Gorillas Close Out Regular Season Against UAFS

PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team wrap up the regular seasons schedule with a three-game series against the University of Arkansas Fort Smith beginning Thursday (May 1).

The Gorillas and Lions are scheduled to face off Thursday at 6 p.m. (CDT), Friday (Apr. 26) at 3 p.m. and Saturday (Apr. 27) at Noon at Al Ortolani Field. Saturday's activities will include Senior Day recognition for the Gorillas outgoing players.

Pitt State enters the series 36-9 overall, 24-9 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 last Wednesday (Apr. 24). The Gorillas have won 18 of their last 20 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.

Arkansas Fort Smith is 13-30 overall (8-25 MIAA). The Lions have dropped three of their last four games. UAFS currently is alone in 12th place in the conference standings.

As a team, the Gorillas are batting .322 and scoring 9.4 runs per game to date. Pitt State pitchers are carrying a 4.47 ERA with 372 strikeouts in 388.1 innings of work. The Gorillas have made just 32 errors in 1,611 total chances (.980 fielding pct.). Offensively, Pitt State leads the MIAA in triples (24), on-base percentage (.435) and slugging percentage (.543). The Gorillas are second in the conference in batting average, doubles (109) and RBI (385) and fifth in the league in home runs (61) and stolen bases (68).

The Pitt State pitching staff ranks second in the MIAA in ERA and third in the conference in strikeouts (8.62 K/9 IP) and opponent batting average (.258). 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 .390 with 13 doubles, four home runs and 41 RBI in 34 games played. Bugner (Wichita, Kan.) ranks third in the MIAA in batting average. He had a 21-game hitting streak snapped last week in the series opener against Missouri Western. It tied for the second-longest hit streak in school history.

Graduate outfielder Alex Rodgers (.388/.537/.594) has scored a team-leading 70 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 sixth place nationally in triples.

Senior infielder Rickey Sanchez is hitting .391 with 48 runs scored, 17 doubles, four home runs and 40 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 .364/.441/.848 slash line in 38 games played. The Topeka native has 16 doubles, 19 home runs and 65 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 on 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 (1.71 pg) and fourth nationally in home runs per game (0.50 pg).

Pitt State starting pitchers Kolby Dougan (7-0, 2.03 ERA), Maddox Thornton (8-1, 2.95) and Tanner Leslie (5-2, 4.60 ERA) are a combined 20-3 with a 3.15 ERA in 194.0 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 73 hits and just nine walks in 73.1 IP. The Bentonville, Ark., native has registered 59 strikeouts so far. Thornton ranks second in the MIAA in victories and third in the conference in ERA.

Leslie, a senior RHP, has an 19-9 career record with a 5.11 ERA in 47 career appearances (35 starts) for the Gorillas. His 19 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 (3-2, 3.71 ERA) and junior RHP Cooper Crouch (4-2, 4 Sv, 4.84 ERA) have been effective out of the Pitt State bullpen. Castellanos (Murrieta, Calif.) has 35 Ks in 43.2 innings pitched. He's allowed 41 hits and just six walks in 18 appearances (three starts), while Crouch (Webb City, Mo.) has registered 21 strikeouts in 22.2 innings of work in 18 appearances. Castellanos has a 2-0 record with a 3.23 ERA in his three starts for the Gorillas.

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 1,114-492 (.694) record in 29 years as a collegiate coach, including a 209-113 (.649) 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