THE SERIES
Teams: Wright State (0-0, 0-0 HL)
             No. 2 Vanderbilt (0-0, 0-0 SEC)
Location: Hawkins Field / Nashville, TN
 
After more than 11 months, the Wright State baseball team returns to the diamond this weekend to open the 2021 season by traveling to take on No. 2 Vanderbilt, the first of back-to-back series against SEC opponents to begin the year.

The series, originally slated to begin on Friday afternoon, has seen its schedule altered due to inclement weather in the Nashville area. The Raiders and Commodores will also not play on Saturday, but both teams have agreed on extending the series to Monday if needed. Officials will continue to monitor conditions and will announce schedule updates at a later time.

Fans can follow the action with live stats each gameand the series will also be broadcast on SEC Network+. All links are available on the team's schedule page.
 
Probable Starters
Game 1:
WSU: Jake Schrand, RHP, Jr.
VAN: Kumar Rocker, RHP, So.
 
Game 2:
WSU: Austin Cline, RHP, RSr. 
VAN: Jack Leiter, RHP, So.
 
Game 3:
WSU: Bradley Brehmer, RHP, So.
VAN: Thomas Schultz, RHP, Jr.


LAST TIME OUT
Wright State used was 6-9 in the eventually-shortened 2020 season, playing 14 of 15 contests away from home. The Raiders played 10 of their 15 games against nationally ranked opponents last season, and won four of their last five contests – including a series win at then-No. 11 Tennessee – before the remainder of the season was put on hold and ultimately canceled due to the pandemic. Wright State made the most of the shortened season, with three of its six wins coming against ranked programs, including a 10-3 victory at then-No. 1 Louisville on February 19. The Raiders won the series opener at then-No. 11 Tennessee on March 6 by a 5-4 score and capped the weekend and earned the series win with a 6-3 victory on March 8. Wright State's two wins at Tennessee turned out to be the Volunteers' only two losses.

PRESEASON ATTENTION
Wright State was unanimously picked atop the Horizon League preseason poll. The Raiders, who have won five Horizon League championships over the last 10 seasons and averaged 37 wins per year during that stretch, have eight of the Horizon League's top 20 2021 Draft prospects, according to D1Baseball.com. The publication also tabbed Tyler Black as its HL preseason player of the year and RHP Justin Hornschemeier as its HL preseason freshman of the year ahead of the season. Perfect Game seems to agree with D1Baseball.com, also labeling Black as its HL preseason player of the year and Hornschemeier as its HL preseason freshman of the year. Additionally, Perfect Game has four Raiders on its 15-player preseason all-conference team, calling Black its top draft prospect in the Horizon League. Joining Black on the PG team were: Damon Dues, who had 28 stolen bases in 2019; Jake Schrand, who had a 1.26 ERA and has allowed just three earned runs in his last 18 appearances; and Julian Greenwell, a two-way player who had 11 strikeouts in 6.2 innings in 2020 and also hit .270 in 37 at-bats.

BLACK'S GOLDEN SPIKES
Tyler Black was named as one of the 55 players on the preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list by USA Baseball, becoming the third Wright State player to be recently featured on the Golden Spikes Award watch lists, joining former Raider infielder Jeremy Hamilton, who was on the preseason watch list in 2008, and former left-handed pitcher Danny Sexton, who was named to the midseason watch list in 2017.