Friday, June 2
Terre Haute, IN
1 PM
Wright State University
at
#14 Indiana State
Photo by: Joseph Craven
Raiders open Terre Haute Regional against #14 Indiana State on Friday
5/31/2023 7:00:00 PM | Baseball
DAYTON — The Wright State baseball program will open the Terre Haute NCAA Regional against No. 14 Indiana State on Friday, June 2, at 1 p.m. ET. The tournament matchup at Bob Warn Field will air on ESPN+, while live stats will also be available.
Joining Wright State and Indiana State in the four-team regional bracket is No. 2 seed Iowa and No. 3 seed North Carolina. The Terre Haute Regional winner will face the Fayetteville Regional winner in the Super Regionals from June 9-12.
Game 1 - Friday, June 2 - 1 p.m. ET - Watch - Live Stats - Regional Central - Game Notes
WSU LHP Sebastian Gongora (10-1, 2.92 ERA, 86.1 IP)
ISU RHP Matt Jachec (7-3, 3.90 ERA, 92.1 IP)
LAST TIME OUT
Wright State clinched its 11th NCAA Division I appearance after winning the Horizon League Baseball Championship for the third consecutive year. The Raiders lost to No. 2 seed Oakland 6-5 on the third day of the tournament but followed with three-straight elimination games wins, punctuated by a 14-0 victory over the Golden Grizzlies in the title game at Nischwitz Stadium.
Andrew Patrick finished with tournament MVP honors, as he batted.400 (8-for-20) with four doubles, two homers, eight runs batted in, eight runs scored, seven walks, and three stolen bases in five games. Jay Luikart, Tristan Haught, Julian Greenwell, and Luke Stofel joined Patrick on the Horizon League All-Tournament Team.
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Sebastian Gongora was named the 2023 Horizon League Pitcher of the Year, becoming the fourth Raider in school history to earn the honor. The 6-foot-5 lefty has compiled a 10-1 record with a 2.92 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 86.1 innings over 15 starts. The Dayton, Ohio native went a perfect 9-0 with a 2.94 ERA and 69 strikeouts over 11 starts (70.1 IP) against conference opponents. He leads the Horizon League in wins, ERA, opposing batting average (.220), and hits allowed per nine innings (7.30) while also possessing top-five HL marks in innings pitched (2nd), WHIP (2nd, 1.18), and strikeouts (3rd).
Gongora's ten wins in 2023 are tied for eighth nationally and third in single-season school history. Other 10-game winners include WSU Hall of Famers Brian Anderson and Mike Mathile, both of whom have their numbers retired at Nischwitz Stadium.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Head coach Alex Sogard won Horizon League Coach of the Year honors after leading the Raiders to a 39-21 overall, their fifth consecutive HL Regular Season title, and their third consecutive NCAA Regional appearance. He also earned the award in the 2019 and 2021 campaigns en route to becoming the first-ever Raider head coach to win three HL Coach of the Year honors. The previous record of two was held by former WSU skippers Rob Cooper (2010, 2011) and Greg Lovelady (2014, 2016). Dating back to the 2010 season, Wright State coaches have won eight of the 14 Coach of the Year honors (Sogard, Cooper, Lovelady and Jeff Mercer (2018)). Legendary Raider head coach Ron Nischwitz was the 2004 HL Coach of the Year.
AWARDS SEASON
In addition to the major awards, the Raiders placed six players on the All-League First Team, with Gehrig Anglin, Jay Luikart, Andrew Patrick, Sammy Sass, and Jake Shirk joining Gongora. Patrick Fultz and Joey Valentine collected All-Freshman Team honors.
SCOUTING INDIANA STATE
The Sycamores earned the No. 14 national seed after rattling off 42 wins, including a 24-3 record in conference play and a 19-4 mark at Bob Warn Field. ISU enters the tournament as the NCAA leader in fielding percentage (0.984) while ranking third in WHIP (1.23), fifth in ERA (3.80), fifth in shutouts (7), eighth in hit by pitch (114), and seventh in walks allowed per nine innings (3.15).
Keegan Watson (.308) and Adam Pottinger (.300) are batting above .300 for Indiana State, while Mike Sears leads the team in home runs (19), RBI (59), slugging (.636), and OPS (.970). ISU's weekend rotation of Matt Jachec, Connor Fenlong, and Lane Miller has combined for a 23-5 overall record and a 3.33 ERA on the mound.
SCOUTING IOWA
The Hawkeyes come into the regional with a 42-14 overall record and a 15-8 mark against Big Ten opponents. Iowa has outscored opponents 466-241, averaging 8.3 runs per game. The pitching staff ranks 11th in the country with a 4.04 ERA, while the defense sits 14th nationally in fielding percentage (.981).
Anthony Keaton is batting a blistering .389 with 22 doubles, nine home runs, 38 RBI, and 51 runs. Brennen Dorighi and Sam Petersen both possess a 1.076 OPS. Starting pitchers Brody Brecht, Marcus Morgan, and Ty Langenberg have combined to go 15-7 with a sub-four ERA on the mound.
SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA
The Tar Heels received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after going 35-22 in 2023 with a 14-14 mark in ACC play. North Carolina is making its 35th all-time NCAA appearance, sixth consecutive and third straight under head third-year coach Scott Forbes. UNC ranks top-50 nationally and third in the ACC in walks (21st, 321) and doubles (27th, 125). The pitching staff enters the tournament with a 4.73 ERA.
Mac Horvath leads the offense in several categories, including triples (2), homers (20), RBI (62), slugging (.704), OPS (1.123), and stolen bases (24). Jake Knapp has been UNC's top starting pitcher, as he is 5-3 on the season with a 4.79 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 62.0 innings pitched. Vance Honeycutt was recently named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
SO WE MEET AGAIN...
Wright State earned a series victory over Indiana State at home during the 2022 season. The Raiders defeated ISU 6-3 in the opener before falling 6-2 in game two. Julian Greenwell's walk-off RBI double lifted WSU to an 11-10 victory over the Sycamores in the finale. Greenwell and Sammy Sass both batted .417 in the series. Relief pitchers Tristan Haught and Chris Gallagher limited the Sycamores to a run apiece over three innings of work.
HISTORY VS. THE REMAINING FIELD
The Raiders faced Iowa for the only time in program history in 1989, which ended in a 3-1 loss. Wright State endured a three-game sweep at North Carolina in the lone meeting between the two schools in 2012.
HOME RUN KING
Andrew Patrick has belted a school record 19 home runs this season, besting the previous record of 16 shared by Nick Shields (2001), Bryan Vickers (2004), and Gehrig Anglin (2022). The sophomore has tallied four multi-homer games in 2023, highlighted by two blasts and five RBI in Wright State's 12-9 victory at nationally-ranked Kentucky (2/25). At 21 doubles and 29 stolen bases, he has the chance the become the first NCAA Division I player with 20-plus doubles, 20-plus homers, and 30-plus stolen bases this season.
STRIKE-THROWER
Starting pitcher Jake Shirk has proven to be the one of the top strike-throwers in the country, as he ranks 17th nationally in walks allowed per nine innings (1.54) and 27th nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.07). The junior has walked just one batter over his last six starts spanning 35.1 innings pitched.
PITCHING EXCELLENCE
Wright State's pitching staff sits top-100 nationally and first in the Horizon League in walks allowed per nine innings (29th, 3.60), shutouts (31st, 4), strikeout-to-walk ratio (33rd, 2.44), WHIP (52nd, 1.41), ERA (58th, 4.85), hits allowed per nine innings (80th, 9.14), and strikeouts per nine innings (96th, 8.8).
The Raiders possess a 3.43 ERA in its last 28 games. WSU has won 23 times in the span, tallying 249 strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .230 batting average.
MONSTER NUMBERS
Andrew Patrick has put together some of the top offensive numbers in the country, as he is slashing .333/.439/.711 with 21 doubles, four triples, 19 homers, 58 RBI, 70 runs, and 29 stolen bases in 59 games. Wright State's primary leader hitter tops the conference with top-100 national marks in doubles (33rd), homers (46th), runs (23rd), stolen bases (29th), and total bases (21st, 162). The Hilliard, Ohio native has added 12 three-hit games and four multi-homer performances.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Seven Raiders have collected Horizon League weekly honors during the 2023 campaign. Andrew Patrick and Jake Shirk took home weekly honors twice during the regular season.
Jake Shirk - Pitcher of the Week - 2/21/23
Gehrig Anglin - Batter of the Week - 3/14/23
Andrew Patrick - Batter of the Week - 3/28/23
Sebastian Gongora - Pitcher of the Week - 3/28/23
Julian Greenwell - Batter of the Week - 4/18/23
Jake Shirk - Pitcher of the Week - 5/2/23
Joey Valentine - Pitcher of the Week - 5/9/23
Andrew Patrick - Batter of the Week - 5/16/23
Tristan Haught - Pitcher of the Week - 5/16/23
STUDENT-athletes
Wright State's Gehrig Anglin, Julian Greenwell, Josh Laisure, Jay Luikart, and Andrew Patrick were named to the 2023 Valeo Horizon League Baseball All-Academic Team. The Raiders' five All-Academic Team selections were the second-most among Horizon League programs. As a team, Wright State had a 3.33 GPA in the 2023 spring semester. Twenty-eight student-athletes closed the semester with a GPA above 3.00.
ACTIVE STREAKS
Greenwell » 30-game reached base streak
Smith » 27-game reached base streak
Patrick » 18-game reached base streak
Fultz » 8-game hitting streak
LOTS OF POP
Wright State leads the Horizon League with 76 home runs. Six players have gone yard six-plus times, paced by Andrew Patrick with a team-leading 19 in the category. Jay Luikart has homered 11 times, while Julian Greenwell is close behind with ten roundtrips.
SPEED KILLS
The Raiders rank 26th nationally and first in the Horizon League with 108 stolen bases. Andrew Patrick has swiped a team-high 29 bases on 33 attempts, while Gehrig Anglin has stolen 14 bases. Dane Thomas is 13-for-14 on stolen base attempts and Avery Fisher is a perfect 10-for-10 in the category. Sammy Sass has added a career-high 12 stolen bases on 15 attempts this season.
TEAM GUYS
Wright State ranks fourth in the country with 39 sacrifice flies. Jay Luikart and Sammy Sass are tied for first in the Horizon League and 58th nationally with six sac flies.
"POWER 5" DOMINANCE
Wright State has knocked off a "Power Five" conference program on 22 occasions since 2014, including three times this season.
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
5/2/23 vs. Ohio State — W, 3-1
Joining Wright State and Indiana State in the four-team regional bracket is No. 2 seed Iowa and No. 3 seed North Carolina. The Terre Haute Regional winner will face the Fayetteville Regional winner in the Super Regionals from June 9-12.
Game 1 - Friday, June 2 - 1 p.m. ET - Watch - Live Stats - Regional Central - Game Notes
WSU LHP Sebastian Gongora (10-1, 2.92 ERA, 86.1 IP)
ISU RHP Matt Jachec (7-3, 3.90 ERA, 92.1 IP)
LAST TIME OUT
Wright State clinched its 11th NCAA Division I appearance after winning the Horizon League Baseball Championship for the third consecutive year. The Raiders lost to No. 2 seed Oakland 6-5 on the third day of the tournament but followed with three-straight elimination games wins, punctuated by a 14-0 victory over the Golden Grizzlies in the title game at Nischwitz Stadium.
Andrew Patrick finished with tournament MVP honors, as he batted.400 (8-for-20) with four doubles, two homers, eight runs batted in, eight runs scored, seven walks, and three stolen bases in five games. Jay Luikart, Tristan Haught, Julian Greenwell, and Luke Stofel joined Patrick on the Horizon League All-Tournament Team.
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Sebastian Gongora was named the 2023 Horizon League Pitcher of the Year, becoming the fourth Raider in school history to earn the honor. The 6-foot-5 lefty has compiled a 10-1 record with a 2.92 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 86.1 innings over 15 starts. The Dayton, Ohio native went a perfect 9-0 with a 2.94 ERA and 69 strikeouts over 11 starts (70.1 IP) against conference opponents. He leads the Horizon League in wins, ERA, opposing batting average (.220), and hits allowed per nine innings (7.30) while also possessing top-five HL marks in innings pitched (2nd), WHIP (2nd, 1.18), and strikeouts (3rd).
Gongora's ten wins in 2023 are tied for eighth nationally and third in single-season school history. Other 10-game winners include WSU Hall of Famers Brian Anderson and Mike Mathile, both of whom have their numbers retired at Nischwitz Stadium.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Head coach Alex Sogard won Horizon League Coach of the Year honors after leading the Raiders to a 39-21 overall, their fifth consecutive HL Regular Season title, and their third consecutive NCAA Regional appearance. He also earned the award in the 2019 and 2021 campaigns en route to becoming the first-ever Raider head coach to win three HL Coach of the Year honors. The previous record of two was held by former WSU skippers Rob Cooper (2010, 2011) and Greg Lovelady (2014, 2016). Dating back to the 2010 season, Wright State coaches have won eight of the 14 Coach of the Year honors (Sogard, Cooper, Lovelady and Jeff Mercer (2018)). Legendary Raider head coach Ron Nischwitz was the 2004 HL Coach of the Year.
AWARDS SEASON
In addition to the major awards, the Raiders placed six players on the All-League First Team, with Gehrig Anglin, Jay Luikart, Andrew Patrick, Sammy Sass, and Jake Shirk joining Gongora. Patrick Fultz and Joey Valentine collected All-Freshman Team honors.
SCOUTING INDIANA STATE
The Sycamores earned the No. 14 national seed after rattling off 42 wins, including a 24-3 record in conference play and a 19-4 mark at Bob Warn Field. ISU enters the tournament as the NCAA leader in fielding percentage (0.984) while ranking third in WHIP (1.23), fifth in ERA (3.80), fifth in shutouts (7), eighth in hit by pitch (114), and seventh in walks allowed per nine innings (3.15).
Keegan Watson (.308) and Adam Pottinger (.300) are batting above .300 for Indiana State, while Mike Sears leads the team in home runs (19), RBI (59), slugging (.636), and OPS (.970). ISU's weekend rotation of Matt Jachec, Connor Fenlong, and Lane Miller has combined for a 23-5 overall record and a 3.33 ERA on the mound.
SCOUTING IOWA
The Hawkeyes come into the regional with a 42-14 overall record and a 15-8 mark against Big Ten opponents. Iowa has outscored opponents 466-241, averaging 8.3 runs per game. The pitching staff ranks 11th in the country with a 4.04 ERA, while the defense sits 14th nationally in fielding percentage (.981).
Anthony Keaton is batting a blistering .389 with 22 doubles, nine home runs, 38 RBI, and 51 runs. Brennen Dorighi and Sam Petersen both possess a 1.076 OPS. Starting pitchers Brody Brecht, Marcus Morgan, and Ty Langenberg have combined to go 15-7 with a sub-four ERA on the mound.
SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA
The Tar Heels received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after going 35-22 in 2023 with a 14-14 mark in ACC play. North Carolina is making its 35th all-time NCAA appearance, sixth consecutive and third straight under head third-year coach Scott Forbes. UNC ranks top-50 nationally and third in the ACC in walks (21st, 321) and doubles (27th, 125). The pitching staff enters the tournament with a 4.73 ERA.
Mac Horvath leads the offense in several categories, including triples (2), homers (20), RBI (62), slugging (.704), OPS (1.123), and stolen bases (24). Jake Knapp has been UNC's top starting pitcher, as he is 5-3 on the season with a 4.79 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 62.0 innings pitched. Vance Honeycutt was recently named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
SO WE MEET AGAIN...
Wright State earned a series victory over Indiana State at home during the 2022 season. The Raiders defeated ISU 6-3 in the opener before falling 6-2 in game two. Julian Greenwell's walk-off RBI double lifted WSU to an 11-10 victory over the Sycamores in the finale. Greenwell and Sammy Sass both batted .417 in the series. Relief pitchers Tristan Haught and Chris Gallagher limited the Sycamores to a run apiece over three innings of work.
HISTORY VS. THE REMAINING FIELD
The Raiders faced Iowa for the only time in program history in 1989, which ended in a 3-1 loss. Wright State endured a three-game sweep at North Carolina in the lone meeting between the two schools in 2012.
HOME RUN KING
Andrew Patrick has belted a school record 19 home runs this season, besting the previous record of 16 shared by Nick Shields (2001), Bryan Vickers (2004), and Gehrig Anglin (2022). The sophomore has tallied four multi-homer games in 2023, highlighted by two blasts and five RBI in Wright State's 12-9 victory at nationally-ranked Kentucky (2/25). At 21 doubles and 29 stolen bases, he has the chance the become the first NCAA Division I player with 20-plus doubles, 20-plus homers, and 30-plus stolen bases this season.
STRIKE-THROWER
Starting pitcher Jake Shirk has proven to be the one of the top strike-throwers in the country, as he ranks 17th nationally in walks allowed per nine innings (1.54) and 27th nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.07). The junior has walked just one batter over his last six starts spanning 35.1 innings pitched.
PITCHING EXCELLENCE
Wright State's pitching staff sits top-100 nationally and first in the Horizon League in walks allowed per nine innings (29th, 3.60), shutouts (31st, 4), strikeout-to-walk ratio (33rd, 2.44), WHIP (52nd, 1.41), ERA (58th, 4.85), hits allowed per nine innings (80th, 9.14), and strikeouts per nine innings (96th, 8.8).
The Raiders possess a 3.43 ERA in its last 28 games. WSU has won 23 times in the span, tallying 249 strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .230 batting average.
MONSTER NUMBERS
Andrew Patrick has put together some of the top offensive numbers in the country, as he is slashing .333/.439/.711 with 21 doubles, four triples, 19 homers, 58 RBI, 70 runs, and 29 stolen bases in 59 games. Wright State's primary leader hitter tops the conference with top-100 national marks in doubles (33rd), homers (46th), runs (23rd), stolen bases (29th), and total bases (21st, 162). The Hilliard, Ohio native has added 12 three-hit games and four multi-homer performances.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Seven Raiders have collected Horizon League weekly honors during the 2023 campaign. Andrew Patrick and Jake Shirk took home weekly honors twice during the regular season.
Jake Shirk - Pitcher of the Week - 2/21/23
Gehrig Anglin - Batter of the Week - 3/14/23
Andrew Patrick - Batter of the Week - 3/28/23
Sebastian Gongora - Pitcher of the Week - 3/28/23
Julian Greenwell - Batter of the Week - 4/18/23
Jake Shirk - Pitcher of the Week - 5/2/23
Joey Valentine - Pitcher of the Week - 5/9/23
Andrew Patrick - Batter of the Week - 5/16/23
Tristan Haught - Pitcher of the Week - 5/16/23
STUDENT-athletes
Wright State's Gehrig Anglin, Julian Greenwell, Josh Laisure, Jay Luikart, and Andrew Patrick were named to the 2023 Valeo Horizon League Baseball All-Academic Team. The Raiders' five All-Academic Team selections were the second-most among Horizon League programs. As a team, Wright State had a 3.33 GPA in the 2023 spring semester. Twenty-eight student-athletes closed the semester with a GPA above 3.00.
ACTIVE STREAKS
Greenwell » 30-game reached base streak
Smith » 27-game reached base streak
Patrick » 18-game reached base streak
Fultz » 8-game hitting streak
LOTS OF POP
Wright State leads the Horizon League with 76 home runs. Six players have gone yard six-plus times, paced by Andrew Patrick with a team-leading 19 in the category. Jay Luikart has homered 11 times, while Julian Greenwell is close behind with ten roundtrips.
SPEED KILLS
The Raiders rank 26th nationally and first in the Horizon League with 108 stolen bases. Andrew Patrick has swiped a team-high 29 bases on 33 attempts, while Gehrig Anglin has stolen 14 bases. Dane Thomas is 13-for-14 on stolen base attempts and Avery Fisher is a perfect 10-for-10 in the category. Sammy Sass has added a career-high 12 stolen bases on 15 attempts this season.
TEAM GUYS
Wright State ranks fourth in the country with 39 sacrifice flies. Jay Luikart and Sammy Sass are tied for first in the Horizon League and 58th nationally with six sac flies.
"POWER 5" DOMINANCE
Wright State has knocked off a "Power Five" conference program on 22 occasions since 2014, including three times this season.
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
5/2/23 vs. Ohio State — W, 3-1
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