Baseball opens road conference slate at Youngstown State

DAYTON- The Wright State baseball team (14-15, 8-1 HL) will open the road portion of its 2026 Horizon League slate, traveling up to Northeast Ohio for a three-game set with Youngstown State.

Due to construction at the Penguins' normal home field, 717 Credit Union Field at Eastwood, Wright State and Youngstown State will face off at Bob Cene Park in Strothers, Ohio. The two conference foes will face off at 1 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. Sunday. Live stats will be available for all three contests.

GAME INFORMATION
Friday, Apr. 10 – LIVE STATS
Saturday, Apr. 11 – LIVE STATS
Sunday, Apr. 12 – LIVE STATS

PROJECTED STARTER
Thursday- Cam Allen, RHP
Friday- Griffen Paige, LHP
Saturday- Chet Lax, LHP

HISTORY VS. YOUNGSTOWN STATE
Wright State and Youngstown State have met 148 times, with the Raiders leading the all-time series 105-43. Last season, the Raiders were a perfect 6-0 against the Penguins, sweeping both the series at Nischwitz Stadium and in Youngstown.

SCOUTING THE PENGUINS
Youngstown State enters the weekend at 5-25 on the season and 3-6 in conference play. The Penguins are coming off their first series win of the season, defeating Milwaukee in both ends of a twin bill last Friday.

Friday's starter, Braden Gebhardt, is the ace of the Penguins' pitching staff and has been excellent to start the season. The right-hander has gone six or more innings in all eight of his starts, accruing double-digit strikeouts on three occasions.

LAST TIME OUT
The Raiders came up short of Xavier Tuesday evening at Prasco Park, falling to the Musketeers 4-2.

Xavier got on the board first with single tallies in the first, second, and fourth innings to jump out to a 3-0 lead.

The Raiders would respond with one run in the top of the fifth when JP Peltier came in to score on an error made by the Xavier shortstop.

JJ Thompson got the start on the mound for the Raiders and pitched the longest outing of his collegiate career. The left-hander pitched five innings, allowing three runs on four hits, and struck out a career-best seven musketeers. Cooper Ashby would be the first man out of the bullpen for the Raiders and pitched 1.1 innings, allowing one run on one hit.

Xavier would score its fourth and final run of the day with a solo shot off the bat of Clay Burdette.

Peltier would cut the Xavier lead down to two with an RBI double in the top of the eighth that scored Braylen Blomquist from second base. The Raiders would threaten but leave runners on base in the sixth, eighth, and ninth innings, unable to come up with a clutch hit.

Evan Boeckmann and Matthew Johnson would combine to pitch 1.2 no-hit innings, each recording one strikeout.

HOT START TO THE HORIZON LEAGUE
Wright State has once again started conference play hot with an 8-1 record after its first three series against Milwaukee, Oakland, and Northern Kentucky. This record matches what the Raiders did a season ago, a campaign that saw the Raiders go 25-5 in conference play to clinch their seventh consecutive regular-season title.

HOME COOKING
After starting the season with 13 of its first 14 games coming away from the friendly confines of Nischwitz Stadium, Wright State has played 13 of its last 14 games at home, going 9-5 in that stretch. Their one road game in that stretch came not too far from home, taking a day trip last Tuesday to face off against Cincinnati. But their stretch in southern Ohio isn't done yet; the Raiders will remain in the area as they participate in the Joe Nuxhall Classic at Prasco Park in nearby Mason. Wright State will then open the road portion of its 2026 conference campaign at Youngstown State.

SWEEPING THE #HLBASE WEEKLY HONORS
Wright State baseball infielder Keegan Holmstrom and left-handed pitcher Chet Lax have swept the Horizon League weekly award, earning HL Batter and Pitcher of the Week honors, the league office announced Monday.

Holmstrom hit to the tune of a .600 batting average as the Raiders went on to sweep Northern Kentucky over the weekend. Holmstrom reached base safely multiple times and scored a run in all three games, with two hits in Thursday's series opener, a pair of walks on Friday, and four hits on Saturday. In Saturday's sweep-clinching win, Holmstrom was responsible for four of the Raiders' six runs as he drove in three and came in to score once. The first baseman also showed off his speed, swiping three bases on the weekend.

Lax was brilliant in his sixth start of the season on Saturday against Northern Kentucky. Lax pitched 7.1 shutout innings, allowing just two hits while striking out six NKU batters. The left-hander carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before allowing his first hit of the day. The win marks Lax's fifth on the season and puts him atop the Horizon League standings

Holmstrom earns his second consecutive weekly award after being named the HL Batter of the Week last Monday. Lax also earns his second weekly award of the season after being named the HL Pitcher of the Week on March 11.

RAIDERS RUNNING IT BACK
In the era of the transfer portal, where many teams lose so much talent year-to-year, Wright State has recruited talent and kept them in Dayton. The Raiders returned 65% of their total production from a season ago, when factored by total points (fantasy baseball points calculation done by D1Baseball), the Raiders rank ninth in total returning production. The Raidergang return 56% of their roster from a season ago, 64% of their plate appearances, and 55% of their innings pitched. Wright State has brought back six lineup mainstays from a season ago, as well as two of its three weekend starters.

SCOUTING THE 2026 SQUAD
The Raidergang returns 20 players from a season ago while adding 19 newcomers (10 transfers and nine true freshmen). The squad consists of five seniors, nine juniors, nine sophomores, and 16 freshmen.

The roster features a strong in-state contingent, with 54% of players (21) from Ohio. But the Raiders also recruit well nationally, with 13 other states being represented in the roster. The other 13 states include California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.

UP NEXT
Wright State will take on crosstown rival Dayton on Wednesday, April 15, at Day Air Ballpark, the home of the Dayton Dragons. First pitch is slated for 7 p.m.

Baseball opens road conference slate at Youngstown State

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cam Allen

Cooper Ashby

Braylen Blomquist

Evan Boeckmann

Keegan Holmstrom

Matthew Johnson

Chet Lax

Griffen Paige

JP Peltier

JJ Thompson

Footer