Gorillas Begin Busy Week of Action

PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team will play a pair of midweek games as the Gorillas will brace for five contests over the next six days.

Pitt State will travel to Emporia, Kan., for a Tuesday (Apr. 9) MIAA match-up against Emporia State University. The Gorillas and Hornets will meet at 5 p.m. (CDT) at Glennen Field. Pitt State will return home Wednesday (Apr. 10) to host Oklahoma Baptist University at 3 p.m. at Al Ortolani Field. The Gorillas also open a three-game MIAA series against Missouri Western State University beginning Friday (Apr. 12).

Pitt State is 23-14 overall (13-10 MIAA) after a three-game MIAA weekend series against No. 2 ranked University of Central Missouri. Emporia State is 16-22 overall (7-16 MIAA) after dropping two of three games to Missouri Western State University last weekend at St. Joseph, Mo. Oklahoma Baptist will bring a 24-14 record into Wednesday's match-up.

As a team, Pitt State is hitting .302 and scoring 8.3 runs per game. The Gorillas have smacked 84 doubles and 57 home runs and stolen 41 bases to date. Pitt State pitchers have a 5.20 ERA registering 268 strikeouts in 308.1 innings pitched. Defensively, the Gorillas have a .976 fielding percentage with just 31 errors in 1,283 total chances. Pitt State ranks second in the MIAA in fielding percentage and third in the conference in ERA. The Gorillas are fifth in the league in batting average and runs scored.

Graduate infielder Dylan Kurahashi-Choy Foo has a team-leading .394 batting average with 50 hits in 127 at-bats on the season. Choy Foo, who ranks sixth in the MIAA in batting average, has 16 doubles, five home runs home runs and 36 RBI to his credit.

Senior catcher Nixon Brannan is hitting .356 with 11 doubles, 13 home runs and 37 RBI on the season, while senior infielder Daegan Brady is batting .350 with 26 runs scored, seven home runs and 18 RBI. Junior infielder Austin Warkins is batting .315 with 28 runs scored, 11 doubles, eight home runs and 35 RBI. Brannan is tied for second in the MIAA in home runs and 20th in the conference in batting average.

Junior RHP Cole Askew (0-0, 6.23 ERA, 4 Saves) has made a team-leading 16 relief appearances for the Gorillas, while junior RHP Cadyn Castellanos (5-2, 4.71 ERA) has appeared in 14 games. Junior RHP Boston Dowd (3-1, 1.93) also had made 13 relief appearances with 25 strikeouts and a 0.90 WHIP in 23.1 innings of work (11 hits, five walks).

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