SALEM, WV. –  After opening the 2022 campaign with a victory in their opener, the Mansfield University baseball team will look to bounce back after a 1-3 finish to the weekend as they travel to Salem, W.V., starting on Saturday, Feb. 26, for another four-game set of non-conference games. 

SERIES DETAILS
The weekend series will be played at Salem, W.V. starting on Saturday when they Mounties take on Ashland University at 11 a.m., before ended the day with a 2:30 p.m. battle with host school Salem University. The Mounties will repeat that same schedule on Sunday before returning home.

The four-game set will be played at Salem University's Frank Loria Memorial Field. Directions can be found here.

Host school, Salem University will be providing coverage for the two nightcaps with the Mountaineers. Links will be updated as they are made available. Box scores and recap for the Mountaineers' contests with Ashland University will be updated on gomounties.com and the Mountaineers' social media accounts (@MUmounties) when they are made available.

SEASON OPENER
The Mounties' (1-3 overall) first victory came in the first game of the season in an extra-innings battle against Glenville State College. The Mounties rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth inning to take the opening game of the series, 6-3.

However, the Pioneers (8-1 overall) took the final three games of the weekend to take the series, 3-1.

Senior Hunter DePrimo kicked off 2022 how he left off his All-PSAC campaign last season, going seven-complete innings, allowing one earned run and striking out nine to earn a no-decision in the Mountaineers season opener.

Seniors Ben Osborne (.462, 6-for-13) and Assaf Lowengart (.538, 7-for-13) are off to a red-hot start to the season, combining for 13 hits, three doubles, five runs scored and three RBI to lead the offense through the opening weekend.

The weekend ended with the Mounties hitting two home runs coming from the bats of sophomore Dylan Mercedes and senior Samuel Freedman.

LAST TIME OUT
In game one of the series, junior Josh Colon threw a scoreless bottom of the eighth after taking over for starting pitcher DePrimo. Sophomore Zach Spray led off the ninth with a walk and advanced to third on a single by Farina. Osborne singled in Spray and junior Josh Furina later came around to score when sophomore Brittain Shander reached on an error by the Pioneers' left fielder. Lowengart knocked in the third Mountaineer run of the inning, plating Osborne, to round out the scoring and lead the Mounties to the season-opening win.

In game two, the Pioneers scored four runs in the third and fifth inning en route to a 10-1 victory to notch the split on the afternoon. The Mounties lone run game in the second inning when Nales singled to knock in Lowengart, who led off the inning with a single.

The Mountaineers were outscored 12-5 on the second day, allowing the Pioneers to win the series.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
The Mountaineers are 5-9 all-time against Ashland University, dating back to 1998. The Mountaineers took the last meeting, 2-1 in Auburndale, Fl. in 2012. The Mounties are 8-1 all-time against Salem University, also dating back to 1998. The Mountaineers swept the Tigers, 17-8, 9-8 during a doubleheader in their last meeting in Greer, S.C. in 2012.

The Mounties start the weekend against Ashland, who has yet to compete this season with their first game coming this Friday against Salem.

Mansfield ends both Saturday and Sunday against Salem at 2:30 p.m. The Tigers (1-5 overall) started their season with a three-game series against Savannah State University, losing all three. They then faced Fairmont State University in another three-game series, taking the first game before falling in the final two.

Kobie Carpenter has led the Tigers in hitting through two weekends, carrying a .556 (5-for-9) batting average with three runs scored and two RBI. Brett Graham has the lone homer for Salem through six games.

Ben Sitarenios earned the lone victory on the season for the Tigers pitching staff, tossing a scoreless inning in relief against Fairmont. Jaryd Lund has two starts on the season and is leading the club with 12 innings pitched, allowing three earned runs and striking out 18.

ON THIS DATE
2/26/2017: Mounties Sweep Doubleheader with Assumption to Take Series

CARY, N.C. – Mansfield won the opener 6-5 then took the nightcap 3-0 to sweep a doubleheader with Assumption on Sunday at the USA Baseball Complex.

 The Mountaineers finished 3-1 in a four-game weekend series with the non-conference opponent out of the Northeast-10 Conference.

NEXT UP
The Mounties wrap up their spring training non-conference schedule with a four-game series with Virginia State University in Petersburg, Va., starting on Saturday, March 5 at noon.