Slippery Rock University Athletics

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University baseball team's 2026 season concluded Wednesday following a 3-0 loss to Shepherd University on day one of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament at Critchfield Park.
 
Slippery Rock's season ends with SRU in possession of 30-18 record for what was the program's second 30-win season in as many years. The visiting Rams improve to 29-22 and keep their championship hopes alive with the win.
 
SRU was led on the day by Gage Gillott (3-3). Playing in his final game at The Rock, Gillott accounted for a third of Slippery Rock's hits after going 2-for-4 at the plate in addition to scattering two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks with six strikeouts over five innings pitched.
 
Both of Gillott's hits went for doubles, giving him 20 on the season and 36 in his career. He leaves SRU ranked 19th in program history for doubles all-time.
 
Joey Vanzin was The Rock's first pitcher out of the bullpen. The second team All-PSAC West reliever threw three innings, allowing one run and striking out five batters. Freshman Nolan Comerford also pitched one scoreless inning.
 
Vanzin and Comerford appeared in 20 and 19 games, respectively, in 2026 which ranks as the fourth and fifth most appearances in a single season at SRU.
 
Treston Nemeth, Michael Kitko, Clay Wiesen and Morgen Billotte all had one hit apiece for The Rock as well. James Miller registered the team's lone walk of the day.
 
Kitko's .403 batting average in 2026 is tied with Joel Spishock (2022) and Tyler Walters (2018) for the second highest average in a season for a Rock athlete in the last decade behind only Jon Kazarian's .421 batting average in 2021.
 
Gillott controlled the game early on, striking out four batters over the opening two innings before throwing a shutout frame in the third.
 
The Rock's first legitimate scoring threat came in the bottom of the third inning when Gillott drove a two-out double to left field followed by Max Bernadowski being hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. However, Shepherd's Allen Miller got out of the jam by forcing an inning-ending flyout.
 
The Rams broke the scoreless tie a half inning later courtesy of Nik Rubendall, who drove a shot to right-centerfield that cleared the fence for a solo home run. Shepherd added to its lead in the fifth when Bodie Pullen tripled and then took advantage of a Rock error the next at-bat to score, giving SU a 2-0 lead.
 
Slippery Rock appeared poised to finally breakthrough against Miller in the bottom of the fifth when it loaded the bases with no outs courtesy of a Miller walk, Billotte single and Gillott being hit by a pitch. However, Shepherd induced three consecutive ground balls that were fielded on the left side of the infield and thrown home for force outs to keep The Rock scoreless.
 
Miller went on to record 12 more outs with Sam Hefner adding an insurance RBI in the ninth to finish off the complete-game 3-0 tournament shutout. Miller struck out six Rock batters in his 121-pitch outing.
 
Both The Rock and Rams recorded six hits in the game. Slippery Rock left 10 runners on base, with Shepherd close behind at eight.
 
Shepherd moves on to meet West Chester University 4:30 p.m. Thursday on day two of the PSAC Tournament. Slippery Rock has now recorded six winning seasons in the last seven years.







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