RedStorm Baseball Returns to Diamond Tuesday

RIO GRANDE, Ohio – The University of Rio Grande baseball team will look for a second straight win on Tuesday afternoon when it meets Gannon (Pa.) University in a single nine-inning game at Linda K. Epling Stadium in Beckley, W.Va.

First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.

The RedStorm was originally scheduled to face West Virginia University Tech in a pair of seven-inning games at Doug Epling Field in East Bank, W.Va., but the twinbill was postponed because of wet grounds and will be rescheduled at a later date.

Instead, head coach Brad Warnimont’s club will meet the NCAA Division II Golden Knights at the home of Prospect League’s West Virginia Miners following a meeting between Gannon and WVU Tech scheduled for noon.

Rio Grande (3-7) is coming off of a doubleheader split with Miami-Hamilton last Friday, dropping the opener, 7-1, before posting a 14-6 win in the nightcap.

Five RedStorm players are currently hitting .300 or better–senior Marcus Makuch (Baltimore, OH) at .368, junior Anthony Knittel (Portsmouth, OH) at .333, freshman Luis Jimenez (Salinas, Puerto Rico) at .308, sophomore Austin Hall (Wheelersburg, OH) at .304 and junior Grant Tamane (Pickering, Ontario, Canada) at .303.

Knittel leads the team in both RBIs (5) and doubles (3), while Makuch, Jimenez and sophomore Chris Ford (Athens, OH) have accounted for the club’s three home runs.

Among the four pitchers with eight or more innings thrown to this point, senior David Steele (Kettering, OH) has a team-best 2.38 earned run average and senior Mike Deitsch (Cincinnati, OH) has recorded two of the club’s three wins. Both drew starting assignments in Friday’s twinbill split.

The games against WVU Tech and Rio Grande will be the first for Gannon this season. The squad’s first eight scheduled outings all fell victim to inclement weather.

The Golden Knights, who are the defending champions of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference’s (PSAC) Western Division, were picked to finish fifth in the PSAC’s Western Division this season according to the league’s preseason coaches poll.

Head coach Nate Cocolin’s program returns 12 letterwinners and six starting position players from last year’s 24-19 team.

Six of the Golden Knights’ top seven returning batting averages return in 2014. Mark DeVita (.333) and Jared Wiesen (.326, 11 RBIs, 22 runs) both return, while Jeff Bellanca (.325) and Taylor Anderson (.300) are also back.

Aaron Cox headlines Gannon’s returning pitchers. The sophomore went 7-1 with a 2.50 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 72 innings last season, while also batting .275 with seven home runs, 26 runs and 26 RBIs. Sophomore Ryan Katelan produced the team’s lowest ERA in 2013 with a 1.50 mark in six innings.

Matt Wilwohl (3.94 ERA, 48 IP) and Matt Tobin (4-4, 4.25 ERA, 59.1 IP) complete Gannon’s group of returning letterwinners on the mound.

Live video and play-by-play of the contest is planned at www.ihigh.com/redstorm beginning at 2:50 p.m.

Live stats will also be available at http://www.dakstats.com/WebSync/Pages/Webcasts.aspx?association=10.