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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Winners of five straight games, the No. 30 Slippery Rock University baseball team returns to competition this weekend with a four-game Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division series against Clarion University.
 
SERIES FORMAT
The Rock and Golden Eagles will first play a doubleheader Friday beginning at 1 p.m. in Butler, Pennsylvania at Michelle Krill Field. SRU then hosts Clarion for an evening doubleheader Saturday with first pitch of game one slated for a special 4 p.m. start time.
 
WATCH ON YOUR TV - "ROCK ATHLETICS DIGITAL NETWORK" APPS
• Fans can watch Saturday's games live and on-demand for free on the Rock Athletics Digital Network, created and operated by the SRU athletic communication office.
 
• Search for Rock Athletics Digital Network in the app stores on Amazon Fire TV, Apple RV, Roku and Android TV devices. The streaming web player linked above will also integrate with Chrome Cast devices to allow viewers to cast the game to those devices.
 
SERIES DETAILS
Opponent: Clarion University
All-Time Series: SRU leads 143-42
Last Played: May 3, 2021 (SRU won 9-2)
In-game Updates: Twitter (@Rock_Athletics)
Games 1-2: April 22, Michelle Krill Field – Butler, Pennsylvania
Live Video: Link
Live Stats: Link
Games 3-4: April 23, Jack Critchfield Park – Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
Live Video: Link
Live Stats: Link
 
RECORDS/LAST TIME OUT
• Slippery Rock enters Friday's games at Clarion having come off of a four-game series sweep of No. 17 Seton Hill University which improved its overall record to 23-9 and its PSAC West mark to 9-7.
 
• Before hosting The Rock, Clarion lost three of four games to Gannon to fall to 10-23 overall and 5-11 in league games.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
• Since the 1969 season, Slippery Rock holds a healthy 143-42 record against the Golden Eagles. A season ago, The Rock went 4-2 against CU after taking three of four games in a non-conference series and splitting two PSAC West contests.
 
Top Rock Hitters vs. Clarion All-Time
• Abraham Mow: 14 games - .333 (16-48), 17 runs, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 4 2B, 9 walks
• Jon Kozarian: 10 games - .382 (13-34), 9 runs, 7 RBI, 5 2B, 4 walks
• Colin Cain: 9 games - .360 (9-25), 1 run, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 2B, 2 walks
• Joel Spishock: 4 games - .455 (5-11), 2 runs, 3 RBI, 1 HR, 2 walks
• Koby Bubash: 4 games - .444 (4-9), 3 runs, 1 RBI, 2 2B
• Eddie Morris: 1 game - .500 (2-4), 2 runs, 3 RBI, 1 HR
 
Top Rock Pitchers vs. Clarion All-Time
• Andy McClymonds: 8.2 IP (5 G), 1 Save, 2.08 ERA, 8K, 12 Hits, 4 BB
• JT Wolke: 9 IP (3 G), 5.00 ERA, 7K, 10 Hits, 4 BB
• Drew Delaney: 2 IP (2 G), 0.00 ERA, 4K, 2 Hits, 0 BB
• Christian Seelhorst: 4.1 IP (1 G), 1-0, 2.08 ERA, 4K, 4 Hits, 5 BB
• Colby Anderson: 5 IP (1 G), 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 4K, 2 Hits, 5 BB
• Ricky Mineo: 6 IP (1 G), 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 11K, 6 Hits, 2 BB
 
PSAC WEST STANDINGS SNAPSHOT
• Sweeps by Slippery Rock against Seton Hill and Mercyhurst over Cal U caused quite a shakeup in the PSAC West standings.
 
• Through 16 of a scheduled 28 divisional games, Mercyhurst now sits in first place at 11-5 followed in the top four by Gannon (10-6), Indiana (10-6) and Slippery Rock (9-7) / Seton Hill (9-7) with the back half of the standings consisting of Cal U (7-9), Clarion (5-11) and Pitt-Johnstown (3-13).
 
• In addition to SRU-Clarion, the rest of this weekend's PSAC West schedule features Mercyhurst-IUP, Seton Hill-Gannon and California-Pitt-Johnstown.
 
• The top four teams in both the PSAC West and PSAC East standings at the end of the regular season qualify for the conference tournament, which will be hosted at Critchfield Park this season.
 
ROCK BACK IN CBN TOP-30
Following a two-week hiatus, Slippery Rock re-entered the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper national poll this week in a tie for 30th alongside Montevallo.
 
SRU has now been ranked in the CBN Top-30 for four weeks this year. On March 14 The Rock were ranked for the first time in 2022 at No. 30. Slippery Rock then moved up to No. 22 on both March 21 and March 28 before briefly falling out of the rankings.
 
Additionally, SRU was also the first team receiving votes in this NCBWA Top-25 while also being ranked second in the most recent NCBWA Atlantic Region poll behind Millersville.
 
SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
Overall Record: 23-9
CBN Top-30: 30th
NCBWA Top-25: RV
PSAC West Record: 9-7
PSAC West Standings: T-4th
NCBWA Regional Ranking: 2nd
Home Record: 15-5
Away Record: 8-4
Streak: W5
Last Five Games: 5-0
Head Coach: Jeff Messer | 37th season (1,062-687-5 / .607)
 
SRU TEAM NOTES
• The Rock's four-game series sweep of Seton Hill marked the first time a PSAC West team swept the Griffins in a series since SHU joined the league in 2014.
 
• With a minimum of 15 games remaining in the regular season, SRU has already matched its win total from last year. SRU needs nine victories to eclipse its highest win total in a season over the last 13 years – The Rock won 31 games in 2013.  
 
• Entering the week, Slippery Rock ranks second in the PSAC runs allowed per game (3.6) while scoring the fifth-most runs per game in the league (7.2). SRU also leads the PSAC in slugging percentage (.564) while ranking second in team batting average (.336) and third in team ERA (3.75).
 
• Slippery Rock is 16-4 when it scores at least five runs. SRU is also 17-2 when leading through four innings of play.
 
THE ROCK ROTATION
• No matter what order they've been used this year, SRU's starting rotation of Devin Dunn (6-1, 2.14 ERA), Luke Trueman (4-2, 2.03 ERA), Ricky Mineo (4-1, 1.98 ERA) and Ethan Edkins (4-0, 1.80 ERA) have been exceptional.
 
• In the Seton Hill series alone, the four pitchers combined to pitch 27.2 of a possible 29 innings while allowing just seven total runs.
 
• Mineo was named the PSAC West Pitcher of the Week after throwing a complete-game shutout against SHU in game three of the series. He has now surrendered just three runs over his last 20 innings pitched. Among qualified pitchers, Mineo ranks third in the PSAC in opponent batting average (.197) and fourth in ERA while being tied with Trueman for the team-lead in strikeouts (56).
 
• Trueman has pitched into at least the sixth inning in all but one of his starts this year. In addition to ranking eighth in Division II in strikeout-to-walk ratio, Trueman is also fifth in the PSAC in ERA. Most recently, he struck out a career-high 11 batters in a great performance as part of The Rock's game one win vs. Seton Hill.
 
• Dunn, who is one of two Rock pitchers this season to have already thrown over 40 innings (42), brings a 6-1 record into this weekend's games. He ranks sixth in the PSAC in opponent batting average (.209) and seventh in ERA.
 
• Dunn's next victory will move him into a tie for 16th place in SRU single-season history for wins in a year. The last Rock pitcher to earn seven wins in a year was Alex Pantuso in 2018. The record for wins in a year at SRU is 10, set by Steve Norris (2003) and Mark Dolan (1998).
 
• Edkins is in the midst of a great freshman campaign in which he has gone 4-0 in five appearances with a 1.80 ERA, 24 strikeouts and a .171 opponent batting average over 20 innings. Edkins gave up just one run while striking out eight batters in SRU's eventual eight-inning sweep-clinching win over Seton Hill last week.
 
SRU RELIEVERS
• Andy McClymonds and Travis Holman have combined to not give up a run in their last 4.1 innings. McClymonds made two appearances in the Seton Hill series while Holman pitched a flawless eighth inning in SRU's extra-inning win on April 16.
 
• Overall Holman has three saves, two of which have come in his last two outings, in 15 innings pitched this year.
 
• JT Wolke has not allowed a run in his last three appearances. Most recently he earned a win after throwing 1.2 strong innings out of the bullpen in SRU's 3-1 win vs. Mansfield.
 
• Drew Delaney (0-0, 5.40 ERA, 8.1 IP), Tanner Esposito (1-0, 5.68 ERA, 6.1 IP), Colby Anderson (0-0, 6.75 ERA, 6.2 IP) have all made five appearances in relief this season as well.
 
THE ROCK LINEUP
• The Rock's potent offense features nine players hitting over .300 with Joel Spishock leading the team at .432 to go with four home runs and 21 RBI. Spishock, who slugs .741 with a .511 on-base percentage, has hit a team-best 13 doubles and ranks sixth in the nation in doubles per game at 0.50.
 
• Connor Hamilton continues to be one of the most feared hitters in the PSAC as he carries a .412 batting average into the weekend along with 35 runs, 10 home runs, 30 RBI, a .765 slugging percentage and a .527 on-base percentage.

• Spishock, who has reached base in 18 straight games, and Hamilton have combined to hit .433 (26-for-60) with runners in scoring position.
 
• Leadoff hitter Abraham Mow has hit safely in eight straight games, batting .381 with a team-high 36 runs, five home runs, 25 RBI and a .463 on-base percentage. He leads SRU with 15 multi-hit games in 2022.
 
• Alex Robenolt, The Rock's cleanup hitter, leads the team in RBI (31) while ranking second in home runs (7) and doubles (10). Robenolt had six hits and five RBI in the Seton Hill series, including an eighth-inning walk-off home run in game one.
 
• Eddie Morris has settled into his role as SRU's primary designated hitter in addition to making sporadic appearances in the outfield for 28 total starts this season. He bats .367 with 24 runs, six home runs and 23 RBI while posting a .442 on-base percentage.
 
• Speedy centerfielder Joe Ehland hits .314 with 16 runs and 14 RBI while stealing a team-high six bases. When not pitching, Trueman joins Ehland and Robenolt to make up SRU's standard outfield and has hit .302 over 20 starts while scoring 17 runs, launching five home runs and driving in 21.
 
• Slippery Rock's middle infield consists of shortstop Jon Kozarian (.267, 25 runs, three home runs, 22 RBI) and the second base platoon of Koby Bubash and Anthony Cinicola, who have combined to hit .326 with 20 runs, three home runs and 15 RBI.
 
• Across the PSAC, Spishock ranks second in batting average, third in OPS (1.252), third in on-base percentage and fifth in slugging percentage while Hamilton is second in both on-base percentage and OPS (1.292) and third in both batting average and slugging percentage.
 
RECORD WATCH
Abraham Mow enters the weekend ranked among the top Rock baseball players all-time in several statistical categories. Below is a look at where Mow currently ranks and the next spot he is about to reach on each list.
 
• Home Runs: 3rd (29) – Nate Thimons (40 / 1996-99)
• Doubles: 5th (48) – Bill Herman (51 / 2006-09)
• Total Bases: 5th (338) – Kevin Keryan (358 / 1988-91)
• RBI: 7th (130) – Craig White (132 / 1987-89)
• Runs: 7th (149) – Rich Michalek (2006-09) / Kevin Keryan (1988-91) (150)
• Hits: 15th (185) – Frankie Jezioro (186 / 2016-19)
 
CLARION PRIMER
Overall Record: 10-23
PSAC West Record: 5-11
PSAC West Standings: 7th
Home Record: 3-5
Away Record: 6-17
Neutral Site Record: 1-1
Streak: W1
Last Five Games: 2-3
Head Coach: Doc Neiman | Third season (25-58 / .301)
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
• Clarion has begun the conference portion of its schedule by losing three of four to Mercyhurst, going 2-2 against Pitt-Johnstown and dropping three out of four to Seton Hill.
 
• CU averages 3.9 runs per game with a team batting average of .234 while giving up 8.1 per contest. The Golden Eagles have a team ERA of 8.78.
 
TOP GOLDEN EAGLE HITTERS
Matt Privette: .277 (28-101) – 10 runs – 16 SB – 10 RBI - .339 OBP
Caden Contant: .260 (25-96) – 19 runs – 2 HR - 17 RBI – .393 OBP
Kasey Shughart: .276 (32-116) – 16 runs – 2 HR - 7 RBI – .317 OBP
Scott McManamon: .313 (25-80) – 14 runs – 5 HR - 17 RBI – .421 OBP
 
TOP GOLDEN EAGLE PITCHERS
Isaac Kleinfelter: 1-1 – 17 IP – 4.24 ERA – 12 K / 9 BB - .242 OBA
Bryan Layton: 3-2 – 28.2 IP – 5.97 ERA – 33 K / 7 BB - .299 OBA
Trevor McGee: 1-3 – 25 IP – 7.20 ERA – 25 K / 23 BB - .336 OBA
Bryce Grenet: 1-4 – 26.1 IP – 8.89 ERA – 20 K / 19 BB - .309 OBA
Anthony Tucci: 0-2 – 25.1 IP – 10.30 ERA – 30 K / 17 BB - .378 OBA
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock hosts Lock Haven University 3 p.m. April 26 for a non-conference nine-inning game at Jack Critchfield Park.
 





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