ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies baseball team looks to take its fifth-straight Horizon League series as it takes on Northern Kentucky for a three-day home weekend series, with a sole home game against Akron beforehand on Wednesday.
 
Wednesday's (April 17) game against Akron is set for 2:30 p.m., as the Golden Grizzlies will take on the Northern Kentucky Norse Friday (April 19) through Sunday (April 21) with first pitch set for 3:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m., respectively.
 
The Golden Grizzlies (18-17, 9-6 HL) took its fourth-straight Horizon League series as it has won four of its first five league series on the season. Oakland fell in the first game of its doubleheader against Purdue Fort Wayne Saturday (April 13), but bounced back in the second game and tied the series up. In the rubber match Sunday (April 14), the team went on to win the game and series after an 8-5 win.
 
In the latter of the doubleheader, the Mastodons pushed it to a 5-2 game in the seventh inning, but Brandon Decker came in for relief, with the tying-runner on deck, and closed the game down. The senior pitched 2.1 scoreless innings as the team tacked on a trio of insurance runs to take the game, 8-3. Decker followed it up by starting the series-deciding game and dealt six innings and only allowed one run with five strikeouts.
 
The Golden Grizzlies played ahead the entire game as it grabbed three runs in the first, highlighted by a Carter Hain two-run single. The Mastodons cut the lead to two after the top of the fifth, but a pair of runs during its at-bats bumped the lead to four. The Mastodons made it a close game and made it a two-run game in the eighth, but the Golden Grizzlies held on, added an insurance run, and took the game, 8-5.
 
In total, the team holds a .300 batting average with an opponent batting average of .309. Oakland has scored 41 more runs than its opponents with 296 but has 13 less hits. The Golden Grizzlies have tallied 71 doubles, 18 triples and 30 home runs and has allowed 93 doubles, 20 triples and 46 home runs. On the bump, the team leads in ERA with 7.19 opposed to 7.80 and has walked only 136 batters.
 
Carter Hain leads the team with a .397 batting average and is tied with Lucas Day and Brandon Nigh for most RBI with 35 despite having several less games. Reggie Bussey leads in hits with 43 as Day is close behind with 42, as Day holds the team lead with eight home runs.
 
SCOUTING THE ZIPS
The Akron Zips (6-28, 1-14 MAC) have struggled as of late as it has dropped 14 of its last 15 games as of today (April 16). The Zips face off against the Dayton Flyers this afternoon prior to its meeting with the Golden Grizzlies as Oakland will be the third Horizon League team Akron will play this season. The Zips took care of business as it beat the Wright State Raiders, 11-7, but fell to Youngstown State by a run, 4-3, in a weekday game. The Zips biggest win of the season came in Durham, N.C., as it took on the Duke Blue Devils for a three-game weekend series and beat the nationally-ranked team, 4-3, but dropped its series.
 
This will be the third matchup in program history between the two teams as the Golden Grizzlies look to remain perfect as it has won its previous two meetings. Oakland will welcome Akron for the first time as well as the team played two on Skeeles Field back in 2020 as the Golden Grizzlies came away with a one-run win in both. In the first leg of the doubleheader, Oakland won in 14 innings, 4-3, followed by a 1-0 win the following game in six innings.
 
The Zips hold a .229 batting average and allows an opponent batting average of .325 as it has given up 134 more hits to its opponents in 385. The Zips have hit 48 doubles, seven triples and 17 home runs while allowing 77 doubles, 14 triples and 46 home runs. On the mound, the team has struck out 217 and has been struck out 311 times as walks allowed and taken nearly equate, with 148 walks pitched and 145 walks seen.
 
Max Bowman is the only Zip who has played in all 34 games this season and leads the team in RBI with 25, and he holds pace for hits with 39, triples with four and home runs with four. With a .331 batting average, Bowman is the only player on the team with a batting average greater than .300. Jared Schaeffer leads on the mound amongst starting pitchers with 5.40 ERA in eight starts, as he's allowed 53 hits and 26 earned in 43.1 innings pitched.
 
First pitch from the Oakland Baseball Field is slated for 2:30 Wednesday, April 17.
 
SCOUTING THE NORSE
The Northern Kentucky Norse (22-13, 11-4 HL) enter the weekend series having lost its last two Horizon League series after it opened it up with three series sweeps. Most recently, the team dropped a series at home against Wright State after it won the first game, 15-14, but lost its final two games against the Raiders.
 
The Golden Grizzlies look to avenge its losses from earlier this season as the Norse swept the team earlier this season on the road. Northern Kentucky outscored Oakland, 31-16, as the Golden Grizzlies nearly took the final game of the series but fell in 11 innings, 7-6. Oakland looks to build off its winning record at home with a 9-8 record as the team hasn't dropped a series at home against the Norse since 2018.
 
The Norse outhit its opponents, 389-349, and hold its opponents under a .300 batting average with a .291. Northern Kentucky hits at a .316 clip and leads in extra base hits with 79 doubles, 20 triples and 53 home runs, as it has allowed 77 doubles, seven triples and 52 home runs. On the bump, the team has leads in strikeouts slightly, with 287 compared to 280, and has drawn 34 more walks with 233.
 
Liam McFadden-Ackman and Cleary Simpson are the only two players who have played all 35 games as McFadden-Ackman leads the team with a .411 batting average. He also paces the team with 55 RBI and nearly the team lead in hits as Treyvin Moss holds the lead with 55. Both Tanner Gillis and Clay Brock have four wins on the mound as Gillis leads the starting core with 5.40 ERA. He's allowed 31 hits with 23 earned runs in 38.1 innings pitched, as Nick McClanahan leads the team with 40 strikeouts in 31.0 innings pitched.
 
First pitch for game one from Oakland Baseball Field is slated for 3:30 Friday, April 19.