PITTSBURG -- The Pittsburg State University baseball team will travel to Wichita Tuesday (Apr. 28) to face Newman University in an MIAA mid-week game. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. (CDT) at West Side Athletic Field on the campus of Friends University.
 
Pittsburg State enters the contest with a 37-8 overall record and a 24-8 MIAA mark. The Gorillas climbed into sole possession of second place in the MIAA standings by sweeping a three-game series from No. 6/5 Rogers State University this past weekend. The Gorillas are ranked No. 9 in the most recent National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) NCAA Division II Top 25 poll released Wednesday (Apr. 22); and Pitt State is ranked No. 7 nationally in the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Top 30 poll released Tuesday (Apr. 21).
 
The Gorillas have posted nine consecutive victories. A win over the Jets would allow Pitt State to climb into a tie with the Hillcats atop the conference standings.
 
Newman is 5-41 overall (2-30 MIAA) heading into the final week of the regular season. The Jets are seeking to halt a five-game losing streak after dropping a three-game MIAA series against Northwest Missouri State University last weekend.
 
Pitt State and Newman have met twice this season, both times at Al Ortolani Field, with the Gorillas taking a 20-2 win on Feb. 24 and a 21-4 victory on Mar. 11.
 
The Gorillas lead the MIAA in batting average (.356), scoring (11.5 rpg), runs (518), hits (553), RBI (479), slugging percentage (.568) and on-base percentage (.476). Pitt State leads NCAA Division II in on-base percentage, ranks second nationally in scoring, fourth in runs, fifth in batting average and slugging percentage and 12th in D2 in hits.
 
Senior outfielder Dagen Brewer leads the MIAA in all three triple crown categories, batting .447 with 21 home runs and 89 RBI. He also leads the conference in slugging percentage (.993), on-base percentage and bases on balls (46).
 
Brewer has collected 68 hits, 18 doubles and 21 home runs, scored 69 runs and compiled a school record 89 RBI. He leads D2 in RBI (1.98 pg) and slugging, and he ranks fourth nationally in home runs.
 
The Topeka native has twice been named NCAA Division II National Hitter of the Week this season. Brewer tied MIAA records with four HRs and 10 RBI in the Gorillas' 21-7 win over FHSU on Apr. 3. He set an MIAA record for consecutive games hitting streak at 37 games earlier this season.
 
Junior outfielder Eric Bacon is hitting .404 with 70 runs scored, 14 doubles, four triples, six home runs and 61 RBI. He ranks second in the MIAA and sixth in D2 in runs scored. Bacon also ranks second in the MIAA in hits (78) and ranks fifth in the conference in batting average.
 
Junior infielder Jadyn McNealy (.326, 57 runs, 40 SB) ranks fourth in D2 in stolen bases despite missing seven games due to injury. Senior outfielder Isaac Webb is slashing .373/.444/.692 on the season. He has 14 doubles, five triples, 10 home runs and 70 RBI to date. Webb became just the second Pitt State player in program history to hit for the cycle on Apr. 3. Senior catcher Grant Nottlemann also is batting .388 with 43 runs scored, seven doubles, five home runs and 45 RBI. Nottlemann ranks 11^th in the MIAA in batting average.