Gorillas Set to Open Play in 2025 MIAA Baseball Championship

PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team is set to compete 2025 MIAA Baseball Championship, which gets under way Wednesday (May 7) with games at Al Ortolani Field as well as Warren Turner Field at Joplin, Mo., on the Missouri Southern State University campus.

The Gorillas, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, will open play in the tournament quarterfinals Thursday (May 8) at Noon at Al Ortolani Field. Pitt State awaits the winner of Wednesday's first round match-up between No. 7 seed Washburn University and No. 10 seed Northeastern State University.

With a victory Thursday, the Gorillas will advance to the tournament semifinals Friday (May 9) against the winner of a quarterfinal match-up between No. 3 Fort Hays State University and No. 6 Northwest Missouri State University. A loss Thursday would eliminate Pitt State from the single-elimination tournament.

On Tuesday, the tournament schedule was altered to include playing first round and quarterfinal games in Pittsburg, in addition to Joplin host site due to the regional weather forecast.

All tournament games involving the Gorillas will be broadcast live in the Four States on the Gorilla Sports Network on the radio dial at 100.7 FM, 107.9 FM and 1340 AM. Fans can hear ESPN 100.7's live broadcasts anywhere in the world on the internet at: www.espn1007.com

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. The games also can be heard through the ESPN 100.7 app for phones or mobile devices.

2025 MIAA Baseball Championship Bracket

Wednesday, May 7
Game 1 – No. 8 MSSU (26-24) vs. No. 9 ESU (24-24), 1 p.m. (Joplin, Mo.)
Game 2 – No. 7 WU (26-24) vs. No. 10 NSU (16-34), 1 p.m. (Pittsburg)

Thursday, May 8
Game 3 – MSSU/ESU vs. No. 1 UCM (39-10), Noon (Joplin, Mo.)
Game 4 – WU/NSU vs. No. 2 PSU (39-9), Noon (Pittsburg)
Game 5 – No. 4 UCO (33-15) vs. No. 5 RSU (30-19), 3 p.m. (Joplin, Mo.)
Game 6 – No. 3 FHSU (32-15) vs. No. 6 NWMSU (25-24), 3 p.m. (Pittsburg)

Friday, May 9
Game 7 – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5, 1 p.m.
Game 8 – Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 6, 4 p.m.

Saturday, May 10
Game 9 – MIAA Championship, 1 p.m.

The Record
Pitt State enters the tournament action with a 39-9 overall record. The Gorillas earned the No. 2 seed by posting a 27-9 mark in MIAA play this spring. UCM captured the 2025 MIAA Regular Season Championship with a 30-7 record in league play.

Pitt State is ranked No. 15 in the most recent National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) NCAA Division II Top 25 poll. The Gorillas have won 20 of their last 22 games and enter the tournament on a six-game winning streak. Pitt State is seeking the program's first-ever 40-win campaign. The Gorillas have matched the school single season victories record set by the 1997 squad and matched by the 2002 team.

PSU in the MIAA Tournament
Pitt State is making its 15th all-time appearance in the MIAA Postseason Tournament. The Gorillas have compiled a 29-32 record in MIAA Tournament play, capturing the 1999 MIAA Baseball Championship with an unblemished 5-0 record. Pitt State reached the 2021 MIAA Championship Game at Joplin, Mo., falling to UCM, 11-2, in the title game.

Scouting the Gorillas
As a team, the Gorillas are batting .323 and scoring 9.4 runs per game to date. Pitt State pitchers are carrying a 4.41 ERA with 393 strikeouts in 414.1 innings of work. The Gorillas have made just 33 errors in 1,710 total chances (.981 fielding pct.).

Offensively, Pitt State leads the MIAA in doubles (121), triples (25), RBI (414) and on-base percentage (.434). The Gorillas are second in the conference in batting average and slugging percentage (.544), tied for fourth in the league in home runs (64) and fifth in the league in stolen bases (74).

The Pitt State pitching staff ranks second in the MIAA in ERA, strikeouts (8.54 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 .393 with 13 doubles, four home runs and 44 RBI in 36 games played. A first-team All-MIAA selection, Bugner (Wichita, Kan.) ranks second 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 (.386/.537/.579) has scored a team-leading 74 runs, smacked nine doubles, six triples and four home runs and stolen 29 bases. He leads the MIAA in runs, on-base percentage and stolen bases and ranks sixth in Division II in runs scored and tied for seventh place nationally in triples. A first-team All-MIAA performer and an MIAA Gold Glove recipient, Rodgers set the PSU single season record for runs scored last week.

Junior infielder/designated hitter Dagen Brewer has a .371/.446/.855 slash line in 40 games played. The Topeka native has 17 doubles, 20 home runs and 68 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 20th round tripper of the season in the regular season finale vs. Arkansas Fort Smith on May 3.

Brewer ranks second in the MIAA in RBI, home runs and slugging. He also ranks third nationally in RBI per game (1.70 pg) and fourth nationally in home runs per game (0.50 pg). Brewer was a first-team All-MIAA selection.

Senior infielder Rickey Sanchez is hitting .380 with 51 runs scored, 19 doubles, four home runs and 44 RBI. Sanchez (Mexico City) ranks fifth in the conference in batting average and tied for second in the league in doubles. Sanchez garnered third-team All-MIAA honors and earned an MIAA Gold Glove Award for his .983 fielding percentage at shortstop.

Pitt State starting pitchers Kolby Dougan (7-0, 2.03 ERA), Maddox Thornton (9-1, 3.14) and Tanner Leslie (6-2, 4.39 ERA) are a combined 22-3 with a 3.20 ERA in 208.0 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 WHIP (0.77). Dougan earned first-team All-MIAA honors and was selected the MIAA Co-Pitcher of the Year along with Fort Hays State's Ty Riley (9-1, 2.91 ERA).

Thornton, a graduate RHP, has allowed 82 hits and just 11 walks in 80.1 IP. The Bentonville, Ark., native has registered 67 strikeouts so far. Thornton shared the MIAA lead in victories (with Riley) and ranks fourth in the conference in ERA.

Leslie, a senior RHP, has a 20-9 career record with a 5.03 ERA in 48 career appearances (36 starts) for the Gorillas. His 20 career wins ranks second on Pitt State's all-time victories list. Leslie earned All-MIAA honors for the third time in his career after being named to the third-team All-MIAA squad.

Senior RHP Brady Pacha also is 5-1 with a 2.984ERA and one save in 12 appearances, three starts. He has allowed just 16 hits in 31.2 IP. Pacha (Wichita) has 30 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, 3.70 ERA) and junior RHP Cooper Crouch (4-2, 4 Sv, 4.63 ERA) have been effective out of the Pitt State bullpen. Castellanos (Murrieta, Calif.) has 37 Ks in 43.2 innings pitched. He's allowed 46 hits and just seven walks in 19 appearances (three starts), while Crouch (Webb City, Mo.) has registered 21 strikeouts in 23.1 innings of work in 19 appearances. Castellanos has a 2-0 record with a 3.23 ERA in his three starts for the Gorillas. Both Castellanos and Crouch garnered honorable mention All-MIAA recognition.

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 1,117-492 (.694) record in 29 years as a collegiate coach, including a 212-113 (.652) 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