ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland baseball team continues Horizon League play on their fifth consecutive road swing with a four-game series at new league member Purdue Fort Wayne. The Golden Grizzlies and Mastodons play single game on Friday, Mar. 19 at 3 p.m. followed by doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 20 at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., and the series finale on Sunday, Mar. 21 at 1 p.m.

Fort Wayne Seating Policy: Due to the limited size of the stands behind home plate and the need to allow for social distancing, they are limiting fans in that area to a home team pass list only.  There is room along the outfield fencing for visiting team fans are welcome (masks and social distancing required - See photo below). 



NOTES:
Oakland Projected Rotation:
Game 1: #19 RHP Brandon Deans
Game 2: TBA
Game 3: TBA
Game 4: #44 RHP Jacob Wosinski

Purdue Fort Wayne Projected Rotation:
Game 1: #18 LHP Justin Miller
Game 2: #20 RHP Cameron Boyd
Game 3: #17 LHP Jacob Miller
Game 4: TBD
 
A LOOK AT THE DONS:
- Purdue Fort Wayne is 4-7 on the season and 1-3 in Horizon League play after taking a game at Youngstown State. Oakland is 10-12 over the last 22 games against PFW dating back to when both teams were competed in the Summit League. Both teams split a doubleheader back on May 14, 2013.
 
TOPS IN THE NATION IN TRIPLES:
- Oakland is in a four-way tie leading the nation in total triples with eight by five different players. Josh Dudden (2), Brenton Phillips (2), Jared Miller (2) lead the team followed by Luke Malmanger (1), and Cam Post (1). Arizona, UNC Greensboro and Jackson State also have eight.
 
POSTING BIG NUMBERS:
Cam Post is off to a hot start this season leading the team in batting average (.362 – 4th Horizon League), hits (21 – 1st HL), RBI (11 – 4th HL), doubles (5 – T-2nd HL), slugging percentage (.483 – 9th HL).
 
WALK IT OUT:
As a team, Oakland leads the league and ranks 26^th in the nation on walks (82). Miller (14 – 3rd HL), Phillips (13 – T4th HL), Dudden (13 – T4th HL) and Elion (11 – 9th HL) rank first, second and third respectively on the team in walks.
 
BRING IT HOME:
Jared Miller (12 – 6th HL) leads the teams in runs scored followed by Lorenzo Elion (10 - T8th HL) and Post (10 – T8th HL).
 
DEANS DEALIN' ON THE MOUND:
Brandon Deans tossed a gem on the mound picking up his second win of the season going the distance racking up 10 strikeouts allowing only one unearned run on four scattered hits for a 0.00 ERA with three walks in 7.0 innings pitched leading Oakland to a 2-1 game two win at Dayton to complete the doubleheader sweep (3/6). For his efforts, he was named United Wholesale Mortgage Student-Athlete of the Week.
 
- Deans is 2-0 on the season with 0.64 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and is tied for second on the team in strikeouts (13) and is also second in innings pitched (14.0). He picked up his first career win on the mound allowing only three hits and one earned run with a strikeout in 5.0 innings of work at Middle Tennessee State (2/23).
 
K'S IN KONITZER:
Bryce Konitzer leads the team in strikeouts (21). He picked up his first win of the season with a solid outing going 6.0 innings allowing six scattered hits, two earned runs with five strikeouts to lead Oakland to a 10-5 series-clinching win (2/28) and went 5.0 innings, surrendering one run on four hits, walking two and striking out seven for the no-decision effort at Dayton (3/7).
 
LAST TIME OUT:
Oakland drops league opening series at Northern Kentucky
- Michael Stygles and Blake Griffith each hit three-run home runs sparking Oakland's eight-run ninth inning rally for a thrilling 9-6 win over Northern Kentucky to open Horizon League play in the series opener (3/12).
 
- Stygles led the way offensively for Oakland going 1-for-1 on the home run with a walk and four RBIs. Griffith went 1-for-4 with a home run, walk and three RBIs.  Lorenzo Elion also contributed, going 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. Jacob Schellpfeffer (1-0) picked up the victory out of the bullpen in relief.
 
- Oakland fell in the final three games dropping a hard-fought doubleheader 2-1 and 15-12 and lost the series finale 18-5.
 
- Post led the way in the four-game set hitting .500 going 8-for-16 with two double, two runs and a RBI with 10 total bases and two stolen bases.

SEASON REWIND:
Oakland splits series at Dayton with doubleheader sweep:
- Andrew Hill and Hayden Nierman and each collected five strikeouts to help propel Oakland to a 5-3 win in the first leg of a doubleheader. Hill picked up his first win of the season going 4.0 innings allowing only two runs with one unearned. Nierman picked up his second save of the season going 3.0 innings allowing only one run.
 
- Oakland was paced by Lorenzo Elion, who went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Josh Dudden hit 1-for-3 with a double and a walk while Brenton Phillips added two walks and an RBI.
 
- Reagan Paulina went 2-for-3 with a double while hitting his first career home run in the seventh inning breaking a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning.
 
- For the series, Elion hit .417 going 5-for-12 with three RBI, a double, three runs, and three stolen bases. After going 2-for-4 in game one, Elion also went 2-for-4 in game two with a run and two walks while hitting a clutch two-run double in the top of the seventh to help secure Oakland's 5-3 win. He also went 1-for-3 with an RBI, run, and a pair of walks in the series finale.
 
Oakland secured their first series win of the season taking 3-of-4 games at Longwood:
- Cam Post hit .400 going 6-for-15 with seven RBI, four runs, a double, triple and nine total bases with a .600 slugging and .471 on-base percentage. Post recorded a hit in all four games and in game one, he was just a home run short of the cycle going 3-for-4 with an RBI single, two-run double, and two-run triple for five total RBI to lead Oakland to a dominating game one 12-0 win. Post also added two RBI in the series clinching 10-5 win (2/26).
 
- Travis Densmore picked up his first win of the season tossing 7.0 scoreless innings with four strikeouts while allowing the first of only four scattered hits in the fifth inning en route to in the 12-0 series opening win at Longwood.
 
- Hayden Nierman picked up his first win of the season going 3.0 innings in relief allowing only two hits with no runs and two strikeouts while Andrew Hill picked up his first save of the season allowing only one hit with four strikeouts in 2.0 innings of work to lead Oakland to a 2-1 win in the game one double header (2/27).
 
- Will Nigut picked up the no-decision posting eight strikeouts allowing two runs on five scattered hits in 5.2 innings of work as the Golden Grizzlies fell in walk-off fashion, 3-2, to split the 7-inning doubleheader (2/27).
 
In the addition the post, the Golden Grizzlies had three other players who hit over .300 at Longwood in Blake Griffith (.375), Josh Dudden (.364) and Brenton Phillips (.357).
 
Oakland secures first win of the season at Middle Tennessee State:
- Tyler Trovinger went 3-for-3 with a home run, RBI and run scored while Brenton Phillips hit 2-for-5 with an RBI triple and run scored in game one as Oakland secured its first win of the season with a 5-2 decision at Middle Tennessee State on Tuesday. The win also marked the first career win for Head Coach Jordon Banfield. Hayden Nierman closed the door in relief holding the Blue Raiders hitless over 4.0 innings with three strikeouts to pick up his first save in an Oakland uniform.
 
- Trovinger led the Golden Grizzlies hitting .500 going 3-for-6 with a home run, RBI, run scored, six total bases with a 1.571 OPS, 1.000 slugging percentage and .571 on-base percentage in a three-game series at MTSU. In game two, Trovinger went 3-for-3 with a home run, RBI and run scored helping Oakland to its first win of the season.
 
- Josh Dudden ranked second on the team hitting .333 with a triple and 1.096 OPS at MTSU.
 
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