ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies baseball team ramps up for its final home series of the regular season as it's set to host the Milwaukee Panthers following a weekday home game against the Toledo Rockets.
 
Oakland plays host to Toledo Tuesday (May 7), with first pitch set for 3:30 p.m. ET, followed by a three-day series against Milwaukee, with first pitch for game one set for Friday (May 10) at 3:30 p.m., live on ESPN+.
 
The Golden Grizzlies (25-23, 13-11 HL) dropped its home series against the Wright State Raiders as it split its season series against the Raiders as each team won three. The series flipped as Oakland beat Wright State, two games to one, on the road earlier this season as the Raiders did the same to the Golden Grizzlies this past weekend.
 
Oakland nearly came away with the series-opening win as it held a 6-5 lead heading into the ninth, but Wright State grabbed a pair to take the game. The Golden Grizzlies bounced back the following day as it used 10 runs in two innings to propel the team to a tight, 15-12 win.
 
The Golden Grizzlies found itself down, 10-7, heading into the bottom of the seventh, but back-to-back home runs from Lucas Day and Brandon Heidal were followed up by a solo shot from Trent Rice. Reggie Bussey tacked on one more for the five runs in the inning with a single as the team kept it rolling with a trio of runs in the eighth for the win.
 
As a team, the Golden Grizzlies hold a .302 batting average for third best in the Horizon League, as it allows a .322 batting average to its opponents. With 498 hits on the season, the team has batted in 369 runs, two more than its opponents, as it has given up 547 hits. Of the Golden Grizzlies 498, 99 have been doubles, 21 have been triples and 54 have been home runs. With 145 steals, the team still sits second in the NCAA with most stolen bases. On the mound, Oakland holds a 7.85 ERA as its opponents hold a 7.95 ERA. The Golden Grizzlies have struck out 303 batters with 212 walks as its opponents have tallied 387 strikeouts with 280 walks.
 
Carter Hain leads the Golden Grizzlies with his .357 batting average as Heidal, who has recorded a hit in 14 of his last 15 games, is right behind with a .356. Heidal is one hit shy from the team lead as Bussey is atop with 63 hits. Hain also leads the team with 46 RBI as Rice holds the team lead with 37 steals. Brandon Decker leads the starting rotation with a 5.40 ERA and also has six saves in 88.1 innings pitched.
 
SCOUTING THE ROCKETS
The Rockets (23-25, 16-11 MAC) enter the weekday matchup having won its last three games at home against Eastern Michigan. The Rockets, however, have lost four of its last five road games, including a 4-3 loss in extras against Purdue Fort Wayne. This will be the seventh time the Rockets have faced someone from the Horizon League, and the second time facing the Golden Grizzlies, as its 3-3 this season and 1-2 on the road. In total, the Rockets are 12-17 on the road while the Golden Grizzlies are 9-4 on the Oakland Baseball Field.
 
The teams last played in the beginning of April as the Rockets came away with a tight win, 3-2. The Rockets opened the game up in the second inning with a pair of runs, as Day cut it to a one-run game in the fourth with a solo shot, followed by a Hain bunt in the seventh to knot things up. The Rockets, however, got the eventual game-winning run in the eighth off a sacrifice fly. Six different Oakland players tallied a hit as Brody Krzysiak led the team with four strikeouts.
 
The Rockets hold a .266 batting average and allow its opponents to hit at a .278 clip. Toledo has accumulated 434 hits on the year with 70 doubles, four triples and 75 home runs, as its opponents have hit 68 doubles, six triples and 55 home runs for 452 hits. The Rocket's opponents have batted in 12 more runs on the year and have 38 stolen bases on the year.
 
Garret Pike leads the Rockets with a .354 batting average and holds the team lead in hits by 18 with his 69. Pike also leads the team with 16 home runs and 45 RBI, as the closest batter below him in batting average is Brayden White at a .300 clip. On the mound, Grant Umberger leads the team with five wins and a 3.94 ERA in 61.2 innings pitched as Noah Johnson is behind with a 5.37 ERA in 58.2 innings pitched.
 
First pitch from the Oakland Baseball Field is slated for 3:30 p.m. Tuesday (May 7).
 
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
The Panthers (16-29, 11-13 HL) are set to face Northwestern Wednesday (May 8) ahead of its weekend series against the Golden Grizzlies. Milwaukee has won six of its last seven games, including its last two, as it has won its last four Horizon League series with its last series loss against the Golden Grizzlies.
 
The Golden Grizzlies swept the Panthers earlier this season in Milwaukee and outscored the team, 16-9. Oakland has won the last five games against the Panthers and have taken seven of the last 10 and are 15-11 on the Oakland Baseball Field. Bussey led the Golden Grizzlies on the weekend with four hits and four RBI as Decker pitched a total of eight innings and earned both a save and a win in two separate games. He tied with Hunter Pidek on the mound for most strikeouts on the weekend with five.
 
The Panthers outhit its opponents, 427-395, as it holds a .279 batting average and allow a .271 batting average. Milwaukee has hit 96 doubles, 13 triples and 24 home runs and has allowed 88 doubles, 18 triples and 43 home runs for 32 more RBI at 282. The pitching core has one more strikeout than its opponents with 354 but has walked 107 more batters with 269.
 
Justin Hausser leads the team with a .349 batting average and 66 hits, while Carson Hansen, who hits at a .326 clip, holds the team lead with 58 RBI, 22 doubles and 10 home runs. Luke Hansel leads the pitching group with a 3.89 ERA in 71.2 innings pitched and has allowed 60 hits, as Adrian Montilva has seen 54.1 innings with 56 hits allowed an 31 runs earned.
 
First pitch for game one from the Oakland Baseball Field is slated for 3:30 p.m. Friday (May 10), also live on ESPN+.