Live Stats (Friday) |
Live Stats (Saturday)
KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Sitting just outside the current playoff picture in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's (PSAC) Eastern Division, the fifth-place Kutztown University baseball team will take on the second-place, No. 17-ranked West Chester University Golden Rams on April 20-21 in a four-game set. First pitch on Friday from WCU's Serpico Field and Saturday from KU's North Campus Field will be at 1 p.m., respectively.
The Golden Bears (13-14, 7-9 PSAC) will have their work cut out for them in taking on WCU (22-9, 11-5), a nationally-ranked side and perennial power in the PSAC. However, the Maroon and Gold haven't blinked this season in taking on opponents which hold national rankings, defeating No. 4 Mercyhurst and splitting with No. 18 Lock Haven. KU last split with West Chester in 2016, but has not taken a series from the Golden Rams since 2011.
For Kutztown,
Ryan Cox (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell (St. Bonaventure)) and
Nick Lafferty (Croydon, Pa./Archbishop Wood) have provided the offensive firepower this season, ranking first and second on the team in hits with 37 and 36, respectively. Both are approaching milestones heading into this weekend as each sit less than ten hits away from 100 hits for their career. Cox, who has amassed 96 career hits, is also in the midst of a seven-game hit streak and 28 game on-base streak dating back to the final regular season game of 2017. Lafferty, whose .424 average ranks fifth in the PSAC, is on a five-game hitting streak of his own and needs nine more hits to reach 100.
The pitching staff for the Maroon and Gold has been anchored by
Michael Hunter (Mertztown, Pa./Brandywine Heights (Marist)) and
Mike Kammerer (Allentown, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic), of which KU is a combined 9-2 in games started by this duo. Hunter's 2.35 ERA is the sixth-lowest among PSAC pitchers whom have made six starts or more and his four wins are tied with Kammerer for the team lead. After a tough outing at Bloomsburg on March 25, Kammerer has been excellent in his last three appearances, pitching a combined 25.0 innings and surrendering just seven earned runs while striking out 15.
WCU is led by Jared Melone, whose .480 batting average and 59 hits both rank first in the PSAC. Nick Ward will also be a force to be reckoned with for the KU pitching staff as Ward's ten home runs and 47 runs scored both lead the conference. On the bump, fans can expect to see West Chester's Zach Rice, who has made seven starts this season and holds a 5.05 ERA and 5-1 record. Mike Cipolla has also made seven starts in 2018 for the Golden Rams and has a 5.31 ERA and 4-1 mark.
KU will need its aforementioned standouts to perform well, but it's going to take a true team effort to claim a series victory over West Chester. In looking at the Golden Rams losses this season, WCU scored an average of just 3.1 runs per game in its nine defeats, setting the blueprint for how Kutztown can pull off the upset. The strength of the Golden Rams lies on the offensive side as its .309 team batting average ranks fifth in the PSAC, meaning the Golden Bears will need four solid pitching performances from their starters. The Maroon and Gold will struggle if it gets into a shoot-out with the West Chester offense, which averages 7.5 runs per game compared to KU's 5.8 runs per game.
West Chester's pitching staff, while one of the winningest in the league, has been prone to giving up runs, especially in the later innings, creating a chance for KU to capitalize in this area. If the Golden Bears can hold down the WCU offense and get some clutch hitting down the stretch, Kutztown has a golden opportunity to take this series and continue to turn heads as this year's 'Cinderella' story in the PSAC.
Live stats will be available via the links above, which can also be accessed on www.kubears.com.
