YSU Baseball to Host Mercyhurst, Tri-C in Fall Exhibition Contests
9/21/2023 12:07:00 PM | Baseball
The Youngstown State baseball team will host Mercyhurst and Cuyahoga Community College in fall exhibition contests at Eastwood Field during the month of October, Head Coach Dan Bertolini announced on Thursday.
The Penguins will host Mercyhurst on Sunday, Oct. 8, at 4 p.m. before welcoming Tri-C on Sunday, Oct. 22, at noon. Admission will be free for both contests with gates opening approximately one hour prior to first pitch.
Youngstown State will hold its first official fall practice on Sept. 25. The Penguins' 2024 roster currently features 25 returners from last season and 16 newcomers. Headlining the group of returners is redshirt senior shortstop Trey Law, who was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team and the ABCA/Rawlings East All-Region Second Team in 2023 after batting .362 leading the Horizon League with 80 hits.
Infielder Matt Thompson also returns after being named Horizon League Freshman of the Year in 2023. Thompson, who was also selected to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team, batted .316 and slugged .439 with 54 hits, 10 doubles, one triple, three home runs and 28 RBIs in his debut collegiate campaign. On the mound, left-hander Braden Gebhardt returns after joining Thompson on Horizon League All-Freshman Team in 2023. Gebhardt's 54 strikeouts in 2023 are the most by a YSU freshman since Collin Floyd had 58 in 2016.
Most recently in 2023, the Penguins posted an overall record of 19-36 with a 13-16 mark in Horizon League play. YSU has recorded double-digit Horizon League wins in three straight seasons for the first time in program history. The 2023 campaign was highlighted by the program's longest winning streak in 18 years. YSU won eight straight games from April 25 to May 9 to put together its longest winning streak since the 2005 season. The Penguins won 12 of their final 16 games while earning four consecutive Horizon League series victories to close out the regular season.
For news and updates throughout the fall, follow @YSUBaseball on X and Instagram.
