ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies baseball team caps off its eight-game home stand with a weekday game against Eastern Michigan Tuesday (April 23), followed by a weekend league series on the road against Youngstown State starting Friday (April 26).
 
Tuesday's matchup against the Eagles will be streamed live on ESPN+ with first pitch set for 3:30 p.m. ET, as its weekend series at Youngstown State, slated for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. ET, 3:00 p.m. ET and 1:00 p.m. ET, respectively.
 
The Golden Grizzlies (21-18, 11-7 HL) took care of business this past weekend against the Northern Kentucky Norse to take its fifth-straight league series to put itself t-2nd in the Horizon League standings, one game behind the Norse.
 
The Golden Grizzlies rallied back after it suffered a 21-run loss during its series opener, as Oakland outscored Northern Kentucky, 17-12, and rallied for an extra-inning win to take the weekend series. Entering Tuesday, the Golden Grizzlies have won nine of its last 11 games, despite being outscored by two runs.
 
Prior to its weekend series, the Golden Grizzlies hosted Akron and fended off the Zips in extras, as Akron went ahead, 7-6, after the top of the 11th, but four-straight walks brought in the game-winning run as Oakland won off a walk-off walk, 8-7.
 
The team answered in its weekend series after it fell, 24-3, in the opener in a big way to knot the series up as a six-run second inning, highlighted by three runs scored off a wild pitch and nine strikeouts from Shane McAlinden, led the Sunday's rubber match. Oakland fell behind, 7-4, after the top of the seventh but a big five-run inning, with a three-run Brandon Heidal home run added to the total, put the team up by a pair. The Norse tied things up in the next two innings, but a John Lauinger sacrifice fly scored the game-winning run to take the game, 10-9.
 
As a team, Oakland holds a .295 batting average and allows an opposing batting average of .316, as it has given up 39 more hits this season with its 393. The team has tallied 76 doubles, 19 triples and 36 home runs while its opponents have hit 108 doubles, 21 triples and 56 home runs although the Golden Grizzlies holds the edge in RBI with 292 to 283. The Golden Grizzlies rank second in the NCAA in total steals with 119 and ranks 14th in the nation in drawn walks with 238.
 
Trent Rice ranks third in the NCAA with 30 stolen bases, two behind the leader, as Reggie Bussey is behind in fifth with 26. At the plate, Carter Hain holds the team lead with 38 RBI as both Lucas Day and Brandon Nigh are one behind with 37, as Bussey holds the team lead with 47 hits. Brandon Decker leads Oakland starters with a 5.58 ERA and leads the team with four wins in 69.1 innings pitched.
 
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
The Eastern Michigan Eagles (13-25, 8-10 MAC) enter Tuesday's game on a six-game skid as it hasn't won since April 13 against Ohio, 15-6, days after it fell to Oakland on April 9. In that game, the Golden Grizzlies tamed the Eagles, 20-17, as 15 of its 20 runs came in the final three innings of the game. Hain led the team with eight RBI, with a grand slam included, as eight players recorded at least a hit. The Eagles hold a 7-16 record on the road this season but holds a 5-4 record when it visits the Oakland Baseball Field. The Golden Grizzlies look to even the series at home as Oakland is 7-2 at home this year.
 
The Eagles hold a slight edge against its opponents at the dish, with a .300 batting average opposed to its opponents .299, as the team has eight more hits this season with 390. Eastern Michigan has more doubles and triples, but have allowed 14 more home runs and nearly 70 more RBI. The team has been struck out 287 and has dealt 257 strikeouts and have drawn 152 walks.
 
Giano Zuccaro leads the team with a .357 batting average as Blake McRae holds the team lead with 46 hits as Zuccaro is behind with 45. Kyle Schroedle leads the team with nine home runs and is t-1st with 10 doubles, while Cory Taylor leads the team in RBI with 32. On the bump, Bobby Jones leads starting pitchers with five wins and a 6.37 ERA in 59.1 innings pitched.
 
First pitch from the Oakland Baseball Field is slated for 3:30 Tuesday, April 22.
 
SCOUTING THE PENGUINS
The Youngstown State Penguins (7-31, 5-13 HL) face Kent State (Tuesday) and Toledo (Wednesday) prior to its weekend series against Oakland. The Penguins won its most recent Horizon League series, as it took two games on the road against Purdue Fort Wayne. The two teams played nearly a month ago, as the Penguins won the series opener (March 22) but dropped the following two, as the Penguins has lost 14 of its last 18 since it won, 3-2, against Oakland. The Penguins hold a 3-10 record on its home field as Oakland is 14-16, as the Golden Grizzlies are 13-17 on the road at Youngstown.
 
The Penguins hit at a .261 clip from the plate as it allows a batting average of .339 and has allowed 118 more hits to its opponents. Youngstown State has batted in 164 batters and has scored 184 runs and have allowed 436 runs with 393 RBI. The Penguins have been struck out 334 times and has dealt 226 strikeouts.
 
Trey Law leads the team with 54 hits and a .351 batting average as Law is t-1st with RJ Sherwood with eight doubles. Ian Francis holds the team lead with 24 RBI as Brett Stanley leads the Penguins with 11 stolen bases. Braden Gebhardt leads pitchers with 25+ innings pitched with a 7.60 ERA, as Jacob Gehring leads with 46.1 innings pitched and has allowed 65 hits with 47 runs earned.
 
First pitch from Eastwood Field is set for 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 26.