Gorillas to Face Griffons in MIAA Road Series

PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team will travel to St. Joseph, Mo., for a three-game series against Missouri Western State University beginning Friday (Apr. 25).

The Gorillas and Griffons are scheduled to face off Friday at 6 p.m. (CDT), Saturday (Apr. 26) at 4 p.m. and Sunday (Apr. 27) at 1 p.m.

Pitt State enters the series 33-9 overall, 21-9 in MIAA play and ranked No. 17 in the most recent National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) NCAA Division II Top 25 poll released Wednesday (Apr. 24). The Gorillas have won 15 of their last 17 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 Western is 13-28 overall (11-19 MIAA). The Griffons have dropped four of their last five games and enter Friday's action on a two-game slide. Western currently is alone in 10th place in the conference standings.

As a team, the Gorillas are batting .326 and scoring 9.5 runs per game to date. Pitt State pitchers are carrying a 4.75 ERA with 359 strikeouts in 360.1 innings of work. The Gorillas have made just 27 errors in 1,488 total chances (.982 fielding pct.). Offensively, Pitt State leads the MIAA in runs scored, triples (24), on-base percentage (.439) and slugging percentage (.560). The Gorillas are second in the conference in batting average, doubles (103) and RBI (366) and fifth in the league in home runs (61) and stolen bases (67).

The Pitt State pitching staff ranks second in the MIAA in ERA and strikeouts (8.97 K/9 IP) and third in the conference in opponent batting average (.261). 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 .417 with 13 doubles, four home runs and 40 RBI in 31 games played. Bugner (Wichita, Kan.) leads the MIAA in batting average and enters Friday's action on a 21-game hitting streak, the second-longest hitting streak in Pitt State history.

Graduate outfielder Alex Rodgers (.391/.540/.603) has scored a team-leading 69 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 .391 with 44 runs scored, 17 doubles, four home runs and 38 RBI. Sanchez (Mexico City) ranks fifth in the conference in batting average and third in the league in doubles.

Junior infielder/designated hitter Dagen Brewer has a .365/.444/.883 slash line in 35 games played. The Topeka native has 14 doubles, 19 home runs and 63 RBI to his credit. He tied the school single game record with nine RBI in the win vs. SBU on Mar. 18 and he established a new Pitt State single season home run mark by smacking his 19th round tripper of the season Tuesday (Apr. 22) vs. MSSU.

Brewer ranks second in the MIAA in RBI and slugging and tied for second in the conference in home runs. He ranks second nationally in RBI per game (1.82 pg) and fourth nationally in home runs per game (0.53 pg).

Pitt State starting pitchers Kolby Dougan (7-0, 2.03 ERA), Maddox Thornton (8-1, 3.17) and Tanner Leslie (4-2, 5.05 ERA) are a combined 19-3 with a 2.95 ERA in 170.2 innings on the season.

Dougan, a graduate RHP, garnered NCAA Division II National Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 13 after he fired a complete-game one hitter and tied a school record with 16 strikeouts in a 12-0 victory over Truman State on Feb. 8. The Topeka native has allowed just 14 runs and 32 hits in 62.0 innings pitched this season, while issuing just 16 walks and registering 102 strikeouts. He leads the MIAA and NCAA Division II in strikeouts (14.81 Ks/9 IP) and he ranks second nationally in WHIP (0.77). Dougan also leads the league in opponent batting average (.150).

Thornton, a graduate RHP, has allowed 67 hits and just nine walks in 65.1 IP. The Bentonville, Ark., native has registered 55 strikeouts so far. Thornton shares the MIAA lead for victories with FHSU's Ty Riley.

Leslie, a senior RHP, has an 18-9 career record with a 5.24 ERA in 46 career appearances (34 starts) for the Gorillas. His 18 career wins ranks second on Pitt State's all-time victories list.

Senior RHP Brady Pacha also is 5-1 with a 2.93 ERA and one save in 11 appearances, three starts. He has allowed just 16 hits in 30.2 IP. Pacha (Wichita) has 28 strikeouts to his credit. He tossed 7.0 shutout innings in the Gorillas' 5-0 win vs. Drury on Apr. 1.

Senior RHP Cadyn Castellanos (2-2, 4.14 ERA) and junior RHP Cooper Crouch (3-2, 4 Sv, 5.59 ERA) have been effective out of the Pitt State bullpen. Castellanos (Murrieta, Calif.) has 33 Ks in 37.0 innings pitched. He's allowed 37 hits and just four walks in 17 appearances (two starts), while Crouch (Webb City, Mo.) has registered 18 strikeouts in 19.2 innings of work in 17 appearances.

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 1,111-492 (.693) record in 29 years as a collegiate coach, including a 206-113 (.646) 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 MSSU on Apr. 9.

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Players Mentioned

#7 Tanner Leslie: RHP; 6' 1"; Senior; R/R

#24 Brady Pacha: RHP; 6' 3"; Senior; R/R

#16 Cayden Castellanos: RHP; 6' 0"; Senior; R/R

#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

#20 Kolby Dougan: RHP; 5' 11"; Graduate Student; R/R

#19 Cooper Crouch: RHP; 6' 0"; Junior; R/R

#17 Maddox Thornton: RHP; 6' 2"; Graduate Student; R/R

Players Mentioned

#7 Tanner Leslie
: 6' 1"; Senior; R/R
: RHP

#24 Brady Pacha
: 6' 3"; Senior; R/R
: RHP

#16 Cayden Castellanos
: 6' 0"; Senior; R/R
: RHP

#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

#20 Kolby Dougan
: 5' 11"; Graduate Student; R/R
: RHP

#19 Cooper Crouch
: 6' 0"; Junior; R/R
: RHP

#17 Maddox Thornton
: 6' 2"; Graduate Student; R/R
: RHP