Rio Baseball to Face Harriers in Chillicothe

RIO GRANDE, OH – The University of Rio Grande baseball team will return to action on Friday afternoon when they take on the Thunderhawks of Miami University-Hamilton in a doubleheader at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe.

First pitch of the seven-inning opener is slated for 1 p.m., with a nine-inning nightcap to follow.

In their most recent outing two weeks ago, the RedStorm (2-6) dropped three of four during a weekend trip to Tennessee and the campus of Bryan College. Rio Grande split a twinbill with the host Lions back on Feb. 7, losing the first game 4-1 and taking the second game 4-2 behind some superb pitching from senior right-hander David Steele (Kettering, OH).

Rio Grande was then swept by Madonna (Mich.) University in a two-game set the following day by scores of 7-1 and 4-3, respectively.

Left-handed pitcher and first baseman Anthony Knittel leads Rio Grande at the plate with a .375 average and a team-leading four runs batted in. Junior second baseman Grant Tamane (Pickering, Ontario, Canada) leads the RedStorm with a .429 on-base percentage and has collected nine hits on the young season for a .360 average at the dish.

Steele (1-0, 0.00 ERA) has paced Rio Grande from the mound in 8.2 innings pitched with 14 strikeouts and five walks in three appearances. Steele has also recorded the lone save on the season for Rio Grande.

Cincinnati native and senior right-hander Mike Deitsch (1-1, 3.45) has struck out eight and walked five in two starts.

For the Thunderhawks, this will be the 2014 season opener.

Live video and play-by-play will be available at www.ihigh.com/redstorm with pregame beginning at 12:50 p.m.