Gorillas Set to Compete in 2024 MIAA Baseball Championship

PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team is set to compete in the final round of the 2024 MIAA Baseball Championship which is scheduled to get under way Thursday (May 9) at Al Ortolani Field.

The Gorillas, the No. 3 seed in the tournament, will meet second-seeded Missouri Southern State at 5 p.m. (CDT) Thursday. Top-seeded University of Central Missouri will face No. 5 seed Washburn University at 1 p.m. Thursday to open the day's action.

Single day tickets are $10 and may be purchased on site at Al Ortolani Field the day of the game. All-Tournament passes are $25. All games will be streamed live, exclusively on The MIAA Network.

All tournament games involving the Gorillas will be broadcast live in the Four States on the Gorilla Sports Network on the radio dial at 100.7 FM, 107.9 FM and 1340 AM. Fans can hear ESPN 100.7's live broadcasts anywhere in the world on the internet at: www.espn1007.com. The games also can be heard through the ESPN 100.7 app for phones or mobile devices.

With a victory against the Lions Thursday, the Gorillas will advance in the winner's bracket for an 11 a.m. match-up Friday (May 12) against the winner of the UCM-WU match-up. With a loss, Pitt State will drop into the loser's bracket and face an elimination game against the loser of the Mules and Ichabods game at 3 p.m. Friday.

2024 MIAA Baseball Championship Bracket

Thursday, May 9
Game 1 – No. 1 UCM (45-6) vs. No. 5 WU (31-19), 1 p.m.
Game 2 – No. 2 MSSU (39-13) vs. No. 3 PSU (34-16), 5 p.m.

Friday, May 10
Game 3 – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 11 a.m.
Game 4 – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 3 p.m.
Game 5 – Loser Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 11
Game 6 – MIAA Championship, Noon
Game 7 – (If Necessary)

The Record
Pitt State enters the tournament action with a 34-16 overall record. The Gorillas advanced to the semifinals of the 2024 MIAA Baseball Championship by sweeping two games from No. 6 seed Rogers State University of Central Oklahoma in a quarterfinal series played in Pittsburg, May 3-4. Pitt State posted 11-1 and 6-1 wins over Rogers State..

MSSU (39-13) swept a pair of games over No. 7 seed Northwest Missouri State University to advance to host the semifinals. UCM (45-6) swept No. 8 seed Fort Hays State University and WU (31-19) upset No. 4 seed University of Central Oklahoma in two games.

The Gorillas compiled a 2-7 record in regular season action against the three surviving squads. Pitt State posted a 1-2 records against MSSU and WU and an 0-3 mark against UCM.

PSU in the MIAA Tournament
Pitt State is making its 15th all-time appearance in the MIAA Postseason Tournament. The Gorillas have compiled a 29-30 record in MIAA Tournament play, capturing the 1999 MIAA Baseball Championship with an unblemished 5-0 record. Pitt State reached the 2021 MIAA Championship Game at Joplin, Mo., falling to UCM, 11-2, in the title game.

Scouting the Gorillas
For the season, the Gorillas are batting .306 as a team and scoring 8.6 runs per game. Pitt State ranks fourth in the MIAA in runs scored and batting average.

Pitt State's pitching staff carries an 5.15 ERA (3rd in the MIAA), while registering 367 strikeouts in 419.1 innings of work. The Gorillas fielders sport a .979 fielding percentage (2nd in the MIAA).

The opposition is hitting .257 against the Gorillas thus far and scoring 5.3 runs per game. Opponent pitchers have an 8.08 ERA.

Graduate infielder Dylan Kurahashi-Choy Foo has a team-leading .398 batting average with 72 hits in 181 at-bats on the season. Choy Foo, who ranks second in the MIAA in batting average, has 18 doubles, 10 home runs home runs and 58 RBI to his credit. He ranks fifth in the conference in doubles and RBI. Choy Foo was a first-team All-MIAA selection.

Senior outfielder Blake Mozley also is hitting .367 (54-147) on the year with 14 doubles, five home runs and 35 RBI. An honorable mention All-MIAA selection at designate hitter, Mozley currently ranks 11th in the MIAA in batting average.

Junior catcher Nixon Brannan is hitting .349 with 14 doubles, 15 home runs and 48 RBI on the season. A second-team All-MIAA pick, Brannan ranks in a tie for third place in the MIAA in home runs. He was a first-team All-MIAA, the MIAA Co-Player of the Year and a second-team ABCA NCAA Division II All-America selection as a sophomore in 2023 when he hit .391 with 22 doubles, 15 home runs and 69 RBI.

Junior outfielder Josh Holmes also is hitting .316 with 50 runs scored, nine doubles, five home runs, 27 RBI and 21 stolen bases. An honorable mention All-MIAA selection, Holmes ranks fourth in the MIAA in stolen bases.

Second infielders Daegan Brady and Cade Clemons also are All-MIAA honorees. Brady earned third-team All-MIAA honors at second base, hitting .304 with nine doubles, eight home runs and 27 RBI. Clemons, an honorable mention All-MIAA selection at shortstop, is slashing .266/.369/.543. He has six doubles, six triples and 10 home runs with 39 RBI. Clemons was a second-team All-MIAA pick and a first-team NCBWA Division II All-America honoree in 2023.

Junior RHP Tanner Leslie leads the Pitt State pitching staff. Leslie, a second-team All-MIAA selection, has posted a team-leading 10-2 record with a 5.22 ERA. He has a 52:14 K:BB in 70.2 innings pitched. Leslie ranks in a tie for second place in the MIAA in victories.

Junior RHP Brady Pacha (3-4, 5.91 ERA) also received honorable mention All-MIAA recognition this season. Junior RHP Gage Singer has posted a 1-1 record with a 1.97 ERA in seven starts. He has a 0.75 WHIP and a 47-4 K:BB in 32.0 innings pitched.

Junior RHP Cole Askew (1-0, 4.56 ERA, 5 Saves) has made a team-leading 21 relief appearances for the Gorillas, while junior RHP Cadyn Castellanos (5-2, 4.28 ERA) has appeared in 17 games. Junior RHP Boston Dowd (4-1, 3.45, 1 Save) also had made 18 relief appearances with 28 strikeouts in 28.2 innings of work. Dowd was a second-team All-MIAA selection.

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