Raidergang hits the road this weekend for the first time in HL play

THE SERIES
Teams: Wright State (8-5, 8-0 HL)
UIC (3-7, 2-2 HL)
Location: Curtis Granderson Stadium / Chicago, IL

The Wright State baseball team heads out on the road for thie first time in Horizon League play this weekend when the Raiders travel to take on UIC in a four-game Horizon League series. Wright State is coming off of a four-win series over Youngstown State and has won eight in a row, while UIC split its series with Milwaukee last weekend to begin its HL slate. The series gets started with a 4 p.m. first pitch on Friday, followed by a Saturday doubleheader with game one starting at 1 p.m. with game two to follow. The series wraps up with a 1 p.m. Sunday finale.

For Horizon League doubleheaders throughout the season, the first game will be a 7 inning game with the second game being a 9 inning game. If game one of the doubleheader goes extra innings then game two becomes a 7 inning game.

Fans can follow the action with live stats each game. All links are available on the team's schedule page. Friday's game and both contests on Saturday will be streamed on ESPN+.

PROBABLE STARTERS
Game 1:
WSU: Jake Schrand, RHP, Jr.
UIC: Jacob Key, RHP, Gr.

Game 2:
WSU: Bradley Brehmer, RHP, So.
UIC: Cristian Lopez, RHP, Sr.

Game 3:
WSU: Alex Theis, LHP, RSo.
UIC: Ryan O'Reilly, RHP, Gr.

Game 4:
WSU: Austin Cline, RHP, RSr.
UIC: Tanner Shears, RHP, Jr.

LAST TIME OUT
Wright State tallied its second straight four-game weekend sweep at home, this time over Youngstown State. The Raider offense turned in a pair of double-digit run totals, while connecting on 24 total extra-base hits, including 15 doubles and eight home runs. On the mound, Wright State held Youngstown State to 23 total hits and nine runs (eight earned) over the 34 innings, a 2.12 staff ERA. Sunday starter Austin Cline struck out 1 over seven innings to complete the weekend sweep, while all told, Wright State finished the weekend series raking up 32 strikeouts.

FLAMES PREVIEW
UIC is 2-2 in Horizon League play after splitting a home series with Milwaukee last weekend, winning the first two games before dropping a pair. The Flames did not play during the opening HL weekend of action two weeks ago. UIC is 3-7 on the season overall, sharing a common opponent with Wright State in Vanderbilt. The Flames dropped three games in Nashville, March 5-7, by scores of 15-0, 5-2 and 4-2. UIC opened the season at Florida International, winning the third game of the weekend series.

POLL TOPPERS
Wright State and UIC were selected as the top two teams in the Horizon League's preseason poll, with the Raiders collecting all seven first-place votes and UIC garnering 38 points.

BLACK NAMED HL BATTER OF THE WEEK
Tyler Black was named the Horizon League Batter of the Week on March 16 after he powered the Raiders to their second-straight four-game sweep over the weekend, finishing the weekend hitting .563 (9-for-16) with four home runs and a double while driving in eight RBIs. Black bookended the series against Youngstown State with a pair of two home run games, tallying his first two long balls and four-RBI game on Friday afternoon before a pair of homers and four RBIs in Sunday's finale. He added a double in Saturday's second game, also scoring six runs, drawing a walk and swiping a base over the weekend. His weekend slugging percentage was an astounding 1.375.

CLINE NAMED HL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Austin Cline was named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week on March 16 after he struck out 11 batters over 7.0 innings and allowed just one unearned run on Sunday afternoon to help Wright State wrap up the weekend sweep over Youngstown State. After allowing a run in the second, Cline retired nine Penguin batters in a row, and 10 of the next 11 overall, from the end of the second inning through the sixth before tallying two final strikeouts in the seventh. Cline allowed just four hits and had no walks to go along with his 11 strikeouts on the way to his second-straight Sunday victory.

Raidergang hits the road this weekend for the first time in HL play

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Players Mentioned

Tyler Black

Bradley Brehmer

Austin Cline

Austin Cline

Jake Schrand

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