SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University baseball team continues its season-opening 10-game road trip when it travels to West Virginia State University this weekend for a three-game series.
 
SERIES SCHEDULE
The Rock and Yellow Jackets are slated to play nine-inning games Friday-Saturday-Sunday with first pitch set for 12 p.m. each day.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Video and in-game statistics for this weekend's series are being provided free of charge by the WVSU's Sports Information Department at the below links.

SERIES DETAILS
Opponent: West Virginia State University
Game 1: Friday (12 p.m.)
Game 2: Saturday (12 p.m.)
Game 3: Sunday (12 p.m.)
Location: Institute, West Virginia
Venue: Calvin Bailey Field
Video: Link
Live Stats (Game 1): Link
Live Stats (Game 2): Link
Live Stats (Game 3): Link
In-game Updates: Twitter/X (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: SRU leads 14-9
Last Played: March 8, 2024 (Split DH)
 
SERIES HISTORY
Slippery Rock and West Virginia State have played an annual non-conference series since 2019. In addition to holding a 14-9 record all-time against WVSU, SRU is 11-4 in the series over the last six years. The Rock and Yellow Jackets split a doubleheader at Jack Critchfield Park a season ago.
 
Cam Panyko Morris leads the list of active Rock athletes who have seen success against WVSU. Over four career games against the Yellow Jackets, Panyko Morris has gone 4-for-9 with four runs scored, two home runs and eight RBI.
 
The duo of Gage Gillott and Michael Kitko produced both at the plate and on the mound in last year's doubleheader as well.
 
Gillott tossed a complete game with just two runs allowed and seven strikeouts in SRU's 4-2 victory before going 3-for-3 with one run in WVSU's 5-2 split-clinching win in game two. Kitko meanwhile went 2-for-3 in the opener before pitching 1.2 scoreless innings in game two.

While they did not pitch in last year's doubleheader, Joe Purcell and Mark Wilbur both have had productive appearances against West Virginia State over their careers as well. Purcell pitched seven shutout innings and struck out a career-high nine batters against the Yellow Jackets in an eventual 5-2 Rock loss in 2023 while Wilbur earned a save with 1.1 scoreless innings in a 2-0 SRU victory the same year.
 

TALE OF THE TAPE
STAT	ROCK	WVSU
Record	4-3	5-5
Runs*	6.0	5.3
Runs Allowed*	3.7	6.3
Hits*	8.7	8.0
Hits Allowed*	6.3	7.3
Team Batting Average	.284	.275
Opp. Batting Average	.219	.262
Team OB%	.361	.368
Opp. OB%	.301	.392
Team ERA	3.12	7.25
Opp. ERA	5.43	5.10
* per ga`me stats

SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
• Stats: Link
• Roster: Link
• NCBWA Atlantic Region Top 10: 8th
• Overall Record: 4-3
• Home Record: 0-0
• Away Record: 1-2
• Neutral Site Record: 3-1
• Streak: W1
• Last 5 Games: 2-3
• Head Coach: Jeff Messer | 40th season (1,127-744-5, .602)

LAST TIME OUT
Slippery Rock played a close three-game series at Shippensburg with the Raiders earning 2-1 and 6-3 victories in the first two contests before SRU salvaged the weekend with a 5-3 win in game three.

Series Results
Game 1: Ship 2 – SRU 1
Game 2: Ship 6 – SRU 3
Game 3: SRU 5 – Ship 3

MESSER MOVES TO 10th ON CAREER WINS LIST
Slippery Rock's 5-3 victory over Shippensburg on March 1 was the 1,127th win in the career of head coach Jeff Messer. He is now tied with Frank Vieira (New Haven, 1963-2006) for 10th place on Division II's career head coaching wins list and only seven victories away from moving into a tie with Carl Lancaster (Mount Olive, 1987-18) for ninth place.
 
DII Coaching Wins (All-Time)
1. Mike Metheny (Southeastern Ok., 1981-17): 1,324
2. John Schaly (Ashland, Active): 1,319
3. Joe Roberts (Armstrong, 1980-13): 1,314
4. Tom Thomas (Valdosta State, 1968-07): 1,308
5. Charlie Migl (St. Mary's, 1987-21): 1,246
6. Greg Guilliams (Flagler, Active): 1,191
7. John Goelz (Sonoma State, 1985-24): 1,174
8. Mike Sansing (Shorter/Kennesaw, 1989-21): 1,158
9. Carl Lancaster (Mount Olive, 1987-18): 1,134
t10. Jeff Messer (Slippery Rock): 1,127
t10. Frank Vieira (New Haven, 1963-2006): 1,127

ROCK DIPS IN REGIONAL RANKINGS
Slippery Rock saw its positioning inside the Atlantic Region drop slightly after losing two of three games to Shippensburg last weekend as The Rock fell from sixth to eighth in this week's poll.
 
NCBWA Atlantic Region Top 10
1. East Stroudsburg (10-0)
2. West Chester (6-2)
3. Millersville (5-1)
4. Seton Hill (6-2)
5. Frostburg State (6-2)
6. California (Pa.) (4-0)
7. Shippensburg (7-4)
8. THE ROCK (4-3)
9. Point Park (6-1)
10. Lock Haven (8-3)

TEAM NOTES
• The Rock's pitching staff begins the weekend ranked 10th in the country in WHIP (1.17), 12th in ERA (3.12), 12th in strikeout to walk ratio (3.29), 12th in walks allowed per nine innings (2.94) and 18th in hits allowed per nine innings (7.62).
 
• Inside the PSAC, SRU ranks second in hits allowed per game (6.29), second in walks per game (2.42) and fourth in runs per game allowed (3.7).
 
• Offensively, Slippery Rock has posted no fewer than six hits in a game this season to help score 6.0 runs per game.
 
• After stealing 18 bases in 46 games last year, SRU is already up to nine stolen bases through the first seven games of 2025.
 
• Two of The Rock's three losses this season have been one-run decisions.
 
• Nine of the 26 runs allowed this season by SRU have come in the first inning. Offensively, Slippery Rock biggest inning has been the fifth where The Rock have scored 15 runs.
 
• Slippery Rock is yet to lose when leading after five innings (4-0).

THE ROCK ROTATION
• Entering its third weekend of the season, the trio Gage Gillott, Nate Malak and Joe Purcell have accounted for six of Slippery Rock's seven starts in 2025.
 
• Gillott heads to WVSU carrying a 1-1 record with a 2.45 ERA, 10 strikeouts and a .200 opponent batting average in 11 innings pitched. In his 14 career starts for SRU, Gillott has gone at least five innings 12 times.  
 
• Malak delivered arguably the top performance by a Rock pitcher this season in SRU's 5-3 victory over Shippensburg, throwing 5.1 shutout innings with just one hit allowed and six strikeouts. Through two starts and 9.1 innings pitched, Malak is 1-0 with a 4.32 ERA and team-bests in strikeouts (12) and opponent batting average (.194).
 
• Purcell (0-1) enters his next start after opening the year having pitched 9.1 innings in his first two appearances. Like Malak, he has walked just two batters while also compiling a 4.82 ERA and .268 opponent batting average early on.
 
• Ethan Edkins (1-0, 9.00 ERA, 6 IP) was responsible for SRU's other start as he struck out four batters while working around four runs over five innings in The Rock's Feb. 23 victory over Goldey-Beacom. He made one relief appearance last weekend against Shippensburg, giving up three runs in one inning during SRU's victory over the Raiders.

THE ROCK BULLPEN
• Slippery Rock's relievers have been great for the vast majority of the season. In seven games, SRU relievers have pitched a combined 18.1 innings while holding its opposition to a .179 batting average and compiling a 0.98 ERA.
 
• Perhaps most importantly for SRU's relievers, just two of the group's seven inherited runners have scored in the early stages of 2025.
 
• Hunter Loomis, Mark Wilbur and Michael Kitko have each pitched in two games this season with just one unearned run allowed over a total of 12.1 innings.
 
• Loomis has pitched five scoreless innings so far while striking out six. He's allowed a mere two hits and one walk on the year. Wilbur is 1-0 with six strikeouts and a .067 opponent batting average in 4.2 innings. Kitko comes into the WVSU series with one save, four strikeouts and a .125 opponent batting average
 
• Robert Herr (0-1, 2.2 IP, 3 K, .308 OBA), Joey Vanzin (1.1 IP, 2 K, .000 OBA) and Parker Hogge (1.0 IP, .250 OBA, 1 Strikeout) round out The Rock's relief pitchers who have appeared in a game this year.

THE ROCK LINEUP
• Brandon Butler racked up four more hits over the Shippensburg series. He is now batting .417 (10-for-24) with a .500 on-base percentage, five runs scored, three RBI and a stolen base.
 
• Shortstop Tyler Cerame is tied with Butler for the team lead in hits all the while holding solo Rock-bests in both runs (7) and slugging percentage (.367) to go with a .345 batting average, one home run, five RBI, three stolen bases and a .367 slugging percentage.
 
• Treston Nemeth has displayed a knack for getting base as the sophomore catcher has collected six hits and seven walks on the way to a .483 on-base percentage. Nemeth, who's batting .316, also has three runs and three RBI.
 
• Gillott has produced five hits in his last three games played to raise his batting average to .313 and on-base percentage up to .375. He's driven in four runs with three runs scored.
 
• Kitko will take a seven-game hitting streak into Friday's game. A .280 hitter, Kitko also has four RBI and a pair of runs.
 
• Second baseman Clay Wiesen leads all Rock hitters with three extra-base hits by way of two doubles and one triple on the way to having driven in five runs and scoring five more.
 
• Jimmy Sadler has matched Wiesen and Cerame for the team lead in RBI with five of his own in addition to being tied with Cerame for Rock-best honors in stolen bases (3). All told, the first six appearances in a Rock uniform has resulted in the third baseman hitting .278 with four runs.
 
• One of three Rock players to have reached base safely in all seven games this season, centerfielder Cam Panyko Morris, is batting .261 with five runs, one home run and four RBI.
 
• While leadoff hitter and first baseman Joe Purcell heads to West Virginia with just three hits – one of which being a home run - he has walked five times for a .364 on-base percentage and having collected six runs.

• Kitko and Butler area a combined 9-for-18 with runners in scoring position.
 
RECORDS WATCH
Pitching Appearances (14-18)
t14. Andy McClymonds (2019-22): 42
t14. Vince Lloyd (2007-10): 42
t14. Luke Trueman (2019-23): 42
17. Kevin Talmadge (1991-94): 41
t18. Robert Herr (Active): 40
t18. Jon Anderson (2013-16): 40
 
Strikeouts (16-20)
16. Matt Gordon (2016-18): 142
17. George Hebert (2009-11): 139
18. Kevin Talmadge (1991-94): 137
19. Joby Lapkowicz (2010-12): 133
20. John Katich (2002-06): 129
Top Active: Joe Purcell: 126
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
March 15: vs. Saint Anselm (9 innings)
March 16: vs. Saint Anselm (DH Game 1)
March 16: vs. Saint Anselm (DH Game 2)
March 17: vs. Saint Anselm (9 innings)
March 18: at Walsh (9 innings)
March 21: vs. Pitt-Johnstown (DH Game 1)
March 21: vs. Pitt-Johnstown (DH Game 2)
 
WEST VIRGINIA STATE PRIMER
• Stats: Link
• Roster: Link
• NCBWA Atlantic Region Top 10: N/A
• Overall Record: 5-5
• Home Record: 4-2
• Away Record: 0-0
• Neutral Site Record: 1-3
• Streak: W1
• Last 5 Games: 2-3
• Head Coach: Sean Loyd | 11th season (266-189, .585)

SCOUTING THE YELLOW JACKETS
• WVSU has split its first 10 games of 2025. The Yellow Jackets have gone 2-0 against Bluefield State, 2-2 vs. Malone, 1-1 with Jefferson and 0-2 against Clarion.
 
• The Yellow Jackets were picked to finish second in the MEC South Division this season after a 2024 campaign in which they went 31-20 and advanced to the championship game of MEC Tournament.
 
• West Virginia State returns five starting position players, one starting pitcher (Ayden Hodges) and its closer (Tyrus Baumgardner) from a season ago but lost two key offensive pieces who transferred out in All-American first baseman Mike Huber (IUP) and all-region pitcher / designated hitter Chris Morris (UNC Wilmington).
 
• The early portion of this year has seen the Yellow Jackets score 5.3 runs per game while yielding 6.3.
 
• At the plate, Michael Bittinger is batting .419 while Brodie Guenther and Tyler Overaitis have nine RBI apiece.
 
• Brian Lingenfelter has been WVSU's most effective starting pitcher. He's 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA and .264 opponent batting average over 15 innings pitched.

TOP HITTERS
Brodie Guenther: .387 (12-31) – 11 Runs – 9 RBI – 1 SB - .462 OBP
Kyler Waters: .324 (12-37) – 11 Runs – 5 RBI - .432 OBP
Tyler Overatitis: .313 (10-32) – 4 Runs – 2 HR - 9 RBI - .421 OBP
 Michael Bittinger: .419 (13-31) – 8 Runs – 1 RBI – 3 SB - .438 OBP
 
TOP PITCHERS
Brian Lingenfelter: 2-0 – 15 IP – 3.00 ERA –  15 K / 7 BB - .264 OBA
Ayden Hodges: 0-1 – 8.2 IP – 1.04 ERA –  16 K / 4 BB - .156 OBA
JT Fabian: 1-1 – 8.2 IP – 6.23 ERA –  4 K / 5 BB - .233 OBA
Brandon Morrison: 0-0 – 8.2 IP – 1.04 ERA – 3 K / 1 BB - .194 OBA
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock plays its first home games of the 2025 season when it hosts Saint Anselm College for a four-game series March 15-17.
 





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