Kent State University
University of Pittsburgh
Baseball Hits the Road to Pitt
3/19/2019 12:24:00 PM | Baseball
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KENT, Ohio – The Kent State baseball team (7-10) is set to face its fifth Power Five opponent of the season on Wednesday March 20 on the road at Pitt (7-11, 1-5 ACC) at 3 p.m.
The Flashes are 3-4 against the Power Five this season, and last swept Northwestern in a double header at Schoonover Stadium on Friday, March 15. The Kent State offense collected 30 hits in the twin bill against the Wildcats, scoring in 11 of the 16 innings a Flash stepped to the plate and knocking four home runs. The Flashes forced nine Northwestern pitchers to the bump and thrived with two outs in both ballgames, tallying 15 of their 23 total runs with one out left in the frame.
Senior Pete Schuler was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Week on Monday following his offensive show last week. The Pleasant Prairie, Wis. native exploded offensively, hitting at a .727 clip with a 1.455 slugging percentage and a .733 on-base percentage across three games. Schuler collected eight hits, six RBIs and six runs scored, including two-doubles, two home runs and three walks. The senior is on a five-game hitting streak dating back to March 9, recording multi-hit games in the last four.
On the season, redshirt sophomore Ben Carew leads the Kent State offense, batting .390 with 23 hits, 12 RBIs, 11 runs, and eight stolen bases. Schuler leads with a .600 slugging percentage and has added 21 hits, 12 RBIs and 11 runs. Sophomore Nick Elsen has launched four home runs, while Schuler and senior Pavin Parks have each clubbed three.
Pitt
Pitt will enter Wednesday's matchup 7-11 overall on the season and 1-5 in ACC play after snapping an eight-game losing streak with a 1-0 victory over Virginia Tech Sunday afternoon.
The Panthers have not been shut out this season, and have tallied 79 runs in 18 games while averaging more than eight hits per game. Of Pitt's 150 hits on the year, 47 have been for extra bases including six home runs and eight triples. The Panthers have also drawn 97 walks and 20 hit by pitches, while striking out 164 times.
The Pitt pitching staff has held its opponents to a .265 average, shutting out both Hofstra and Virginia Tech. The battery has fanned 190 batters while walking 85 and allowing seven homers on the season.
Wednesday will mark the 69th time the two programs will meet, with the Flashes leading the all-time series, 42-26. The teams last met a year ago for a home-and-home series. Kent State took the win in both games, 4-1 and 2-0 respectively.
The 2019 Kent State Baseball Season is brought to you by Hometown Bank. Hometown Bank and Kent State Baseball – A Winning Team. There's no place like home.
