ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland baseball team continues its 16-game home stand with a four-game Horizon League series against Milwaukee. Due to cold weather forecast on Thursday, Apr. 1, the Golden Grizzlies and Panthers will play a pair of doubleheaders on Friday, Apr. 2 and Sat., Apr. 3. beginning at 1 p.m. followed by the second game at approximately 4 p.m. Friday's doubleheader will be broadcast live from the Oakland Baseball Field on ESPN+ with the voice of the Golden Grizzlies Neal Ruhl on the call.
 
NOTES:
Oakland Projected Rotation:
Game 1: #19 RHP Brandon Deans
Game 2: #42 RHP Andrew Hill
Game 3: #32 RHP Bryce Konitzer
Game 4: #44 RHP Jacob Wosinski

Milwaukee Projected Rotation:
Game 1: #47 LHP Riley Frey
Game 2: #23 RHP Mike Edwards
Game 3: #19 RHP Dylan Szajkovics
Game 4: #4 LHP Nike Winter

OAKLAND BASEBALL FIELD SEATING: The green shaded areas are available to spectators. 


A LOOK AT THE PANTHERS:
Milwaukee is 7-12 on the season and 7-5 in Horizon League play after sweeping the series over Purdue Fort Wayne to win their fifth consecutive game in league play. Both teams split the six-game series each winning three games back in the 2019 season. Milwaukee was picked to finish fourth in the league preseason poll.
 
A LONG TIME COMING - 716 DAYS SINCE LAST HOME GAME:
Prior to last week's home opening series against UIC, Oakland's last home game was a 10-9 walk-off win over Eastern Michigan on Apr. 10, 2019. With the game tied and bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, Ronnie Krsolovic delivered a clutch game-winning walk-off single giving Oakland a thrilling 10-9 come from behind win over the Eagles. The Golden Grizzlies trailed 9-8 entering the ninth before Blake Griffith hit an RBI single to score Matt DiLeo tying the game at 9-9 and setting the stage for Krsolovic's heroics.
 
MARCH MADNESS:
Oakland's series against UIC last week also marked the first the Oakland played a home game in the month of March since Mar. 31, 2018 against Milwaukee which ended in a 12-7 win for the Golden Grizzlies to take the weekend series.
 
LAST TIME OUT:
Oakland swept by UIC in first home series in 716 days
- After dropping the home opener, 8-2 (3/26), Michael Stygles went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI while Cam Post hit 3-for-4 with an RBI as Oakland received contributions from every part of their lineup with all nine starters reaching base safely. However, their late-inning rally came up as the Golden Grizzlies fell to UIC, 11-6, in game one of a doubleheader (3/27).
 
- The Golden Grizzlies fell 15-2 in game three but battled back in game four as Seth Tucker went 2-for-3 with a double scoring both of Oakland runs while Josh Dudden and Brandon Heidal each recorded a hit as the Golden Grizzlies held a 2-1 lead heading into the ninth inning but could not hold on as UIC added four runs en route to a 5-2 win (3/28).
 
- For the series, Seth Tucker and Gabe Lux lead the way both hitting .300 followed by Brandon Heidal (.286). Stygles recoded a home run and double leading the team with four RBI.
 
AT THE PLATE
 
NATIONALLY RANKED IN TRIPLES:
Oakland is currently tied for 19th in the nation in total triples with eight by five different players. Josh Dudden (2 – 1st HL), Brenton Phillips (2 – 1st HL), Jared Miller (2 – 1st HL) lead the team followed by Luke Malmanger (1), and Cam Post (1).
 
LEADER OF THE PACK:
Team captain Tyler Trovinger also leads the team in hitting (.333 – 10th HL), RBI (14, 4th HL), home runs (4, 6th HL) and slugging percentage (.533 – 7th HL) and on-base percentage (.459 – 6th HL) and had a 10-game hitting streak so far this season.
 
POSTING BIG NUMBERS:
Cam Post is off to a hot start this season leading the team in hits (25 – 46h HL) and doubles (5 – 7th HL), while ranking second in batting average (.313), and third in in RBI (12) and slugging percentage (.400). At Purdue Fort Wayne, Post led the way in the four-game set hitting .500 going 8-for-16 with two double, two runs and an RBI with 10 total bases and two stolen bases.
 
MULTI-HIT GAMES:
Brenton Phillips leads the team in multi-hits games (8) followed by Lorenzo Elion (6), Post (6) and Trovinger (4).
 
WALK IT OUT:
As a team, Oakland ranks second in the league lead and ranks 20th in the nation on walks (118). Phillips (19 – 2nd HL, T-30 nationally), Dudden (18 – 5th HL), Miller (16 – 9th HL), and Elion (11)/Trovinger (11) rank first, second and third respectively on the team in walks.
 
DEANS NAMED NIKE® HORIZON LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE WEEK:
Brandon Deans was named Nike® Horizon League Pitcher of the Week as announced by the league office on Tuesday.
Deans, a sophomore from Mississauga, Ontario, tossed a gem on the mound picking up his third win of the season racking up a career-high 12 strikeouts allowing only three unearned runs and three scattered hits for a 0.00 ERA with three walks in 7.0 innings of work to lead Oakland to a 9-3 series-opening win at Purdue Fort Wayne (3/19).
 
BRING IT HOME:
Jared Miller (16 – 5th HL) leads the teams in runs scored followed by Lorenzo Elion (12) and Phillips (11).
 
OUCH:
Jared Miller leads the league in being hit by a pitch (7).
 
TROV DELIVERS AT PURDUE FORT WAYNE:
Tyler Trovinger hit an impressive .571 going 8-for-14 with two home runs, seven RBI, three runs scored, three walks, two stolen bases, 14 total bases with a 1.000 slugging percentage and .667 on-base percentage in a four-game series at Purdue Fort Wayne. In game one, Trovinger went 3-for-5 hitting a home run with five RBI and a run scored to lead Oakland to a 9-3 win (3/19). He went 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored in game two. After going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases in game three, he went 1-for-2 hitting his team-leading fourth home run while drawing three walks in the series finale.
 
ON THE BUMP
 
DEANS DEALIN':
Deans is 3-1 on the season with 2.53 ERA (2nd HL), 1.14 WHIP and leads the team in strikeouts (34 – 7th HL) and in innings pitched (32.0 - 7th HL). 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).
 
Deans posted a solid effort 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.
 
K'S IN KONITZER:
Bryce Konitzer is second on the team in strikeouts (31 – 10th HL). 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).
 
NO NONSENSE NIERMAN:
Hayden Nierman is third on the team in strikeouts (26 – 9th HL). He picked up his first win of the season going 3.0 innings in relief allowing only two hits with no runs and two strikeouts in the game one double header at Longwood (2/27). 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 at MTSU (2/3). He also picked up his second save of the season going 3.0 innings allowing only one run at Dayton (3/6).
 
WOSINSKI WORKING HIS WAY BACK:
After recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2020, Jacob Wosinski made his season debut against PFW and also started game four vs UIC.  He has allowed only one hit in 3.0 innings of work.

HORIZON LEAGUE SEASON REWIND:
Oakland Concludes 19-Game Road Swing at Purdue Fort Wayne
- Trovinger went 3-for-5 hitting his team-best third home run of the season with five RBI and a run while Michael Stygles hit 2-for-4 with three RBI to lead Oakland to a series-opening 9-3 win at Purdue Fort Wayne. Brenton Phillips put together a standout performance at the dish as well, going 2-for-2 with a double, three walks and an RBI.
 
- Hayden Nierman had everything working, striking out 10 PFW hitters over 5.0 of work in the no-decision effort but it was not enough as the Oakland fell to the Mastodons 5-4 in game one of a doubleheader.
 
- Lorenzo Elion went 2-for-5 with a double and a pair of runs scored while Jared Miller provided a standout day at the dish as well, going 1-for-4 with two RBI as Oakland put together a valiant effort but ultimately came up short, falling, 6-3, in the second leg of a doubleheader.
 
- Jared Miller went 2-for-4 with home run, two-run double, a walk and three RBI while Tyler Trovinger hit his second home run of the series going 1-for-2 with three walks and an RBI. Brenton Phillips also went 2-for-5 with a double as Oakland held a late lead but came up short in the series finale, 8-7.
 
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.
 
NON-CONFERENCE 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.
 
- 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.
 
- 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. 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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