GAME PROGRAM INFO
Slippery Rock has moved away from printed game programs for all sports. This page will serve as the "Digital Game Program" for this week's game. To navigate to all gameday info for any SRU home events this year, simply visit
rockathletics.com/gameday or scan the QR code on the "Gameday Info" posters hanging in each facility.
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University baseball team looks to begin its ascent up the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division standings with a successful four-game series this weekend against Gannon University.
SERIES SCHEDULE
The Rock hosts Gannon for a doubleheader Saturday at Critchfield Park before traveling to GU for two games Sunday. First pitch on game one both days is set for 1 p.m.
LEAVE YOUR PETS AT HOME
Fans are reminded that there are
NO PETS allowed at Jack Critchfield Park, or in any SRU athletics facilities. Please do not bring dogs or any other pets to the game. Unless they are a verifiable registered service animal, you will be asked to remove your pet from the facility.
MOTHER NATURE IS UNPREDICTABLE
With the unpredictable spring weather in western Pennsylvania, fans are reminded that any time / location / date changes will be posted on rockathletics.com and all of SRU athletics' official social media accounts as information becomes available.
WATCH ON YOUR TV - "ROCK ATHLETICS DIGITAL NETWORK" APPS
• Fans can watch every pitch of Saturday's doubleheader 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.
MESSER FIELD DEDICATION SET FOR APRIL 25
At the beginning of the 2025-26 academic year Slippery Rock University's council of trustees approved a naming resolution to honor SRU baseball head coach
Jeff Messer. Slippery Rock's home facility collectively will be named "Messer Field at Jack Critchfield Park." The official field dedication will take place prior to the start of The Rock's April 25 doubleheader against Clarion.
SERIES DETAILS
Opponent: Gannon University
Games 29-30: Saturday (1 p.m. / 3:30 p.m.) –
Critchfield Park
Video: Link
Live Stats: Link
Games 31-32: Friday (1 p.m. / 3:30 p.m.) –
McConnell Family Field
Watch: Link
Live Stats: Link
All-Time Series: SRU leads 86-43
Last Played: April 5, 2025 (GU swept doubleheader)
SERIES HISTORY
Slippery Rock has taken six of the last eight games from the Golden Knights to improve its record in the all-time series to 86-43. SRU has not lost to Gannon at Critchfield Park since 2023. A year ago, The Rock and Golden Knights split the season series with each team winning twice on their respective home field.
Top SRU Performers vs. GU
Gage Gillott: 1-0 – 6.2 IP – 1.35 ERA – 7 K / 3 BB - .167 OBA (1 Appearance)
Gage Gillott: .370 (10-23) – 10 Runs – 6 RBI – 2 BB (7 Games)
Brandon Butler: .542 (13-24) – 6 Runs – 6 RBI – 2 2B – 4 BB (8 Games)
Michael Kitko: .280 (7-25) – 5 Runs – 5 RBI – 2 BB (8 Games)
Stone Powell: .444 (4-9) – 1 Run – 2 RBI – 2 2B (4 Games)
Clay Wiesen: .286 (4-14) – 1 Run – 2 RBI – (4 Games)
Nate Malak: 2-1 – 15.1 IP – 4.11 ERA – 15 K / 1 BB - .303 OBA (3 Appearances)
Mark Wilbur: 1 Save – 7 IP – 0.00 ERA – 12 K / 1 BB - .130 OBA (2 Appearances)
SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
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Stats: Link
•
Roster: Link
•
Overall Record: 17-11
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PSAC West Record: 5-7
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PSAC West Standings: t-5th
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NCBWA Atlantic Region Top 10: 7th
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Home Record: 11-7
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Away Record: 3-4
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Neutral Site Record: 3-0
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Streak: W1
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Last 5 Games: 3-2
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Head Coach: Jeff Messer | 41st season (1,171-771-5 / .603)
ROCK LEADERS
Hitting
Hits: Stone Powell – 37
Runs: Gage Gillott – 24
Doubles: Gage Gillott – 13
Home Runs: Powell/Kitko/Callahan – 4
RBIs: Michael Kitko – 30
Walks: Gage Gillott – 23
Batting Average: Jake Robinson – .383
On-Base %: Gage Gillott – .500
Slugging %: Stone Powell – .630
OPS: Stone Powell /
Gage Gillott – 1.074
Pitching
Wins: Warnsman / Hogge / Hare – 3
Saves: Joey Vanzin /
Mark Wilbur - 4
ERA: Joey Vanzin – 3.13
WHIP: Joey Vanzin - 1.22
Opp. Batting Average: Zachary Hare – .197
Innings Pitched: Cole Grady – 24.0
Strikeouts: Cole Grady – 33
LAST TIME OUT
Slippery Rock and IUP traded wins as part of a four-game PSAC West series that featured a pair of split doubleheaders.
Game 1: IUP 8 – SRU 7 (9 Inn.)
Game 2: SRU 8 – IUP 1
Game 3: IUP 9 – SRU 5
Game 4: SRU 9 – IUP 3
PSAC WEST STANDINGS CHECK
This weekend marks the fourth division series of the year for the PSAC West. With 16 divisional games remaining in the regular season, Slippery Rock enters the Gannon series in a tie with IUP for fifth place in the PSAC West standings.
• Good or unfortunate, only Seton Hill and Lock Haven have separated from the pack of the in the eight-team division as SHU sits in first place with a perfect 12-0 league record while the Bald Eagles are in eighth place at 1-10.
• Between Seton Hill and Lock Haven are six teams that sit just three games apart from one another.
• Gannon and California are deadlocked in second place via matching 7-5 PSAC West records, while Clarion holds sole possession of fourth place (6-5) followed by SRU (5-7) and IUP (5-7) in fifth place with Pitt-Johnstown occupying seventh place at 4-8 inside the conference.
• In a shift in format form past years, the top five teams in the divisional standings from both the PSAC West and PSAC East at the end of the regular season qualify for this year's single-elimination PSAC Tournament that will be held at Critchfield Park.
• Slippery Rock has qualified for the PSAC Tournament in three of the last four years.
This Week's PSAC West Series Schedule
Seton Hill vs. Pitt-Johnstown
Gannon vs. Slippery Rock
California vs. Clarion
IUP vs. Lock Haven
THE ROCK'S RECORD WHEN/IN…
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In 1-Run Games: 4-1
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When Scoring 6-9 Runs: 8-5
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When Scoring 10+ Runs: 5-0
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When Holding Opponents to 0-5 Runs: 16-3
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When Leading After 5 Innings: 14-1
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When Out-Hitting Opponents: 13-0
HOME SWEET HOME
Since Critchfield Park's stadium renovation in 2020, Slippery Rock has recorded a 94-53 (.639) overall regular season home record. SRU is 11-7 at Critchfield Park in 2026.
ROCK PITCHING STAFF AMONG D2'S BEST
Slippery Rock's pitching staff enters the Gannon series ranked ninth among 249 Division II teams in strikeouts per nine innings (9.8), 11th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.46), 33rd in walks allowed per nine innings (3.98) and 49th in ERA (5.4).
ROCK INDIVIDUALS ON D2 LEADERBOARDS (Top 100)
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Gage Gillott: Doubles per game (17th / 0.46)
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Michael Kitko: Toughest to Strikeout (28th / 1 strikeout every 15.2 at-bats)
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Joey Vanzin: Saves (32nd / 4)
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Mark Wilbur: Saves (32nd / 4)
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Stone Powell: Doubles per game (36th / 0.43)
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Stone Powell: Total doubles (57th / 13)
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Treston Nemeth: Toughest to Strikeout (77th / 1 strikeout every 12.1 at-bats)
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Treston Nemeth: Doubles per game (77th / 0.38)
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Gage Gillott: Total doubles (92nd / 12)
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Gage Gillott: Walks per game (95th / 0.82)
STACKING UP EXTRA-BASE HITS
95 of The Rock's 281 hits (33.8 percent) in 2026 have been of the extra base variety (66 doubles / 10 triples / 19 home runs). For context, SRU's percentage of hits that went for extra bases in 2025 was .267 and in 2024 was .312. The last time SRU closed a season with at least 35 percent of its total hits being for extra bases was in 2023 (.373).
HIT MACHINES
Slippery Rock has recorded double-digit hits in eight of its last 10 games played. The uptick in hit production has resulted in SRU scoring 8.0 runs per game – up from 7.0 runs per game in its first 18 contests of 2026.
GANNON SERIES BY THE NUMBERS
Offensively Speaking
• Through 24 games Slippery Rock has averaged 7.4 runs per game on 10.0 hits and 4.1 walks a contest. Collectively, SRU is hitting .331 with a.420 team on-base percentage.
• Slippery Rock leads the PSAC in doubles (66) and doubles per game (2.36) while ranking second in the 17-team conference in batting average, fourth in runs scored per game, fourth in hits (281) and fourth in slugging percentage (.499).
• Gannon enters the weekend with per game averages of 5.4 runs, 8.3 hits and 3.4 walks while batting .283 with a .371 on-base percentage. The Golden Knights rank in the middle to bottom of the PSAC in most offensive statistics. But are fourth in doubles per game (1.93) and fifth in home runs per game (0.90).
The Pitching Staffs
• The Rock's pitching staff has limited opponents to 4.9 runs per game on 8.3 hits and 3.2 walks surrendered a game while possessing a 5.04 staff ERA and .287 opponent batting average.
• Golden Knights pitchers hold a 7.62 team ERA with opponents hitting .321 helping to result in 6.9 runs per game allowed, the third highest number of runs given up a contest in the PSAC.
THE ROCK OF LATE
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Cole Grady has given up just two earned runs in his last 15.1 innings pitched across three appearances. Grady, The Rock's strikeout leader on the year, has registered 28 punchouts in his previous three outings.
• A hit in game one of the Gannon series would push
Michael Kitko's hitting streak to 11 games and match his longest stretch of consecutive games with a hit in his collegiate career.
• His current 10-game hitting streak has seen Kitko take sole possession of the team lead in RBI and move into a tie for first place in home runs while going 19-for-38 at the plate with eight runs, 16 RBIs, four extra-base hits (2 HR, 1 2B, 1 3B) and two walks).
• In The Rock's five games last week (1 vs. Fairmont State / 4 vs. IUP),
Gage Gillott went 9-for-20 (.450) from the plate with six runs, one home run and 10 RBIs.
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Jake Robinson posted three multi-hit games a week ago as part of a five-game stretch in which he was 10-for-18 (.556) with seven runs, four RBIs and a pair of stolen bases.
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Joey Vanzin has allowed just one run in his last five appearances (7.1 IP). He's picked up three saves with nine strikeouts and just five hits and two walks in that time frame.
• With six hits in his last 10 at-bats
Brandon Butler begins the weekend on a five-game hitting streak that has included two RBIs.
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Treston Nemeth has registered five multi-hit games in his last seven games.
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Max Bernadowski logged two multi-hit games during the IUP series, his first such games since going 3-for-3 as part of a 7-2 victory over Mansfield on March 15.
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Zachary Hare has not given up more than three hits in all six of his first collegiate starts. Only three of his 15 hits allowed have been of the extra base variety.
THE ROCK ROTATION
Slippery Rock's starting rotation in conference games has remained mostly consistent over the first three PSAC West series' with
Parker Hogge,
Cole Grady,
Gage Gillott and
Zachary Hare being the first to take the mound in their respective games.
• Grady has been very effective for The Rock this year in both his four starts and two relief appearances. The Glenville State transfer is 2-0 with a 3.75 ERA and .250 opponent batting average. Grady has struck out 33 batters over 24 innings. SRU has won five of the six games Grady has pitched in this season. He is coming off a 6.1-inning, one-run, nine-strikeout performance at IUP.
• Much like Grady, when Hare is on the mound The Rock is nearly assured a win as SRU is 5-1 in the six games he has pitched in. Opponents are hitting just .197 off Hare, who is 3-0 with a 3.86 ERA and 31 strikeouts over the first 21 innings pitched of his collegiate career.
• Rounding out the rotation has been Rock veterans Gillott (1-2, 7.62 ERA, 13 K, 13 IP) and Hogge (3-2, 7.23 ERA, 18 K, 23.2 IP), both of whom are more than capable of shutting down the opposing batting order.
OUT OF THE BULLPEN
Slippery Rock's relief pitchers of late have been headlined by
Joey Vanzin and
Nolan Comerford.
• Vanzin, who enters the Gannon series already ranked seventh at The Rock in career saves with eight, has been stellar when called upon. Already making a team-high 12 appearances, Vanzin has gone 1-1 with four saves a 3.13 ERA, .250 opponent batting average and 29 strikeouts with just six walks issued across 23 innings.
• Along with Hare, Comerford is another true freshman that Slippery Rock has relied on heavily during his rookie year. The first-year standout has proved up to the challenge as evidenced by compiling a 1.84 ER, .192 opponent batting average, 19 strikeouts, one save and just five walks in 14.2 innings pitched over nine games.
• In addition to being one of The Rock's top hitters,
Michael Kitko has also been a trusted reliever. He's made seven total appearances on the mound in 2026 (four relief / three starts), going 1-1 with a 5.96 ERA and 24 strikeouts over 22.2 innings. He has given up one run or less in three of his four relief outings this year.
• Vanzin and Kitko have combined to allow just four of their 15 inherited runners (26.7%) to score in 2026.
• The other Rock pitcher to make multiple relief appearances during PSAC West competition is
Kyle Warnsman (3-0, 3.38 ERA, 7 K, 10.2 IP)3.
AROUND THE DIAMOND
C: Treston Nemeth is The Rock's primary catcher. He's started 25 games behind the plate in 2026 with the only games he hasn't caught being non-conference contests. In addition to being one of three Rock hitters with double-digit double totals this season (10), Nemeth is also batting .365 with 16 runs, one home run, 20 RBIs and a .439 on-base percentage.
1B: The lone Rock infielder to have started all 28 games this season,
Stone Powell enters the Gannon series batting .370 with 23 runs, four home runs, 22 RBIs and a .444 on-base percentage. Powell holds sole possession in team leads for The Rock in hits (37) and slugging percentage (.630) while being tied for the team lead in home runs.
2B: One half of a strong defensive middle infield unit,
Clay Wiesen has started 18 consecutive games for SRU. In addition to his defensive prowess, Wiesen bats .317 with 17 runs, one home run and seven RBIs.
3B: Slippery Rock has used a platoon of
Max Bernadowski (13 starts),
Brandon Butler (10 starts) and
Brett Galcik (5 starts) at third base. Bernadowski, a .290 hitter with .398 on-base percentage, is one of four Rock athletes to have scored 20+ runs already with 21 to go with two home runs and nine RBIs. Butler is also starting to get hot at the plate. Three of Galcik's six hits have been extra-base knocks (two doubles / one triple).
SS: Jake Robinson has made all 25 of his starts at shortstop. He heads into the Gannon series hitting a team-best .383 with 23 runs, 21 RBIs, 12 walks and a .455 on-base percentage.
LF: One of the top all-around talents in the entire Atlantic Region,
Gage Gillott can play anywhere in the outfield (21 starts in left field / 3 in centerfield) all the while posting team-highs in on-base percentage (.500), runs scored (24), stolen bases (7), walks (23) and doubles (13) to go with a .372 batting average 24 runs, two home runs and 22 RBIs.
CF: Centerfield duties have been primarily handled by
Morgen Billotte (15 starts - .250/.333./.333, 13 Runs, 10 RBIs) and
Luke Anderton (10 starts - .324/.405./.378, 10 Runs, 9 RBIs).
RF: Darryn Callahan has been The Rock's starting right fielder in 26 of 28 games. One of three SRU batters with four home runs, Callahan is also hitting .325 with a .429 on-base percentage, 17 runs and 21 RBIs.
DH: Of
Michael Kitko's 25 starts in 2026, 20 have come as The Rock's designated hitter. He's in the middle of what's shaping up to be a career-year at the plate with a slash line of .374/.412/.604 in addition to 19 runs and team-highs of four home runs and 30 RBIs. When not serving as SRU's DH, Kitko has made five starts as a corner outfielder.
HITTING WHEN IT MATTERS (RISP)
t1.
Treston Nemeth: .500 (15-30)
t1.
Jake Robinson: .500 (14-28)
3.
Michael Kitko: .432 (16-37)
4.
Stone Powell: .389 (14-36)
5.
Gage Gillott: .385 (10-26)
6.
Morgen Billotte: .350 (7-20)
TOP ACTIVE HITTING STREAKS
1.
Michael Kitko: 10
2.
Treston Nemeth: 7
3.
Clay Wiesen: 6
t4.
Brandon Butler: 5
t4.
Jake Robinson: 5
TOP ACTIVE REACHED BASE STREAKS
1.
Stone Powell: 12
t2.
Gage Gillott: 11
t2.
Michael Kitko: 11
4.
Clay Wiesen: 8
5.
Treston Nemeth: 7
MESSER THREE WINS FROM ANOTHER MILESTONE
Slippery Rock head coach
Jeff Messer begins the Gannon series with 1,171 wins, just three victories away from tying John Goelz (Sonoma State, 1985-24) for seventh place on Division II baseball's career wins ledger.
DII Coaching Wins (All-Time)
1. John Schaly (Ashland, Active): 1,372
2. Mike Metheny (Southeastern Ok., 1981-17): 1,324
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): 1,233
7. John Goelz (Sonoma State, 1985-24): 1,174
8. Jeff Messer (Slippery Rock): 1,171
9. Mike Sansing (Shorter/Kennesaw, 1989-21): 1,158
10. Chris Hanks (Colorado Mesa, Active): 1,145
DII Coaching Wins (Active)
1. John Schaly (Ashland): 1,372
2. Greg Guilliams (Flagler): 1,233
3. Jeff Messer (Slippery Rock): 1,171
4. Chris Hanks (Colorado Mesa): 1,145
5. Joe Urso (Tampa): 1,090
UPCOMING STAT MILESTONES FOR SRU
Hits
Gage Gillott: 19 from 150
Michael Kitko: 21 from 150
Brandon Butler: 25 from 125
Treston Nemeth: 23 from 100
Stone Powell: 24 from 100
Clay Wiesen: 3 from 75
Runs Scored
Gage Gillott: 13 from 100
RBI
Michael Kitko: 13 from 100
Gage Gillott: 5 from 75
Doubles
Stone Powell: 3 from 25
Michael Kitko: 4 from 25
Wins
Nate Malak: 3 from 15
Gage Gillott: 3 from 15
Parker Hogge: 2 from 10
Saves
Mark Wilbur: 2 from 15
Joey Vanzin: 2 from 10
Innings Pitched
Nate Malak: 24 from 175
Gage Gillott: 1.1 from 125
Parker Hogge: 10.1 from 125
Mark Wilbur: 0.2 from 100
Strikeouts
Nate Malak: 20 from 150
Gage Gillott: 14 from 125
Mark Wilbur: 15 from 125
Parker Hogge: 9 from 100
Michael Kitko: 17 from 100
*Only stats for games played at SRU
RECORD WATCH
Saves
1. Wyatt Daugherty (2016-19): 18
2. John Kovalik (2011-14): 16
3. Ken Ord (1987-90): 14
4. Mark Wilbur: 13
t5. Matt Jones (1993-95): 9
t5. Ryan Oglesby (2011-15): 9
t7. Joey Vanzin: 8
t7. Tim Dickinson (1991-92): 8
Strikeouts (17-20)
17. Matt Gordon (2016-18): 142
18. George Hebert (2009-11): 139
19. Kevin Talmadge (1991-94): 137
20. Joby Lapkowicz (2010-12): 133
Top Active: Nate Malak: 130
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
April 14: at Walsh
April 17: vs. Lock Haven (DH Game 1)
April 17: vs. Lock Haven (DH Game 2)
April 18: at Lock Haven (DH Game 1)
April 18: at Lock Haven (DH Game 2)
GANNON PRIMER
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Stats: Link
•
Roster: Link
•
Overall Record: 13-16
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PSAC West Record: 7-5
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PSAC West Standings: t-2nd
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Home Record: 4-3
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Away Record: 6-8
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Neutral Site Record: 3-5
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Streak: W6
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Last 5 Games: 5-0
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Head Coach: DJ Cannon | Fifth season at GU (92-118 / .438)
LAST 5 GAMES
April 4: vs. California (W, 4-3)
April 4: vs. California (W, 4-1)
April 3: vs. California (W, 9-7 - 9 Inn.)
April 3: vs. California (W, 6-5)
March 31: vs. D'Youville (W, 11-9)
TOP HITTERS
Dom Costello: .337 (32-95) – 15 Runs – 14 RBI – .407 OB%
Ian Soto: .333 (31-93) – 17 Runs – 6 HR - 24 RBI – .436 OB%
Hunter Troiano: .323 (32-99) – 18 Runs – 2 HR - 19 RBI – .382 OB%
Matt Smith: .314 (27-86) – 18 Runs – 4 HR - 19 RBI – .404 OB%
Wes Parker: .247 (23-93) – 16 Runs – 6 HR - 16 RBI – .286 OB%
TOP PITCHERS
Ryan Hood: 3-2 – 30.2 IP – 9.10 ERA – 26 K / 9 BB - .310 OBA
Jacob Engel: 3-2 – 35 IP – 6.17 ERA – 27 K / 8 BB - .301 OBA
Nolan Smith: 1-4 – 29.1 IP – 5.83 ERA – 20 K / 13 BB - .318 OBA
Hunter Steinke: 0-2 – 20 IP – 9.00 ERA – 8 K / 6 BB - .395 OBA
Logan Ayres: 1-3, 4 SV – 15.1 IP – 4.11 ERA – 18 K / 14 BB - .220 OBA
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock returns to midweek play when it travels to Walsh 3 p.m. April 14. The Rock beat the Cavaliers, 5-0, at Critchfield Park earlier in the season.
T
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