Raiders Open 2020 at Mississippi State this Weekend

Friday, February 14

Starkville, MS

2:00 PM

Wright State University

Mississippi State

2/13/2020 11:15:00 AM | Baseball

Weekend Preview with Coach Sogard

THE SERIES
Teams: Wright State (0-0, 0-0 HL)
Mississippi State (0-0, 0-0 SEC)
Location: Dudy Noble Field / Starkville, MS

The Wright State baseball team begins its 2020 season this weekend with a series against Mississippi State out of the SEC. The Raiders are coming off of a Horizon League regular-season title in 2019, finishing the season with a record of 42-17 with a 22-8 mark in Horizon League play. Mississippi State was 52-15 overall last season with a 20-10 mark in the SEC.

Fans can follow the action with live stats each day and the series will also be streamed on the SEC Network+. All links are available on the team's schedule page.

Probable Starters
Friday:
WSU: Daniel Kreuzer, RHP, RJr.
MSU: JT Ginn, RHP, So.

Saturday:
WSU: Bradley Brehmer, RHP, So.
MSU: Christian MacLeod, LHP, R-Fr.

Sunday:
WSU: Austin Cline, RHP, RSr.
MSU: Eric Cerantola, RHP, So.

RETURNING TO THE FIELD
Wright State returns 21 players from last season's team, including sophomore infielder Tyler Black, who was named to the 2019 Horizon League First Team and All-Freshman Team after hitting .353 with 11 doubles, seven home runs and 41 RBI in 52 games in his first campaign. Fellow infielder Damon Dues was also named to the HL All-Freshman Team in 2019, as the now-redshirt sophomore hit .307 with 14 extra base hits and 33 RBI in 52 games. In the outfield, redshirt senior Alex Alders returns after a .242 average in 2019 with 14 extra base hits and 20 RBI in 42 games.

On the mound, now-sophomore Bradley Brehmer turned in a 7-0 record in 2019 as a freshman, recording 42 strikeouts in 72 innings of work with 11 starts (14 total appearances) and was named to the 2019 Horizon League Second Team and All-Freshman Team.

ROAD TRIP
Wright State begins the 2020 season with its first 14 contests on the road, a common theme for teams from the northern states. The Raiders will travel to take on three SEC foes in weekend series (Mississippi State, Auburn, Tennessee), play a midweek contest with Louisville out of the ACC, and travel to play at Western Kentucky, along with a short trip to take on in-state foe Miami (OH), before its first scheduled home game on March 10.

The Raiders were 14-10 on the road last season, playing their first eight games on the road and tallying a 4-4 mark in that first swing – including wins at then-No. 9 East Carolina, then-No. 10 Ole Miss and then-No. 19 Oklahoma State.

AWARDS SEASON
Wright State earned nine honors from the Horizon League last season, including winning Coach of the Year (Alex Sogard), Player of the Year (Peyton Burdick), and Freshman of the Year (Tyler Black).

Along with these three specialty awards, the Raiders also boasted six players on the All-Horizon League First Team, including Seth Gray, Tyler Black, JD Orr, Zach Weatherford, Peyton Burdick, and Bear Bellomy. Shortstop Chase Slone and starting pitcher Bradley Brehmer were named to the All-Horizon League Second Team, while Black, Brehmer, and Damon Dues were honored on the All-Freshman Team.

The six First-Team selections for Wright State tied the programs' most all-time, tying the record set back in 2011. Sogard became the third Raider head coach in the last four years to win the HL's Coach of the Year honor, while Tyler Black became the eighth Freshman of the Year honoree for Wright State since 2001. The Raiders took Player of the Year honors for the second straight year with Burdick after Gabe Snyder earned the honor in 2018.

2019 MLB DRAFTEES
Outfielder Peyton Burdick was selected by the Miami Marlins in the third round and 82nd overall of the 2019 MLB Draft, becoming the third highest to ever be drafted for Wright State baseball behind Brian Anderson, who went third overall in the first round in 1993 to the California Angels and Keith Gordon, who went 47th overall in the second-round of 1990 draft by the Cincinnati Reds.

Infielder Seth Gray became the seventh-highest Raider player ever drafted when he was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the fourth round and 119th overall. Additionally, outfielder JD Orr was selected by the Miami Marlins in the 10th round (291st overall) and right-handed pitcher Bear Bellomy was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 28th round (844th overall).