ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland Golden Grizzlies are set to host Youngstown State in a three-game Horizon League series on Friday, April 17, and Sunday, April 19. Due to the weather on Saturday, the game has been moved to a doubleheader on Friday, starting at noon ET. First pitch on Sunday will commence at 1 p.m. ET at the OU Baseball Field. All games will be on ESPN+ with Matt Kibby on the call.

The Golden Grizzlies took care of Michigan State in their lone midweek game on Tuesday this week.

Oakland earned an 11–9 road win over Michigan State at Jeff Ishbia Field, using a balanced offensive performance and strong late pitching to secure its second Big Ten victory of the season and complete in-state wins over both Big Ten opponents for the first time in 10 years. The Golden Grizzlies recorded 13 hits, highlighted by Aidan Orr's first collegiate multi-home-run game with three RBIs and Ben Clark's three-hit, three-RBI effort, including the go-ahead run, while Kyle Revere added three hits and two runs scored. After falling behind 2–0 early, Oakland answered with multi- run innings to build a lead and held off a five-run Michigan State seventh inning surge, as Jaxson Easterlin closed the game with 2.2 scoreless hitless innings to earn his first win of the season and secure the victory.

OU topped both in-state Big Ten opponents in midweeks this season for the first time since 2016. The Golden Grizzlies beat Michigan in an exciting comeback, 7-6, on March 24 before taking care of Michigan State in East Lansing, 11-9, on April 9.

The Golden Grizzlies are fourth in the Horizon League with a team batting average of .258, as fifth-year Kyle Revere leads OU with a .320 average and five home runs in 128 plate appearances. From the mound, freshman Ben Green leads the Oakland bullpen with a 4.00 ERA in five starts, drawing up 20 strikeouts and a win.

SCOUTING THE PENGUINS
The Youngstown State Penguins have compiled a 5–30 overall record and a 3–9 mark in Horizon League play while navigating a difficult schedule and injuries. The Penguins opened the year against power-conference opponents, including Auburn and Oregon, and later earned notable wins over Longwood, Georgetown, and a Horizon League road series victory at Milwaukee. Senior left-hander Braden Gebhardt has anchored the pitching staff, leading the Horizon League with 66 strikeouts while also pacing the conference in ERA (2.14), innings pitched (54.2), WHIP (1.04), and games started (9), and earning three consecutive Horizon League Pitcher of the Week honors early in the season.

Oakland took the series at Youngstown State in March, after dropping the series opener, 5-6. The Golden Grizzlies took home 12-6 and 4-3 victories to clinch the HL opening series for both squads. Through the three games, fifth-year Kyle Revere tallied up five RBIs as junior Ben Clark recorded six hits in 11 plate appearances. From the mound, senior left-hander Tanner Ware garnered the Saturday win with a 5.2 inning performance, giving up only one earned run and fanning five at the plate.

How to Follow Oakland Baseball: For complete information on Oakland Baseball, follow the team on X at @OaklandBSB and head coach Brian Nelson at @CoachNelly11. The team is also on Instagram.