Baseball welcomes Dayton for home opener
3/7/2022 2:00:00 PM | Baseball
DAYTON — The Wright State baseball program welcomes crosstown rival Dayton to Nischwitz Stadium for its home opener on Wednesday, March 8. The midweek matchup is slated for a 3 p.m. start. Fans can follow the action with live stats.Â
Tuesday, March 8 - 3 p.m. - Tickets - Live Stats
Probable Starters:
WSU RHP Sam Wirsing (0-0, 9.00 ERA, 4.0 IP)
UD RHP Anthony Hattrup (1-0, 1.35 ERA, 6.2 IP)
LAST TIME OUT
Wright State went 1-2 last weekend at Virginia Tech. The Raiders knocked off the Hokies 11-5 in the series opener, handing the home squad their first loss of the 2022 season. Tech answered back with consecutive wins by final scores of 9-3 and 17-1, respectively.Â
GOOD TO BE HOME
A season ago, Wright State went 21-1 (.954) at Nischwitz Stadium, good for the highest home winning percentage in NCAA Division I. The Raiders were one of just eight D1 programs in the country to finish the year with a home winning streak of nine or more games. Since 2014, WSU has boasted a combined record of 146-26 (.848) at home.Â
BATS COME ALIVE
WSU exploded for a season-high 19 hits in their 11-5 win over Virginia Tech. Eight Raiders had multi-hit performances in the series-opening win, led by Andrew Patrick, who went 3-for-4 with two doubles and four runs batted in. Justin McConnell batted 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while the trio of Alec Sayre, Zane Harris, and Jay Luikart reached base three times on two hits and a walk. Julian Greenwell contributed offensively by going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a hit by pitch.Â
THE REAL DEAL
Against Virginia Tech (3/4), Garret Simpson pitched 4.2 innings out of the bullpen, allowing just one run on three hits and no walks while also punching out four batters. The strong outing led to his first-career win as a Raider. On the season, Simpson leads the pitching staff in earned run average (3.72), opponent batting average (.243), and least walks allowed (0).Â
HEATING UP
The Raiders possessed a .294 team batting average against Virginia Tech. Four starters in McConnell, Anglin, Luikart, and Patrick batted above .400 over the three-game stretch.Â
SCOUTING THE FLYERS
Dayton is off to a 7-3 start to the 2022 campaign, highlighted by series victories at North Carolina A&T, Evansville, and Belmont. UD has been aggressive on the base paths with 18 steals on 26 attempts, while the pitching staff has limited opponents to 4.45 runs per game. The Flyers have shown an ability to close out games, as all seven victories have been decided by four or fewer runs.Â
Last season, the Flyers were just shy of an NCAA Regional appearance, falling to VCU in the Atlantic 10 Championship title game. Dayton finished 12-4 in conference play, good for the program's highest winning percentage since the 2009 season. Headlining UD's lineup is Marcos Pujols, a First Team All-Conference honoree who was recently named to the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List.Â
HISTORY VS. DAYTON
The Raiders have won 16-straight games against Dayton dating back to the 2009 season. The teams last met in 2019, when Wright State defeated the Flyers 8-7. Zane Harris went 1-for-1 in the win as a pinch hitter. Henry Von Hollen and Bradley Deboutte had scoreless outings in relief.Â
VETERAN LEADER
Anglin leads the Raiders in home runs (4), RBIs (7), runs scored (8), walks (6), stolen bases (3), and OPS (1.158). The redshirt junior has homered in three of his last four games and has reached base safely in every contest this season.Â
BALL MAGNET
Julian Greenwell was plunked in four consecutive plate appearances at Georgia Tech and five times overall in the season-opening series. Over the last six games, the third-year sophomore has been hit on three occasions, increasing his total to seven. He was hit four times in 39 career games coming into the season. To date, Greenwell ranks fourth nationally in hit by pitch per game (0.78) and ninth in total hit by pitch (7). As a team, Wright State leads the Horizon League in HBP (15).
"POWER 5" DOMINANCE
After defeating Virginia Tech last Friday, Wright State has knocked off a "Power Five" conference program 19 times since 2014.
2/16/14 — vs. Michigan State (Neutral Site) — W, 7-1
3/1/14 — at #4 Oregon State — W, 6-2
2/22/15 - at #18 Ole Miss — W, 3-1
3/1/15 — at #11 Miami — W, 12-6
5/31/15 — vs. Notre Dame (NCAA Regional) — W, 4-0
2/26/16 — at #8 NC State — W, 10-8
3/5/16 — at Georgia — W, 3-1
6/5/16 — vs. #20 Ohio State (NCAA Regional) — W, 7-3
2/17/17 — at #10 Clemson — W, 6-4
2/19/17 — at #10 Clemson — W, 9-2
2/26/17 — at #4 South Carolina — W, 5-1
3/5/17 — vs. Pittsburgh (Neutral site) — W, 3-1
2/16/19 — at #10 Ole Miss — W, 9-5
2/24/19 — at #19 Oklahoma State — W, 5-4
4/3/19 — at Indiana — W, 15-4
2/19/20 — at #1 Louisville — W, 10-3
3/6/20 — at #11 Tennessee — W, 5-4
3/8/20 — at #11 Tennessee — W, 6-3
3/4/22 — at Virginia Tech — W, 11-5Â
PRESEASON ATTENTION
The Raiders were projected to win the Horizon League in the conference's annual preseason poll, collecting 42 points and six first-place votes, ahead of UIC in second with 35 points. WSU also topped the D1Baseball.com preseason poll, in addition to Sass tabbing preseason Player of the Year and Andrew Patrick earning preseason Freshman of the Year.
TOP PROSPECTS
D1Baseball listed several WSU players as top positional and overall prospects ahead of the 2022 season. A pair of returners in Logan Tabeling and Sayre were listed as top 250 prospects for the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft. Sass was ranked 17th among D1 catchers, while Sayre checked in as the 19th-best outfielder. A fifth-year senior in Zane Harris was listed as the No. 21 first baseman in the site's positional rankings. Â
RETURNING TALENT
Offensively, WSU returns eight players that appeared in over half of its games last season. The group includes all-conference selections Sass, Sayre, and Harris. The pitching staff features nine individuals who made eight or more appearances, led by Jake Shirk, who went 7-0 with a 2.01 ERA in 22.1 innings of work as a freshman.
COACHING SUCCESS
Alex Sogard, the seventh-youngest active head coach in Division I baseball, is 84-47 at the helm of the Raiders. Among fourth-year D1 coaches entering the season, he possessed the top winning percentage (.680), fewest losses, and third-most wins. Sogard collected 2021 ABCA/ATEC East Coach of the Year honors after guiding WSU to the 2021 Knoxville Regional. The Phoenix, Arizona, native led the Raiders to a 42-17 record in 2019, the most wins by a first-year head coach in program history. Wright State beat three ranked teams in 2019 and took down top-ranked Louisville in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign before going 35-13 in 2021 on the way to the Horizon League regular season and tournament titles. In June 2021, Sogard was named to the 2021 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team coaching staff.Â
LEADING THE NATION
Wright State led Division I baseball in the following statistical categories a season ago:Â
» Batting average (.339)
» Doubles per game (2.71)
» On-base percentage (.447)
» Scoring (10.5)
» Slugging percentage (.579)
» Quincy Hamilton - Bases on balls per game (1.17)
» Quincy Hamilton - Runs per game (1.62)
WSU TO THE MAJORS
Wright State saw three total players selected in Major League Baseball's 2021 first-year player draft, along with another two signing free agent contracts. The three selections, all inside the top 10 rounds, give the Raiders 16 total draftees over the last seven drafts dating back to 2015 and 40 total players in program history.
Tuesday, March 8 - 3 p.m. - Tickets - Live Stats
Probable Starters:
WSU RHP Sam Wirsing (0-0, 9.00 ERA, 4.0 IP)
UD RHP Anthony Hattrup (1-0, 1.35 ERA, 6.2 IP)
LAST TIME OUT
Wright State went 1-2 last weekend at Virginia Tech. The Raiders knocked off the Hokies 11-5 in the series opener, handing the home squad their first loss of the 2022 season. Tech answered back with consecutive wins by final scores of 9-3 and 17-1, respectively.Â
GOOD TO BE HOME
A season ago, Wright State went 21-1 (.954) at Nischwitz Stadium, good for the highest home winning percentage in NCAA Division I. The Raiders were one of just eight D1 programs in the country to finish the year with a home winning streak of nine or more games. Since 2014, WSU has boasted a combined record of 146-26 (.848) at home.Â
BATS COME ALIVE
WSU exploded for a season-high 19 hits in their 11-5 win over Virginia Tech. Eight Raiders had multi-hit performances in the series-opening win, led by Andrew Patrick, who went 3-for-4 with two doubles and four runs batted in. Justin McConnell batted 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while the trio of Alec Sayre, Zane Harris, and Jay Luikart reached base three times on two hits and a walk. Julian Greenwell contributed offensively by going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a hit by pitch.Â
THE REAL DEAL
Against Virginia Tech (3/4), Garret Simpson pitched 4.2 innings out of the bullpen, allowing just one run on three hits and no walks while also punching out four batters. The strong outing led to his first-career win as a Raider. On the season, Simpson leads the pitching staff in earned run average (3.72), opponent batting average (.243), and least walks allowed (0).Â
HEATING UP
The Raiders possessed a .294 team batting average against Virginia Tech. Four starters in McConnell, Anglin, Luikart, and Patrick batted above .400 over the three-game stretch.Â
SCOUTING THE FLYERS
Dayton is off to a 7-3 start to the 2022 campaign, highlighted by series victories at North Carolina A&T, Evansville, and Belmont. UD has been aggressive on the base paths with 18 steals on 26 attempts, while the pitching staff has limited opponents to 4.45 runs per game. The Flyers have shown an ability to close out games, as all seven victories have been decided by four or fewer runs.Â
Last season, the Flyers were just shy of an NCAA Regional appearance, falling to VCU in the Atlantic 10 Championship title game. Dayton finished 12-4 in conference play, good for the program's highest winning percentage since the 2009 season. Headlining UD's lineup is Marcos Pujols, a First Team All-Conference honoree who was recently named to the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List.Â
HISTORY VS. DAYTON
The Raiders have won 16-straight games against Dayton dating back to the 2009 season. The teams last met in 2019, when Wright State defeated the Flyers 8-7. Zane Harris went 1-for-1 in the win as a pinch hitter. Henry Von Hollen and Bradley Deboutte had scoreless outings in relief.Â
VETERAN LEADER
Anglin leads the Raiders in home runs (4), RBIs (7), runs scored (8), walks (6), stolen bases (3), and OPS (1.158). The redshirt junior has homered in three of his last four games and has reached base safely in every contest this season.Â
BALL MAGNET
Julian Greenwell was plunked in four consecutive plate appearances at Georgia Tech and five times overall in the season-opening series. Over the last six games, the third-year sophomore has been hit on three occasions, increasing his total to seven. He was hit four times in 39 career games coming into the season. To date, Greenwell ranks fourth nationally in hit by pitch per game (0.78) and ninth in total hit by pitch (7). As a team, Wright State leads the Horizon League in HBP (15).
"POWER 5" DOMINANCE
After defeating Virginia Tech last Friday, Wright State has knocked off a "Power Five" conference program 19 times since 2014.
2/16/14 — vs. Michigan State (Neutral Site) — W, 7-1
3/1/14 — at #4 Oregon State — W, 6-2
2/22/15 - at #18 Ole Miss — W, 3-1
3/1/15 — at #11 Miami — W, 12-6
5/31/15 — vs. Notre Dame (NCAA Regional) — W, 4-0
2/26/16 — at #8 NC State — W, 10-8
3/5/16 — at Georgia — W, 3-1
6/5/16 — vs. #20 Ohio State (NCAA Regional) — W, 7-3
2/17/17 — at #10 Clemson — W, 6-4
2/19/17 — at #10 Clemson — W, 9-2
2/26/17 — at #4 South Carolina — W, 5-1
3/5/17 — vs. Pittsburgh (Neutral site) — W, 3-1
2/16/19 — at #10 Ole Miss — W, 9-5
2/24/19 — at #19 Oklahoma State — W, 5-4
4/3/19 — at Indiana — W, 15-4
2/19/20 — at #1 Louisville — W, 10-3
3/6/20 — at #11 Tennessee — W, 5-4
3/8/20 — at #11 Tennessee — W, 6-3
3/4/22 — at Virginia Tech — W, 11-5Â
PRESEASON ATTENTION
The Raiders were projected to win the Horizon League in the conference's annual preseason poll, collecting 42 points and six first-place votes, ahead of UIC in second with 35 points. WSU also topped the D1Baseball.com preseason poll, in addition to Sass tabbing preseason Player of the Year and Andrew Patrick earning preseason Freshman of the Year.
TOP PROSPECTS
D1Baseball listed several WSU players as top positional and overall prospects ahead of the 2022 season. A pair of returners in Logan Tabeling and Sayre were listed as top 250 prospects for the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft. Sass was ranked 17th among D1 catchers, while Sayre checked in as the 19th-best outfielder. A fifth-year senior in Zane Harris was listed as the No. 21 first baseman in the site's positional rankings. Â
RETURNING TALENT
Offensively, WSU returns eight players that appeared in over half of its games last season. The group includes all-conference selections Sass, Sayre, and Harris. The pitching staff features nine individuals who made eight or more appearances, led by Jake Shirk, who went 7-0 with a 2.01 ERA in 22.1 innings of work as a freshman.
COACHING SUCCESS
Alex Sogard, the seventh-youngest active head coach in Division I baseball, is 84-47 at the helm of the Raiders. Among fourth-year D1 coaches entering the season, he possessed the top winning percentage (.680), fewest losses, and third-most wins. Sogard collected 2021 ABCA/ATEC East Coach of the Year honors after guiding WSU to the 2021 Knoxville Regional. The Phoenix, Arizona, native led the Raiders to a 42-17 record in 2019, the most wins by a first-year head coach in program history. Wright State beat three ranked teams in 2019 and took down top-ranked Louisville in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign before going 35-13 in 2021 on the way to the Horizon League regular season and tournament titles. In June 2021, Sogard was named to the 2021 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team coaching staff.Â
LEADING THE NATION
Wright State led Division I baseball in the following statistical categories a season ago:Â
» Batting average (.339)
» Doubles per game (2.71)
» On-base percentage (.447)
» Scoring (10.5)
» Slugging percentage (.579)
» Quincy Hamilton - Bases on balls per game (1.17)
» Quincy Hamilton - Runs per game (1.62)
WSU TO THE MAJORS
Wright State saw three total players selected in Major League Baseball's 2021 first-year player draft, along with another two signing free agent contracts. The three selections, all inside the top 10 rounds, give the Raiders 16 total draftees over the last seven drafts dating back to 2015 and 40 total players in program history.
Players Mentioned
LHP
/ Baseball
LHP/OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
1B
/ Baseball
LHP/UTL
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballBaseball Highlights vs. UCF (5/10/23)
Tuesday, May 30
Baseball Highlights vs. Dayton (5/9/23)
Tuesday, May 30
Baseball Highlights vs. Ohio State (5/2/23)
Tuesday, May 30
Baseball Highlights vs. Youngstown State (4/14/23)
Tuesday, May 30
