CARY, N.C. - The Slippery Rock University baseball team maintained its perfect record on the young 2026 season with a 6-5 victory over Frostburg State University Saturday at the USA Baseball Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.
 
The victory, which could prove to be a key Atlantic Region win later in the season, improved The Rock's record to 3-0 overall. The Bobcats meanwhile dropped to 4-2 in the defeat.
 
The bottom portion of SRU's batting ordered shined in the nine-inning victory as Darryn Callahan (2-for-4, 1 run), Morgen Billotte (2-for-4, 2 runs, 3 RBIs) and Max Bernadowski (1-for-4) combined to go a collective 5-for-12 with three runs scored and three RBIs. Both of Callahan's hits were for extra bases via a double and triple.
 
Stone Powell also collected a two-hit game as part of a 2-for-4, one-run, one-RBI, one-walk showing. Gage Gillott continued his hot start to the year as well, going 1-for-3, with one RBI, a double and a walk.
 
Michael Kitko (1-for-5) scored one run as well to go with a double and a walk, while Treston Nemeth drew a walk of his own as well as scoring once.
 
Slippery Rock used four pitchers against FSU. Cole Grady made his first start in a Rock uniform as the Glenville State transfer scattered two runs – only one being earned – on five hits and three walks while striking out three over four innings versus his former Mountain East Conference foes.  

Parker Hogge (1-0) was the first reliever out of the bullpen. He went three innings, striking out two with three runs allowed on four hits and two walks as the pitcher of record in his first win of the season.
 
Michael Cahill came on for Hogge and recorded one out and gave up one hit before giving way to preseason All-America closer Mark Wilbur, who pitched 1.2 scoreless innings to lock down his first save of 2026.
 
Trailing 2-1 through five innings, Slippery Rock came through with a three-run sixth that sparked a late-game run barrage.
 
With two outs and runners on second and third thanks to a Powell walk and Kitko double, Billotte struck a two-run single that gave SRU a lead it wouldn't relinquish. Bernadowski then kept the inning alive on a single to turn the lineup over for Gillott at the top of the order.  
 
Gillott promptly shot a double to left field, which plated Billotte and put Slippery Rock ahead of FSU 4-2.
 
SRU added two additional insurance runs in the eighth when Billotte provided The Rock with another RBI-single that plated Callahan, who tripled to lead off the frame, before later scoring himself on a Frostburg State error.
 
While the Bobcats made things interesting in the bottom of the eighth with three runs, Wilbur came on and was able to get past the inning and work through a two-out, bases loaded jam in the ninth by forcing FSU's Drew Jourdan – who already had 3 RBIs on the day - into a game-saving ground ball that SRU shortstop Jake Robinson was able to cleanly field and secure the final out of the day with at second base.  
 
Frostburg State used three pitchers in the game. Starter Hunter Layhew took the loss after allowing four runs on four hits and three walks over 5.2 innings.
 
Slippery Rock was scheduled to close out its time at the USA Baseball Training Complex with a final nine-inning game Sunday against No. 30 Goldey-Beacom College, butimpending weather has forced the game to be canceled. SRU now turns its focus to a four-game series against Shippensburg Feb. 27-28 at Critchfield Park.





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