Raiders back on home turf for midweek matchup against Miami (OH)

DAYTON – The Wright State baseball team welcomes Miami (OH) for their home opener on Wednesday, March 6. The mid-week game will start with a 3:00 p.m. first pitch. Admission is free for all fans, and live stats will be provided as well.

Wednesday, March 6 - 3:00 p.m. - Live Stats

LAST TIME OUT
The Raiders are coming off a 1-2 weekend series at the University of Memphis, getting déjà vu from the previous weekend with the lone win coming in the series finale, 17-7.

Wright State held a .355 batting average over the weekend, with 32 runs on 40 hits, with 19 walks, eight doubles, and five home runs. Sammy Sass led the weekend, recording eight hits for the Raiders through the three games for a .533 batting average, recording three doubles in the series finale.

Earning the win in the Sunday game was Chet Lax (1-0), after entering in the fourth to prevent two runs. Lax finished the day allowing three runs on four hits with no walks and two strikeouts in his two and a third innings on the mound.

HISTORY VS. MIAMI (OH)
Miami holds the all-time series record 48-44, but Wright State has been creeping closer to the title, taking 12 of their last 15 matchups. The two teams last met in March of 2023, where the Raiders defeated the RedHawks 9-7 in Oxford. The last victory Miami saw over the Raiders was in March of 2022, taking the win 15-12.

SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS
The RedHawks, under first-year head coach Brian Smiley, have begun their 2024 season with a 5-5 record. Previously at Indiana State for 14 seasons, the program went 442-292 in Smiley's time there. Based on their currently record, Miami sits third in MAC rankings. The RedHawks went 3-0 over the weekend, as they hosted Oakland University, 21-7, 8-6, 17-9.

Leading Miami at the plate is senior outfielder Zach MacDonald. Starting in all ten of their 2024 matchups, MacDonald holds a .410 batting average, with 16 hits consisting of one double, one triple, and one home run, adding up to ten RBI. MacDonald ranks No. 8 in the nation with 1.80 runs per game, and No. 18 with 18 total runs. Miami is averaging .278 at bat, with 87 runs on 94 hits with 49 walks. The RedHawks are No. 4 in the nation averaging 1.30 double plays per game, and No. 7 with 13 total double plays on the season.

NATIONWIDE NUMBERS
Wright State currently sits No. 69 nationally averaging 1.60 stolen bases per game, No. 81 for total stolen bases (16). The Raiders are No. 52 nationally for double-plays. Sammy Sass has shown to be a standout within national statistics. With seven doubles on the season, Sass is ranked No. 7 nationally, and is No. 9 averaging .70 doubles per game.

PRESEASON ACCOLADES
The Raiders were claimed the top spot in the 2024 Horizon League preseason poll, with 34 points and four first-place votes. Multiple Raiders were awarded preseason honors by D1 Baseball. Jay Luikart and Andrew Patrick were honored in the top 100 outfielders, and Sammy Sass in the top 50 catchers. D1 Baseball named Patrick as the top prospect of the Horizon League, followed by Ty Roder as the number five prospect.

VETERAN GROUP
The Raiders are returning 25 athletes, 13 of which were starters in the 2023 season. Andrew Patrick, Sammy Sass, and Jake Shirk were awarded a spot on the All-Horizon First Team, while Patrick Fultz and Joey Valentine were added to the All-Freshman Team. Julian Greenwell, Andrew Patrick, Jake Shirk, and Joey Valentine earned Horizon League weekly honors, with Patrick and Shirk being awarded twice. Patrick was also named to the East-ABCA/Rawlings All-Region First Team.

ALL-REGION RECOGNITION – ANDREW PATRICK
Andrew Patrick was awarded 2023 East-ABCA/Rawlings All-Region First Team honors. Patrick earned his accolade after putting up a remarkable 326/.433/.703 with 21 doubles, four triples, 20 homers, 59 RBI, 72 runs, and 31 stolen bases, and starting in 61 of the 62 2023 games. Patrick sat alone as the only NCAA Division I player with 20-plus doubles, 20-plus homers, and 30-plus stolen bases. The Hilliard, Ohio native led the Horizon League in doubles (T-1st), home runs, runs, stolen bases, total bases (166), three-plus hit games (12), and multi-homer games (T-1st, 4) while ranking second in hits (77), triples, slugging percentage, and OPS (1.136).

2ND LIEUTENANT DUKE BENGE
This season the Raiders will be even closer to the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, as recent Air Force Academy graduate 2nd Lieutenant Duke Benge will be training with both the Air Force and Wright State Baseball. He is currently enrolled in the sports management program at WSU and earning a master's degree in operational logistics on base as he waits for a spot in the Wright-Patterson pilot training program. Benge attended and played for the Air Force Academy over the past four seasons, notably becoming the first-ever cadet-athlete from Air Force or any service academy to make the NWL All-Star game.

STUDENT-athletes
WSU held a team average grade point average of 3.55 for the 2023 fall semester. 31 athletes finished with a GPA higher than 3.00, 23 with a GPA over 3.5, and 11 earned a 4.0 or higher. Since 2012, the Raiders have maintained a team GPA of 3.00 or above in 21 of their last 22 seasons. Fifteen student-athletes were added to the Spring 2023 Horizon League Academic Honor Roll, which requires a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher with at least three semesters at the same institution.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Wright State won't be home for long, as they ready to head to Richmond, KY for a three-game series against Eastern Kentucky March 8-10.

Raiders back on home turf for midweek matchup against Miami (OH)

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Players Mentioned

2nd Lieutenant Duke Benge

Patrick Fultz

Julian Greenwell

Chet Lax

Jay Luikart

Andrew Patrick

Ty Roder

Sammy Sass

Jake Shirk

Joey Valentine

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