
ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland baseball team kicks off the 2020 season with a doubleheader series at Akron on Sunday, Feb. 16 beginning at 11 a.m. Both games will be broadcast live from Skeeles Field on the Zips Digital Network weather provided. The first game originally scheduled on Saturday, Feb. 15 was cancelled due to weather.
Oakland Projected Starters:
Game 1:
Beau Keathley
Game 2: TBD
Akron Projected Starters:
Game 1: Taed Heydinger
Game 2: Jacob Wosinski
Notes:
- Oakland was picked to finish sixth in the 2020 Horizon League Baseball Preseason Poll announced by the league office on Wednesday and voted on by the league's head coaches. The Golden Grizzlies received seven overall points.
- Oakland returns junior and All-Horizon League Second Team selection
Mario Camilletti who started all 48 games at second base while leading the team in hits (52), walks (47 – 3rd HL, 24th nationally and 15th nationally in base-on balls per game at 0.98), doubles (10) and on-base percentage (.457 – 5th HL). He also ranked second on the team in batting average (.306) and runs (32).
- On the mound, staff ace and All-Horizon League First Team selection
Beau Keathley returns after leading the team and finishing fourth in the league in strikeouts (83). Keathley recorded double figure strikeouts against Morehead State (12) and YSU (13) and ranked 23rd nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (5.90). He also was a two-time Nike® Horizon League Pitcher of the Week selection and named one of Collegiate Baseball's National Players of the Week.
- Camilletti and Keathley were recently ranked third and sixth respectively in Baseball America's Horizon League top 2020 Draft Prospects list.
- The Golden Grizzlies also return redshirt junior
Blake Griffith who played in 46 games with 42 starts at first base and designated hitter. He tied for the team lead in home runs (6), ranked second in RBI (31), slugging percentage (.457) and total bases (74), third in hits (46) and batting ave. (.284) and fifth in doubles (8).
- Oakland will look for leadership from the team's two seniors in
Drew Demumbrum and
Jordan Jackson. Last season, Demumbrum started in 45 games and led the team in RBI (32), stolen bases (32 - 7th HL), at bats (178) and sacrifice flies (3). He also tied for third on the team in doubles (9) and multi-hit games (11), fourth in home runs (5), total bases (67) and fifth in runs (25) and hits (41).
- Jackson missed the 2019 season due to injury. In 2018, he was named to the 2018 Horizon League All-Academic Team with 31 starts at designated hitter where he posted a .231 batting average with 24 hits, 20 runs, three doubles, two home runs and 17 RBI.
- Redshirt
Tyler Trovinger as returns after missing the 2019 due to injury. In 2018, Trovinger started in all 46 games leading the team in home runs (5), ranking second in doubles (8) and RBI (28), with a triple and 22 runs while also finishing fifth in batting (.259).
- With the departure of 10 seniors and three transfers from last year's squad, Oakland welcomes 11 newcomers (10 freshman, one junior transfer) who will look to make an immediate impact.
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