Gorillas to Wrap Up Midweek Action Against Lions Tuesday

PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team travel to Joplin, Mo., for the third and final midweek match-up of the season against Missouri Southern State University Tuesday (Apr. 22). First pitch is set for 5 p.m. (CDT) at Warren Turner Field.

Pitt State enters the series 33-8 overall, 21-8 in MIAA play and ranked No. 19 in the most recent National College Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) NCAA Division II Top 25 poll released Wednesday (Apr. 15). The Gorillas have won 15 of their last 16 games, including a program record 14-game winning streak between Mar. 26 – Apr. 17. Pitt State currently sits in third place in the MIAA standings.

Missouri Southern is 22-21 overall (14-15 MIAA). The Lions were swept, 3-0, in an MIAA weekend series against No. 3 University of Central Missouri with the Mules defeating MSSU, 11-5, 15-12 and 18-2 in Joplin. The Lions are in a four-way tie for fifth place in the MIAA standings (with ESU, NWMSU and RSU).

The Gorillas and Lions have previously met twice this season with Pitt State claiming an 8-4 win at Warren Turner Field on Mar. 26 as well as an 8-5 victory in Pittsburg Apr. 9.

As a team, the Gorillas are batting .325 and scoring 9.5 runs per game to date. Pitt State pitchers are carrying a 4.56 ERA with 355 strikeouts in 351.2 innings of work. The Gorillas have made just 27 errors in 1,453 total chances (.981 fielding pct.). Offensively, Pitt State leads the MIAA in batting average, runs scored, triples (24), on-base percentage (.439) and slugging percentage (.561). The Gorillas are second in the conference in doubles (101) and RBI (357) and fifth in the league in home runs (60) and stolen bases (67).

The Pitt State pitching staff ranks leads the MIAA in ERA and ranks second in the conference in strikeouts (9.10 K/9 IP) and opponent batting average (.257). Defensively, the Gorillas lead the conference and rank third in NCAA Division II in fielding percentage.

Junior infielder Drew Bugner is batting a team-leading .426 with 12 doubles, four home runs and 38 RBI in 30 games played. Bugner (Wichita, Kan.) leads the MIAA in batting average and enters Tuesday's action on a 20-game hitting streak, the third-longest hitting streak in Pitt State history.

Graduate outfielder Alex Rodgers (.396/.539/.610) has scored a team-leading 67 runs, smacked nine doubles, six triples and four home runs and stolen 27 bases. He leads the MIAA in runs and stolen bases and ranks fifth in Division II in runs scored and tied for fifth place nationally in triples.

Senior infielder Rickey Sanchez is hitting .392 with 44 runs scored, 16 doubles, four home runs and 36 RBI. Sanchez (Mexico City) ranks sixth in the conference in batting average and tied for third place in the conference in doubles.

Junior infielder/designated hitter Dagen Brewer has a .356/.439/.871 slash line in 34 games played. The Topeka native has 14 doubles, 18 home runs and 62 RBI to his credit. He tied the school single game record with nine RBI in the win vs. SBU on Mar. 18 and he's currently tied for the Pitt State single season home run mark with three other players. Brewer ranks second in the MIAA in RBI and slugging and third in the conference in home runs. He ranks second nationally in RBI per game (1.82 pg) and fifth nationally in home runs per game (0.47 pg).

Pitt State's Bob Fornelli became just the fourth active NCAA Division II head coach to reach 1,100 career victories in the Gorillas' 13-7 win vs. Northeastern State on Mar. 30. Fornelli has a 1,111-491 (.694) record in 29 years as a collegiate coach, including a 206-112 (.648) mark in seven seasons at the Pitt State helm. He recorded his 200th career with at Pitt State in the Gorillas 8-5 win over the Lions on Apr. 9.

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Players Mentioned

#12 Drew Bugner: INF; 6' 2"; Junior; R/R

#1 Rickey Sanchez: INF; 5' 8"; Senior; R/R

#4 Alex Rodgers: OF; 6' 0"; Graduate Student; R/R

#6 Dagen Brewer: INF; 5' 10"; Junior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#12 Drew Bugner
: 6' 2"; Junior; R/R
: INF

#1 Rickey Sanchez
: 5' 8"; Senior; R/R
: INF

#4 Alex Rodgers
: 6' 0"; Graduate Student; R/R
: OF

#6 Dagen Brewer
: 5' 10"; Junior; R/R
: INF