KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Following a ten-day layoff, the Mansfield University baseball team is set to return to action when they travel to Kutztown University for a Pennsylvania Stats Athletic Conference (PSAC) East series at North Campus Field on Friday-Saturday, April 2-3 beginning at noon.

All four games will be played at Kutztown due to weather in the forecast in the Mansfield area tomorrow.

The Mounties (2-10, 1-7 PSAC East) have already notched the most home runs since the 2018 season and are led by senior Tyler Melko (three) and junior Assaf Lowengart (two). Sophomore Josh Farina is currently leading the club in batting average and is tied with Melko for the team lead in hits with 11.

Seniors Hunter DePrimo (16.0) and Colby Shimmell (15.0) are leading the pitching staff in innings and are striking out batters at a high clip, as DePrimo is seventh in the conference (28) and Shimmell is 18^th (21).

LAST TIME OUT
Melko homered in his first two at-bats to give the Mansfield University baseball team an early lead, but East Stroudsburg University used a five-run fifth inning to earn a 7-5 victory in the nightcap of a PSAC East doubleheader at Shaute Field on Monday, March 22. The Mounties fell 19-6 in the opener.

In game two, Melko finished 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI, while freshman Zach Shertzer (double), freshman Dylan Mercedes (triple) and sophomore Josh Farina all notched two hits. Tommy Dunleavy had a home run for the Warriors.

In game one, Farina was 2-for-2 with a run scored and two RBI, Melko and junior Jake Haas each drove in two runs, while junior Nate Cotton was 2-for-4 with a double.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
The Golden Bears (11-7, 5-7 PSAC East) were firing on all cylinders out of the gates this season, starting 9-3 overall and 5-3 in the PSAC East before suffering a four-game sweep at the hands of Shepherd University last weekend.

The Golden Bears remain in postseason contention and currently reside in seventh place in the PSAC East.

Ethan Martini leads KU in hitting and is sporting a .429 (24-for-46) batting average. His 24 hits rank first in the East. Gavin Morestski leads the club in innings pitched (17.2) and is 1-1 with a 3.57 ERA.

Kutztown defeated East Stroudsburg University, 28-13 last time out. Yes, you read that correctly - the Golden Bears plated five or more runs in three innings and belted out 26 hits to score the most runs in program-history since the 2002 season. The game was played as non-conference and did not count towards conference standings.

KU was 7-4 in 2020 before the season was cancelled.

KU SPECTATOR POLICY

FROM THE ARCHIVES
The Mounties are 62-70 all-time against Kutztown and are 3-6 in the previous 10 matchups. Mansfield won 14 straight games in the series from 1991 to 1995. The largest margin of victory came in a 21-3 rout on May 5, 1992.

In 2017, Brandon Garrett and Luke Hills made history throwing back-to-back no hitters in a home doubleheader with Kutztown. MU won both contests, 1-0.

NEXT UP
The Mounties begin a four-game set with Lock Haven University by hosting a home PSAC East doubleheader beginning at noon at Shaute Field on Friday, April 9. The Mounties travel to LHU at the same time on Saturday, April 10.