DAYTON — The Wright State baseball program will host Army West Point for a three-game set from March 11-12 at Nischwitz Stadium. Live stats will be available for all three games, while admission will be free for all spectators.

Schedule changes for the weekend series will be announced on WSURaiders.com and Wright State baseball social media platforms.

Game 1 (7 innings) - Saturday, March 11 - 12 p.m. - Live Stats
WSU RHP Jake Shirk (1-2, 6.75 ERA, 13.1 IP)
ARMY RHP Tanner Gresham (0-1, 5.02 ERA, 14.1 IP)

Game 2 (9 innings) - Saturday, March 11 - 3 p.m. - Live Stats
WSU LHP Sebastian Gongora (1-1, 3.27 ERA, 11.0 IP)
ARMY RHP Matthew Ronnebaum (1-0, 7.07 ERA, 14.0 IP)

Game 3 - Saturday, March 12 - 1 p.m. - Live Stats
WSU RHP Luke Stofel (0-2, 2.79 ERA, 9.2 IP)
ARMY - TBD

LAST TIME OUT
The Raiders are coming off a 23-7 win over Miami (OH) in their home opener at Nischwitz Stadium on Tuesday. The Wright State lineup accounted for 12 hits and a season-high 19 walks in the victory. Six Raiders recorded two or more walks, while four players had multi-hit performances. WSU scored in five innings, highlighted by an 11-spot in the bottom of the fourth. 

Andrew Patrick reached base in all five plate appearances with two triples, a bunt single, and two walks. Justin Riemer walked a game-leading five times, tied for the second-highest mark by an NCAA Division I baseball player this season. Gehrig Anglin finished with three doubles and three runs batted in, while Parker Harrison added a pair of doubles and three RBI. Luke Arnold and Ben Stoner both homered for Wright State. Arnold batted 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and two walks. Ben Stoner delivered a pinch-hit grand slam for his first collegiate homer in the bottom of the eighth inning.

The pitching staff held the Redhawks to seven hits while striking out a season-high 14 batters. Starting pitcher Tristan Haught opened the game with three scoreless and hitless innings before allowing four runs in the top of the fourth. Warren Hartzell earned the winning decision after retiring the side in order in his lone inning of work. Alex Theis and Josh Laisure also fired scoreless outings in an inning of relief. 

HISTORY VS. ARMY
Wright State is 2-0 all-time versus Army. The Raiders claimed a 7-4 victory over Army during the 2002 season, followed by a 15-3 win in 2004. Both meetings took place at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

SCOUTING THE BLACK KNIGHTS
Army opened its season 4-1 overall, highlighted by a series win over Air Force in the Liberty Classic. However, the Black Knights have dropped five of their last six games, including three losses by three or fewer runs. 

Ross Friedrick has gotten off to a hot start in 2023, as he is batting .442 with four doubles, four homers, 12 RBI, and 11 runs scored. The pitching staff possesses a 6.00 team ERA, led by Robbie Buecker with just three runs allowed over 13.2 innings of work. 

A season ago, Army compiled a 31-25 record and claimed its fourth consecutive Patriot League Championship to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Black Knights had their 2022 campaign end in the NCAA Hattiesburg Regional, falling to Southern Mississippi (0-2) and Kennesaw State (8-9). 

GOOD TO BE HOME
Since 2014, WSU has boasted a combined record of 167-35 (.826) at Nischwitz Stadium. The Raiders have won 20-plus home games in eight consecutive seasons, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. In 2021, Wright State went 21-1 (.954) at Nischwitz Stadium, the highest home-winning percentage in NCAA Division I. 

HE GETS ON BASE
Dating back to last season, Justin Riemer has reached base in 20 consecutive games. In 2023, he is batting .300 with a double, two homers, six RBI, and 11 runs scored, to go along with a conference-leading 15 walks. The Arlington, Virginia native went 5-for-11 (.455) at the plate with a homer and three walks over three games at Arkansas last weekend. He walked a career-high five times in WSU's 23-7 victory over Miami (OH), tied for the second-highest mark in NCAA Division I baseball this season. 

STAY HOT, AP
Andrew Patrick has slashed .394/.474/.788 with three doubles, two triples, two home runs, eight RBI, and eight runs scored through 10 starts in 2023. The sophomore outfielder has added a team-leading five stolen bases and two hit by pitch. Patrick helped WSU to a 12-9 victory over Kentucky (2/25), going 3-of-4 at the plate with a double, two homers, and five RBI. He reached base five times on two tripes, a bunt single, and two walks against Miami (OH) at home.

STARTING DEBUT
Newcomer Luke Stofel made his first start of the season last Sunday at Arkansas (3/5), limiting the host team to two runs, one earned, on five hits and two walks while striking out six batters in six innings of work. The junior right-hander held the Razorbacks scoreless on just three hits and one walk in his first four innings of action.

"POWER FIVE" WIN
Wright State's 12-9 win over Kentucky was its 20th win over a "Power Five" conference opponent since 2014. WSU finished with a season-high 13 hits, including eight for extra bases. The duo of Andrew Patrick and Jay Luikart combined to go 7-for-8 at the plate with two doubles, four homers, eight runs batted in, and six runs scored. Luikart batted 4-for-4 with a double, two roundtrips, three RBI, and four runs in addition to a walk and a steal. Patrick blasted a pair of two-run homers to go along with an RBI double, all in the first five innings of play.

Starting pitcher Sebastian Gongora earned the winning decision after limiting Kentucky to two runs on one hit and four walks while striking out four batters in five innings of work. Luikart tossed the final two innings to secure his first save of the year.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Friday starter Jake Shirk earned Horizon League Pitcher of the Week honors 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. 

DÉJÀ VU
Julian Greenwell blasted a two-run homer in his first at-bat of the first two series openers this season. The Columbus, Indiana native homered to center field at Hawaii (2/17), while his blast at Kentucky (2/24) went over the right field wall.

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.

ALL-AMERICA RECOGNITION
Jay Luikart earned preseason All-America nods from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper after starring as WSU's starting outfielder and closer in 2022. The Ashland, Ohio native slugged .299/.409/.544 with 14 doubles, three triples, 10 homers, 31 RBI, and 49 runs scored over 54 starts. Luikart pitched to a 4-2 record with a team-low 2.53 ERA and seven saves in 21.1 innings.