Raiders Continue Horizon League Play at Youngstown State

DAYTON – Wright State baseball is on the road for Horizon League play, set to take on the Youngstown State Penguins in a three-game series beginning Friday, May 2. Fans can tune in to the action on the YSN Live radio broadcast or through live stats.

Game 1 - Friday, May 2 – 1:00 p.m. – Live Stats – Listen
Game 2 - Saturday, May 3 – 3:00 p.m. – Live Stats – Listen
Game 3 - Sunday, May 4 – 1:00 p.m. – Live Stats – Listen

LAST TIME OUT
Wright State is coming off a series win over Milwaukee, falling 9-7 in game one, taking game two 14-7, before winning the rubber match in a 10-0 seven-inning shutout.

The Raiders batted .367 against Milwaukee, led by Braylen Blomquist's .700 average and seven RBI. WSU had 17 extra-base hits, made up by 12 doubles, a triple, and four home runs, including a collegiate-first homer by Blomquist. JP Peltier notably went five-of-five on stolen bases in the series finale, currently tied for fourth nationally.

On the mound, the Raiders held a 5.04 ERA over the series. Max Whitesell made two appearances on the weekend, earning the win in game two after throwing 2.0 scoreless, hitless innings, striking out five batters. Garrett Peters made his first-ever collegiate start in the series finale, tossing 5.0 shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out a team-best six batters.

SCOUTING THE PENGUINS
Youngstown State enters the series with a 12-31 overall record and a 9-12 mark in Horizon League play. The Penguins recently won a series at Purdue Fort Wayne, taking game one 13-6, losing game two 14-4, and winning the rubber match 16-7.

Offensively, YSU is hitting .280 as a team, led by Kyle Fossum's .407 average—good for second in the Horizon League and No. 22 nationally. The Penguins have tallied 86 doubles, seven triples, and 48 home runs. Fossum ranks second in the league with 17 doubles and leads the HL—and ranks third nationally—with 18 home runs. YSU also leads the league in walks with 238, including 37 by Fossum.

On the mound, the Penguins hold a 9.37 ERA. Friday's projected starter Jacob Gehring has started 11 games, tied for most in the league, and carries a 6.10 ERA over 59.0 innings with 51 strikeouts and 27 walks. The Penguins are second in the nation in hit batters with 103. Sunday starter Brandon Mikos has a team-best 4-1 record and a 7.38 ERA.

HISTORY VS. YOUNGSTOWN STATE
Since 1977, Wright State leads the all-time series against Youngstown State, 102-43. The two last met earlier this season, as the Raiders swept the series 12-7, 9-5, and 10-9.

MAX WHITESELL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Senior right-hander Max Whitesell was named Horizon League Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday, April 29. He went 2-0 across three appearances last week, throwing 3.1 scoreless, hitless innings with seven strikeouts.

HAVE A DAY GUS GREGORY
Sophomore outfielder Gus Gregory delivered a historic performance in Wright State's 24-12 win at Oakland delivering a record-setting 11 RBIs, the highest in a single game in Wright State history and the second-highest total in the nation this season. Gregory went 5-for-6 at the plate with two doubles and his first career grand slam, accounting for nearly half of the Raiders' runs. His 11 RBI rank second nationally in a single game this season and nearly doubled the previous Horizon League record of six.

BLOMQUIST FOR THREE
Braylen Blomquist is making himself known on the national leaderboard. The freshman infielder leads the Horizon League and ranks No. 35 in the nation with four triples on the season and is thirteenth in triples per game (.13). Blomquist notably went for three in back-to-back games at Oakland.

PELTIER'S GOING YARD
Sophomore outfielder JP Peltier remains a consistent power threat, ranking among the league's top home run hitters. He ranks second in the Horizon League with 14 home runs and third with an average of 0.34 homers per game.

DISCIPLINED AT THE PLATE
Wright State is second in the Horizon League and ranks No. 53 nationally with 235 walks this season, highlighting the Raiders' patient approach at the plate. Boston Smith and Patrick Fultz are tied for the league lead with 37 walks each, placing them No. 59 in the country. The two also pace the conference and rank No. 40 nationally with 0.93 walks per game.

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.

LAST TIME ON HOME TURF
Wright State will return to Nischwitz Stadium for its final regular-season home series, hosting Northern Kentucky beginning Friday, May 9. Fans are encouraged to arrive early before the series finale on Sunday, May 11, as the team honors five 2025 graduates and celebrates Senior Day with eight Raidergang seniors.

Raiders Continue Horizon League Play at Youngstown State

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Players Mentioned

Braylen Blomquist

Patrick Fultz

Gus Gregory

JP Peltier

Garrett Peters

Boston Smith

Max Whitesell

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