Saturday, March 25
Dayton, OH
2 PM
Wright State University
vs
Oakland
Photo by: Alex Underwood
Baseball hosts Oakland for three-game series
3/24/2023 4:00:00 PM | Baseball
DAYTON — The Wright State baseball program hosts Oakland for a three-game series this weekend at Nischwitz Stadium. The conference set will start on Saturday, March 25, at 2 p.m. with a single nine-inning game. The second and third games of the series will be played as a noon doubleheader (both nine-inning games) on Sunday, March 26.
Admission will be free for the entirety of the series at Nischwitz Stadium. Sunday's opening game will stream live on ESPN+, while live stats will be available all weekend.
Game 1 - Saturday, March 25 - 2 p.m. - Live Stats
WSU RHP Jake Shirk (1-3, 7.13 ERA, 24.0 IP)
OAK RHP Bryce Konitzer (1-1, 5.54 ERA, 13.0 IP)
Game 2 - Sunday, March 26 - 12 p.m. - Watch - Live Stats
WSU LHP Sebastian Gongora (2-1, 3.00 ERA, 21.0 IP)
OAK RHP Hunter Pidek (0-0, 2.65 ERA, 17.0 IP)
Game 3 - Sunday, March 26 - 3 p.m. - Live Stats
WSU RHP Luke Stofel (0-2, 5.40 ERA, 18.1 IP)
OAK LHP Travis Densmore (1-2, 9.00 ERA, 23.0 IP)
LAST TIME OUT
The Raiders are coming off midweek victories over Ohio State (3-0) and Miami of Ohio (9-7) on the road. Alex Theis, Tristan Haught, and Jay Luikart combined for the three-hit shutout in Columbus. Parker Harrison broke a scoreless tie with his first collegiate home run in the top of the fifth inning. WSU totaled nine hits and nine free passes (6 walks & 3 HBP) in its win against the Redhawks. Andrew Patrick led the Raiders by going 2-for-3 at the plate with a double, a home run, two runs batted in, and two runs scored, in addition to a walk and a hit by pitch. Josh Laisure earned the winning decision after firing four shutout innings out of the bullpen, tallying a career-high five strikeouts in the process.
SO WE MEET AGAIN…
Wright State last met Oakland in the 2022 Horizon League Championship title game, defeating the Golden Grizzlies 24-0. WSU set single-game tournament records in runs scored, largest shutout margin (24), doubles (8), and RBI (23) in the blowout victory. The Raiders lead Oakland 46-13 in the all-time series, which dates back to 1979.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES
Oakland is 8-10 overall, 2-1 in the Horizon League, and on a three-game winning streak. The Golden Grizzlies opened conference action last weekend at Youngstown State, taking two out of three games from the Penguins. In non-conference play, OU boasts wins over Michigan (4-1), Wichita State (12-7), and Kansas (6-3).
The Golden Grizzlies top the HL with 13 sacrifice bunts while ranking third in triples (4), on-base percentage (.349), walks (90), stolen bases (27), and sacrifice flies (8). Gabe Lux has paced the offense with team-leading marks in batting (.322), doubles (8), and walks (13). Starting pitcher Hunter Pidek has a 2.65 ERA in 17.0 innings pitched.
WINNING WAYS
Wright State opened the 2023 season 3-9 overall but has followed with seven wins in its last eight games. The Raiders have outscored opponents 61-38 in the eight-game stretch, batting .303 with 19 doubles, four triples, and seven home runs while possessing a 3.50 team ERA.
TRIPLES FOR DAYS
The Raiders rank 35th nationally and first in the Horizon League with seven triples. Andrew Patrick has led the team with a conference-high three triples.
TEAM GUYS
Sammy Sass and Gehrig Anglin are tied for 35th nationally and first in the Horizon League with three sacrifice flies.
MR. CONSISTENT
Gehrig Anglin holds team-best marks in home runs (4), runs batted in (20), runs scored (19), walks (16), and stolen bases (9) through 20 starts in 2023. Last season, he tied a single-season school record in home runs with 16 while also leading the Horizon League in slugging percentage (.598), OPS (1.022), and hit by pitch (14).
HE CAN DO IT ALL
Jay Luikart — a preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper — is batting .325 with four doubles, one triple, three homers, nine RBI, and 17 runs scored over 20 starts. On the mound, he has totaled a team-leading three saves, most recently in Wright State's 3-0 win at Ohio State (3/22). The Ashland, Ohio native helped the Raiders defeat Kentucky 12-9 (2/25) after going 4-for-4 with a double, two homers, three RBI, and four runs, in addition to tossing the final two innings in relief for his first save of the year.
SLAMMIN' SAMMY
Sammy Sass is in the midst of an eight-game hitting streak, good for the longest stretch by a Raider this season. The junior finished with a season-high three hits, three RBI, and three runs scored against Purdue Fort Wayne on March 17.
STAY HOT, AP
Andrew Patrick has slashed .358/.469/.687 with seven doubles, three triples, three home runs, 12 RBI, and 19 runs scored through 19 starts in 2023. The Hilliard, Ohio native tops the Horizon League in triples, slugging percentage, and OPS (1.156) while ranking third in doubles, runs, stolen bases (9), and hit by pitch (4).
BATTER OF THE WEEK
Gehrig Anglin earned Horizon League Batter of the Week (3/14) for the first time in his collegiate career after batting .438 (7-for-16) with four doubles, a home run, five RBI, and five runs scored over four games. The redshirt senior recorded two three-hit performances and an extra-base hit in three games while also tallying two walks and a stolen base in the span.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Friday starter Jake Shirk earned Horizon League Pitcher of the Week (2/21) after firing six scoreless innings in Wright State's season-opening 8-3 victory at Hawaii (2/17). The junior right-hander allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out six batters over 76 pitches en route to his first win of the 2023 season. Hawaii did not reach scoring position on Shirk in his last five innings of work.
"POWER 5" DOMINANCE
Wright State has knocked off a "Power Five" conference program 21 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, 11-5
2/25/23 — at Kentucky — W, 12-9
3/21/23 at Ohio State — W, 3-0
VETERAN GROUP
WSU returns 16 letterwinners and 11 starters from last year's team, including eight All-Horizon League recipients. Gehrig Anglin and Julian Greenwell collected All-League First Team honors, while Jay Luikart, Jake Shirk, and Alex Theis were named to the Second Team. Sebastian Gongora, Andrew Patrick, and Justin Riemer earned spots on the All-Freshman Team.
PRO RAIDERS
Sean Murphy, drafted by the Oakland Athletics in 2016, and Peyton Burdick, drafted by the Miami Marlins in 2019, are the Raiders' two current Major League players. Murphy debuted with the Athletics in September 2019 and earned the Gold Glove award following the 2021 season. He signed a 6-year, $73 million contract extension with the Atlanta Braves in December 2022, which includes a $15 million club option for the 2029 season. Burdick made his debut for the Marlins in August 2022 and finished the season with four homers and 11 RBI. Joe Smith spent 15 years (2007-2022) in the big leagues as a reliever with eight different clubs and currently sits Top 40 all-time with 866 career pitching appearances.
Admission will be free for the entirety of the series at Nischwitz Stadium. Sunday's opening game will stream live on ESPN+, while live stats will be available all weekend.
Game 1 - Saturday, March 25 - 2 p.m. - Live Stats
WSU RHP Jake Shirk (1-3, 7.13 ERA, 24.0 IP)
OAK RHP Bryce Konitzer (1-1, 5.54 ERA, 13.0 IP)
Game 2 - Sunday, March 26 - 12 p.m. - Watch - Live Stats
WSU LHP Sebastian Gongora (2-1, 3.00 ERA, 21.0 IP)
OAK RHP Hunter Pidek (0-0, 2.65 ERA, 17.0 IP)
Game 3 - Sunday, March 26 - 3 p.m. - Live Stats
WSU RHP Luke Stofel (0-2, 5.40 ERA, 18.1 IP)
OAK LHP Travis Densmore (1-2, 9.00 ERA, 23.0 IP)
LAST TIME OUT
The Raiders are coming off midweek victories over Ohio State (3-0) and Miami of Ohio (9-7) on the road. Alex Theis, Tristan Haught, and Jay Luikart combined for the three-hit shutout in Columbus. Parker Harrison broke a scoreless tie with his first collegiate home run in the top of the fifth inning. WSU totaled nine hits and nine free passes (6 walks & 3 HBP) in its win against the Redhawks. Andrew Patrick led the Raiders by going 2-for-3 at the plate with a double, a home run, two runs batted in, and two runs scored, in addition to a walk and a hit by pitch. Josh Laisure earned the winning decision after firing four shutout innings out of the bullpen, tallying a career-high five strikeouts in the process.
SO WE MEET AGAIN…
Wright State last met Oakland in the 2022 Horizon League Championship title game, defeating the Golden Grizzlies 24-0. WSU set single-game tournament records in runs scored, largest shutout margin (24), doubles (8), and RBI (23) in the blowout victory. The Raiders lead Oakland 46-13 in the all-time series, which dates back to 1979.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES
Oakland is 8-10 overall, 2-1 in the Horizon League, and on a three-game winning streak. The Golden Grizzlies opened conference action last weekend at Youngstown State, taking two out of three games from the Penguins. In non-conference play, OU boasts wins over Michigan (4-1), Wichita State (12-7), and Kansas (6-3).
The Golden Grizzlies top the HL with 13 sacrifice bunts while ranking third in triples (4), on-base percentage (.349), walks (90), stolen bases (27), and sacrifice flies (8). Gabe Lux has paced the offense with team-leading marks in batting (.322), doubles (8), and walks (13). Starting pitcher Hunter Pidek has a 2.65 ERA in 17.0 innings pitched.
WINNING WAYS
Wright State opened the 2023 season 3-9 overall but has followed with seven wins in its last eight games. The Raiders have outscored opponents 61-38 in the eight-game stretch, batting .303 with 19 doubles, four triples, and seven home runs while possessing a 3.50 team ERA.
TRIPLES FOR DAYS
The Raiders rank 35th nationally and first in the Horizon League with seven triples. Andrew Patrick has led the team with a conference-high three triples.
TEAM GUYS
Sammy Sass and Gehrig Anglin are tied for 35th nationally and first in the Horizon League with three sacrifice flies.
MR. CONSISTENT
Gehrig Anglin holds team-best marks in home runs (4), runs batted in (20), runs scored (19), walks (16), and stolen bases (9) through 20 starts in 2023. Last season, he tied a single-season school record in home runs with 16 while also leading the Horizon League in slugging percentage (.598), OPS (1.022), and hit by pitch (14).
HE CAN DO IT ALL
Jay Luikart — a preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper — is batting .325 with four doubles, one triple, three homers, nine RBI, and 17 runs scored over 20 starts. On the mound, he has totaled a team-leading three saves, most recently in Wright State's 3-0 win at Ohio State (3/22). The Ashland, Ohio native helped the Raiders defeat Kentucky 12-9 (2/25) after going 4-for-4 with a double, two homers, three RBI, and four runs, in addition to tossing the final two innings in relief for his first save of the year.
SLAMMIN' SAMMY
Sammy Sass is in the midst of an eight-game hitting streak, good for the longest stretch by a Raider this season. The junior finished with a season-high three hits, three RBI, and three runs scored against Purdue Fort Wayne on March 17.
STAY HOT, AP
Andrew Patrick has slashed .358/.469/.687 with seven doubles, three triples, three home runs, 12 RBI, and 19 runs scored through 19 starts in 2023. The Hilliard, Ohio native tops the Horizon League in triples, slugging percentage, and OPS (1.156) while ranking third in doubles, runs, stolen bases (9), and hit by pitch (4).
BATTER OF THE WEEK
Gehrig Anglin earned Horizon League Batter of the Week (3/14) for the first time in his collegiate career after batting .438 (7-for-16) with four doubles, a home run, five RBI, and five runs scored over four games. The redshirt senior recorded two three-hit performances and an extra-base hit in three games while also tallying two walks and a stolen base in the span.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Friday starter Jake Shirk earned Horizon League Pitcher of the Week (2/21) after firing six scoreless innings in Wright State's season-opening 8-3 victory at Hawaii (2/17). The junior right-hander allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out six batters over 76 pitches en route to his first win of the 2023 season. Hawaii did not reach scoring position on Shirk in his last five innings of work.
"POWER 5" DOMINANCE
Wright State has knocked off a "Power Five" conference program 21 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, 11-5
2/25/23 — at Kentucky — W, 12-9
3/21/23 at Ohio State — W, 3-0
VETERAN GROUP
WSU returns 16 letterwinners and 11 starters from last year's team, including eight All-Horizon League recipients. Gehrig Anglin and Julian Greenwell collected All-League First Team honors, while Jay Luikart, Jake Shirk, and Alex Theis were named to the Second Team. Sebastian Gongora, Andrew Patrick, and Justin Riemer earned spots on the All-Freshman Team.
PRO RAIDERS
Sean Murphy, drafted by the Oakland Athletics in 2016, and Peyton Burdick, drafted by the Miami Marlins in 2019, are the Raiders' two current Major League players. Murphy debuted with the Athletics in September 2019 and earned the Gold Glove award following the 2021 season. He signed a 6-year, $73 million contract extension with the Atlanta Braves in December 2022, which includes a $15 million club option for the 2029 season. Burdick made his debut for the Marlins in August 2022 and finished the season with four homers and 11 RBI. Joe Smith spent 15 years (2007-2022) in the big leagues as a reliever with eight different clubs and currently sits Top 40 all-time with 866 career pitching appearances.
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