THE SERIES
Teams: Wright State (2-5, 0-0 HL)
             Auburn (7-3, 0-0 SEC)
Location: Plainsman Park / Auburn, AL
 
The Wright State baseball team continues its 2020 season-opening road swing back down south in the SEC this weekend, traveling to take on Auburn in a three-game series beginning Friday afternoon. The Raiders are coming off of a 1-2 weekend at Western Kentucky, while Auburn was swept at home against UCF.

Fans can follow the action with live stats each day. All links are available on the team's schedule page.
 
Probable Starters
Friday:
WSU: Daniel Kreuzer, RHP, RJr.
AUB: Tanner Burns, RHP, Jr.
 
Saturday:
WSU: Bradley Brehmer, RHP, So.
AUB: Jack Owen, LHP, Jr.
 
Sunday:
WSU: Austin Cline, RHP, RSr.
AUB: Bailey Horn, LHP, RJr.

LAST TIME OUT
Wright State dropped two of three at Western Kentucky last weekend, winning the series finale on Sunday afternoon. The Raiders outhit the Hilltoppers for the weekend, 28-27, and both sides produced seven extra base hits. The difference came on the basepaths, where the Raiders left eight more runners stranded than Western Kentucky while having 10 additional at-bats as a team over the three-game stretch (108-98). Gehrig Anglin tallied a .462 weekend average with two extra base hits and three RBI in with his nine total bases, while Konner Piotto was right behind him with two RBI of his own along with a .444 weekend average and five total bases.

On the mound, 10 different Raiders made appearances over the weekend, none appearing in more than one contest. Reliever Jake Schrand struck out three over three innings to pick up the save on Sunday, while starters Daniel Kreuzer and Austin Cline each recorded five strikeouts in their second starts of the year.  

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. 

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.