ROCHESTER, Mich. – After securing a doubleheader sweep over Akron to open the season, The Oakland baseball teams continues its 17-game road swing at No. 8 Auburn on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. ET The game will be broadcast live from Plainsman Park on the ESPN SEC Network+.
 
Oakland Projected Starter:
LHP Dan Rutan
 
Auburn Projected Starter:
RHP Trace Bright
 
Notes:
- Auburn enters the game against Oakland with a perfect 4-0 record after sweeping defending Horizon League champion UIC who was picked to repeat this season. The Golden Grizzlies have not played an SEC opponent since dropping a series at No. 8 Kentucky during the 2018 season.
 
- Mario Camilletti was named Nike® Horizon League Batter of the Week after as announced by the league office on Monday. Camilletti posted a .444 batting average going 4-for-9 with a double, triple, four runs scored and seven total bases with a 1.278 OPS and .778 slugging percentage helping Oakland to a doubleheader sweep over Akron. In game one, Camilletti hit 3-for-6 with a double, triple and three runs scored including the game-winner in Oakland's 4-3 win in 14 innings. In the second game, he went 1-for-3 and scored the winning run again in the Golden Grizzlies 1-0 win to complete the sweep.
 
- Blake Griffith also posted a .600 average going 3-for-5 with two doubles, a run and five total bases with a 1.714 OPS and 1.000 slugging percentage at Akron.
 
- On the mound at Akron in his collegiate debut, Nick Rutkowski tossed 5.0 scoreless innings in relief allowing only two hits with six strikeouts to pick up his first collegiate win in Oakland's 4-3 win over Akron in 14 innings in game one. Beau Keathley racked up 10 strikeouts in 7.0 innings of work in the no decision effort.
 
- In game two, Cooper Dundas also picked up the win with three strikeouts in relief of Brandon Deans who went 4.2 innings with five strikeouts in his collegiate debut.
 
- 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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