Raiders Open Horizon League Play at Home

DAYTON – The Wright State baseball team will kick off Horizon League play with a three-game home series against Oakland, starting with a double header on Friday, March 14 at 1 p.m. Game two will start approximately 30 minutes after game one. The series will conclude on Sunday at 1 p.m. All three games will have free admission and live stats, with game two available on ESPN+.

Game 1 - Friday, March 14 – 1:00 p.m. ET – Live Stats
Game 2 - Friday, March 14 – ~4:00 p.m. ET – Live Stats – Watch
Game 3 - Sunday, March 16 – 1:00 p.m. ET – Live Stats

LAST TIME OUT
Wright State is coming off a midweek win against Kent State, defeating the Golden Flashes 11-6 on Tuesday afternoon.

The Raiders finished with 11 runs on nine hits with 10 walks and just four strikeouts. Nate Manley and Hunter Warren led the way, each recording two hits and three RBI. Cam Gilkerson and Gus Gregory both had two RBI with one hit each, while Luke Arnold, Conlan Daniel, and Patrick Fultz had a hit each. Fultz had a team-high three walks, followed by Gregory with two. After tying the game at one in the third, the Raiders took a six-run lead in the fourth, highlighted by a two-run homer to center field by Manley.

Wright State starter Malachi Paplanus pitched the first two innings, allowing no runs or hits, walking two, and striking out one. Six Raiders came out of the bullpen as Joey Valentine (1-0) earned the win, allowing no runs on one hit in one inning. Valentine struck out two batters while walking none.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES
Oakland is currently 3-15 on the season. The Golden Grizzlies opened the season with a win at Jacksonville State University, 11-4, later splitting a four-game series at New Mexico State University, winning 16-3 and 8-5.

As a team, Oakland is currently batting .260 on the season, led by Taylor Tomlin's .406 batting average. Oakland has 25 doubles on the season, three triples, and eight home runs. Brandon Nigh ranks No. 24 nationally with three sacrifice flies, while Sam Griffith ranks No. 39 with three sacrifice bunts.

Oakland's pitching staff holds a 7.75 team ERA. Projected game two starter Grant Garman (1-0) has a 6.98 ERA over four starts. Garman has allowed 16 runs on 24 hits, walking 10 while striking out 15 over 19.1 innings.

HISTORY VS. OAKLAND
Wright State holds the all-time series record over Oakland 57-18. Last season, the teams split their six meetings, with each team winning the away series.

DANIEL IN THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Freshman centerfielder Conlan Daniel earned national recognition, landing at No. 3 on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays (March 2) for a diving catch at the warning track against #24 Ole Miss.

HEAD COACH – ALEX SOGARD
Leading the charge for Wright State is head coach Alex Sogard, who has built a powerhouse program during his tenure. After leading the Raiders to a 32-24 overall record, earning their sixth HL Regular Season title, Sogard earned his fourth Horizon League Coach of the Year honor in 2024, becoming the first to do so in program history.

His Coach of the Year awards are not the only accomplishment Sogard achieved at WSU. In 2019, Sogard took the Raiders to a 42-17 record, tallying the most wins by a first-year head coach in program history. Sogard led the Raiders to three consecutive NCAA Regional appearances, 2021-2023, being named the 2021 ABCA/ATEC East Coach of the Year. In June 2021, Sogard was named to the 2021 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team coaching staff.

STAYING IN THE NISCH
Wright State will stay home, taking on Toledo for a midweek game on Tuesday, March 18. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. with live stats provided.

ON THE ROAD
The Raiders will continue Horizon League play on the road, traveling to Milwaukee for a three-game series beginning Friday, March 21 at 4 p.m. ET. Games one and two will stream on ESPN+ and all three games will have live stats available.

Players Mentioned

Luke Arnold

Conlan Daniel

Patrick Fultz

Cam Gilkerson

Gus Gregory

Nate Manley

Malachi Paplanus

Joey Valentine

Hunter Warren

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