit in a tie for fourth place in the conference standings (with Washburn). NU is 13-29 overall (9-18 MIAA) and sitting in a four-way tie for eighth place in the MIAA standings (with Fort Hays State, Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri).

The Gorillas dropped a 7-5 non-conference home game to Emporia State University Tuesday (Apr. 16). The loss snapped a four-game winning streak by Pitt State, which swept a three-game MIAA series from Missouri Western State University in Pittsburg last weekend.

As a team, Pitt State is hitting .302 and scoring 8.2 runs per game. The Gorillas have smacked 105 doubles and 68 home runs and stolen 52 bases to date. Pitt State pitchers have a 5.22 ERA registering 303 strikeouts in 353.1 innings pitched. Defensively, the Gorillas have a .978 fielding percentage with just 33 errors in 1,468 total chances. Pitt State ranks second in the MIAA in fielding percentage, third in the conference in ERA, fourth in the league in runs scored and fifth in batting average.

Graduate infielder Dylan Kurahashi-Choy Foo has a team-leading .371 batting average with 56 hits in 151 at-bats on the season. Choy Foo, who ranks ninth in the MIAA in batting average, has 16 doubles, six home runs home runs and 41 RBI to his credit.

Senior outfielder Blake Mozley also is hitting .371 (43-116) on the year with 11 doubles, four home runs and 29 RBI. Mozley shared MIAA Hitter of the Week honors Monday (Apr. 15) after batting .588 with five extra-base hits and eight RBI last week. He currently ranks 10th in the MIAA in batting average.

Junior catcher Nixon Brannan is hitting .347 with 12 doubles, 13 home runs and 37 RBI on the season, while senior infielder Daegan Brady is batting .316 with six doubles, seven home runs and 19 RBI. Junior infielder Austin Warkins is hitting .297 with 12 doubles, nine home runs and 37 RBI. Brannan is third in the MIAA in home runs.

Junior right-hander Tanner Leslie (8-2, 4.82 ERA), junior RHP Gage Singer (0-1, 0.50 ERA) and junior RHP Brady Pacha (2-4, 5.80 ERA) are expected to make starts on the mound for the Gorillas.

Junior RHP Cole Askew (0-0, 5.49 ERA, 4 Saves) has made a team-leading 18 relief appearances for the Gorillas, while junior RHP Cadyn Castellanos (5-2, 4.55 ERA) has appeared in 16 games. Junior RHP Boston Dowd (4-1, 2.33, 1 Save) also had made 16 relief appearances with 27 strikeouts in 27.0 innings of work.

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