The Youngstown State baseball team (1-13) is scheduled to open Horizon League play this weekend with a three-game series against Oakland (1-14) at Michelle Krill Memorial Field at Pullman Park in Butler, Pa. After beginning the series on Friday at noon, the Penguins and Golden Grizzlies will proceed to play on Saturday at 3 p.m. before concluding the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Live stats will be available through links posted on YSUsports.com. Fans can also follow @YSUBaseball on X for live updates.

Youngstown State vs. Oakland

Opponent	Date	Location	Live Stats
	Friday March 13 | 12 PM ET	Michelle Krill Memorial Field at Pullman Park Butler, Pa.	Live Stats
	Saturday March 14 | 3 PM ET	Michelle Krill Memorial Field at Pullman Park Butler, Pa.	Live Stats
	Sunday March 15 | 1 PM ET	Michelle Krill Memorial Field at Pullman Park Butler, Pa..	Live Stats

A Glimpse at the Guins

• Senior left-hander Braden Gebhardt will start on the mound for the Penguins in the league and series opener on Friday while senior right-hander Jack Messmore is scheduled to take the ball in game two on Saturday. Junior right-hander Mikey Rodriques is slated to start in the series finale on Sunday.
• Youngstown State has dropped six straight decisions coming into Friday's Horizon League and series opener against Oakland. Most recently, the Penguins were swept in a three-game non-conference series at Southern Indiana last weekend. USI won a 5-2 decision in the series opener on March 6 before earning victories of 10-1 and 4-1, respectively, in a doubleheader on March 8. The Penguins had their scheduled home opener vs. Central Michigan, which was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at ForeFront Field in Avon, Ohio, postponed due to inclement weather. YSU earned its first victory of the 2026 season with a 2-1 win in the series opener at Longwood on Feb 27.
• Senior left-hander Braden Gebhardt was named the Under Armour Horizon League Pitcher of the Week three times in as many weeks to begin the 2026 season. Gebhardt earned his third consecutive weekly league honor after posting a career-high 12 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings on the mound in YSU's 2-1 series-opening win at Longwood on Feb. 27. The senior southpaw scattered five hits while walking just two batters and matching the longest outing of his career for the second straight week. Gebhardt, who has yet to give up an earned run on 12 hits allowed over four starts this season, has struck out 32 batters while walking just nine in 26 innings pitched.
• Most recently, Gebhardt limited Southern Indiana to three hits with four strikeouts and two walks over six scoreless innings in his 60th career pitching appearance as a Penguin in the series opener on March 6. Through games played on March 10, the Howland, Ohio, native is one of three pitchers in the nation with at least 20 innings pitched to boast a 0.00 ERA. Gebhardt currently leads the Horizon League while also ranking tied for 24th nationally with 32 strikeouts. He leads the league in ERA (0.00), opponent batting average (.138) and innings pitched (26.0) through games completed on Tuesday. Gebhardt paces the conference and ranks 24th in the nation with 4.15 hits allowed per nine innings.
• Gebhardt, who earned the first weekly Horizon League honor of his career following opening weekend, did not allow an earned run while limiting Oregon to two hits over seven strong innings on the mound in YSU's 3-0 loss to the Ducks on Feb. 20 at PK Park in Eugene, Ore. He also recorded 11 strikeouts over six innings in a stellar Opening Day effort in a 2-1 loss at Auburn in the 2026 season opener on Feb. 13. In the first start of his senior season, Gebhardt was responsible for one unearned run on two hits with 11 strikeouts over six innings on the mound. He posted the most strikeouts in a game by a YSU pitcher since Collin Floyd fanned 12 batters against Milwaukee on April 9, 2021.
• Senior right-hander Jack Messmore ranks third in the Horizon League in ERA (4.74) and innings pitched (19.0) while ranking tied for ninth in strikeouts (11). The first-year transfer from New Mexico scattered six hits and struck out five batters over 6.1 scoreless innings in game one of a doubleheader at Auburn on Feb. 14. In his first outing as a Penguin, the senior faced the minimum in four straight frames after retiring the side in order for the third time in the bottom of the fifth inning.
• Freshman infielder Alex Jang leads the Horizon League with a .375 batting average over 11 games played and seven starts to this point in the 2026 season. The Las Vegas, Nev., native also ranks third in the league with a .459 on-base percentage, fourth with a 1.022 OPS, fifth with a .563 slugging percentage and tied for seventh with three doubles. Through the first 14 games of the season, Jang leads YSU in hits (12), doubles (3) and total bases (18). The freshman hit safely in four straight games from Feb. 28 to March 8. Jang recorded a career-high three hits including a two-run home run and a double in the series finale at Longwood on March 1. He hit his first-career home run in the top of the fourth inning in the finale at Longwood to give YSU a 4-2 lead at that point of the game.
• Fifth-year senior outfielder Kendal Spencer ranks tied for fourth in the Horizon League with a team-high four stolen bases in five attempts. Redshirt junior outfielder Brady Shannon ranks tied for seventh in the league with a team leading two home runs while freshman infielder Misael Uriepero ranks tied for seventh with a team-high seven walks.
• Youngstown State's pitching staff ranks second in the Horizon League with a 5.93 team ERA and a .281 opponent batting average through games played on March 10. The Penguins have allowed the second-fewest total runs (105) and hits (126) in the league while matching Wright State for the fewest earned runs allowed (74). The Penguins and Raiders are also tied for the league lead in fewest walks allowed with 77 walks issued by each team. YSU ranks third in the Horizon League with 96 strikeouts as a pitching staff.
• The Penguins have won four of their last five Horizon League openers dating back to the 2021 season. YSU most recently dropped a 7-4 decision to Milwaukee in the team's 2025 home and league opener last March at 717 Credit Union Field at Eastwood. The Guins have won two of their last three home openers, earning a 4-2 win over Purdue Fort Wayne in 2024 and an 18-3 victory over Oakland in 2023.
• Youngstown State has lost its last two meetings with Oakland after dropping two contests against the Golden Grizzlies in the 2025 Horizon League Baseball Championship at Wright State's Nischwitz Stadium in Dayton, Ohio. The fourth-seeded Penguins suffered a 13-2 loss to the fifth-seeded Golden Grizzlies in the opening round before being eliminated with a 22-18 loss in 10 innings to Oakland in a tournament elimination game the following day.
• Youngstown State is under the direction of second-year head coach Trevor Charpie. In Charpie's first season guiding the program in 2025, the Penguins finished with a 15-42 overall record and an 11-19 mark in Horizon League play to finish fourth in the league standings. There are 38 players on YSU's roster in 2026, and 17 of them were with the program last year. The Penguins returned 15 letterwinners from last year's team and have 21 newcomers to the roster.
• The Penguins were picked fourth in the 2026 Horizon League Baseball Preseason Poll after a vote of the league's head coaches. D1Baseball.com also picked Youngstown State to finish fourth in the Horizon League standings in the website's 2026 conference preview.

Fan Information

• Michelle Krill Memorial Field at Pullman Park
• Due to construction delays at 717 Credit Union Field at Eastwood in Niles, the YSU baseball program announced on March 8 that this weekend's Horizon League series between YSU and Oakland will be played at Michelle Krill Memorial Field at Pullman Park in Butler, Pa.
• Admission for fans will be free throughout this weekend's three-game series. Concessions will not be available, but fans are welcome to enter the stadium with light food and refreshments.
• Michelle Krill Memorial Field at Pullman Park is located at 100 Pullman Park Pl, Butler, PA 16001

Series Preview

A Win on Friday Would…

• Give the Penguins their second victory of the 2026 season.
• Snap a six-game losing streak.
• Snap a two-game losing skid in the series with Oakland.
• Give the Guins five wins in their last six Horizon League openers.
• Give the Penguins three wins in their last four home openers.
• Give Trevor Charpie his 17th career coaching victory.

Scouting Oakland

• Oakland will enter this weekend's series with a 1-14 overall record and looking to end a 12-game losing streak after being swept in a three-game series at No. 22 Texas A&M last weekend. The Golden Grizzlies were swept in a four-game series at No. 9 Georgia on Feb. 27-March 1 before dropping a midweek game at No. 19 Tennessee on March 4. Oakland's lone win to this point in the 2026 season was a 3-2 victory in 10 innings in the series finale at Lamar on opening weekend.
• Junior catcher Ben Clark is batting .333 and slugging .417 with 12 hits including three doubles over 13 games played and 12 starts. Sophomore Aidan Schuck is batting .288 while leading the Golden Grizzlies with 17 hits, nine RBIs and six stolen bases. Oakland ranks third in the Horizon League with a .230 team batting average through games played on March 10.
• Senior left-hander Tanner Ware has logged a team-high 15 innings pitched over four starts on the mound while junior right-hander Stephen Ruhle leads Oakland with 10 strikeouts in six innings pitched over five appearances out of the bullpen. Junior right-hander Jordan Dahlof ranks second on the team with 13.2 innings pitched over four starts. The Golden Grizzlies rank last in the Horizon League with a 10.30 team ERA.
• The Golden Grizzlies feature 16 newcomers in 2026, including nine transfers and seven freshmen. The transfers include six from the junior college level, two from NAIA programs and one from NCAA Division III. Oakland was picked fifth in the 2026 Horizon League Baseball Preseason Poll after finishing at 19-41 overall and 10-20 in league play last season.

Series History

• Overall: Tied 34-34
• Charpie: 4-4 // H: 23-16 // A: 9-13 // N: 2-5
• Current Win Streak: 2 by Oakland
• Last Meeting: May 22, 2025 (L, 18-22 in 10 innings)
• First Meeting: May 8, 1999 (W, 12-5)
• Youngstown State and Oakland have split 68 all-time meetings on the diamond in a series dating back to the 1999 season.
• YSU has lost its last two meetings with Oakland after dropping two contests against the Golden Grizzlies in the 2025 Horizon League Baseball Championship at Wright State's Nischwitz Stadium in Dayton, Ohio. The fourth-seeded Penguins suffered a 13-2 loss to the fifth-seeded Golden Grizzlies in the opening round before being eliminated with a 22-18 loss in 10 innings to Oakland in a tournament elimination game the following day.
• The Penguins have won seven of the last 12 encounters overall after winning four of six meetings during the 2025 regular season. The Penguins won two of three games in Rochester, Mich., in early April last season before taking two of three contests at home in mid-May.

Recapping Last Week

at Southern Indiana – Friday, March 6 // L, 2-5

• Youngstown State senior pitcher Braden Gebhardt pitched six scoreless innings on Friday evening at the USI Baseball Field, but the Penguins dropped a 5-2 decision to Southern Indiana in the series opener.
• Gebhardt allowed just three hits and two walks on 85 pitches in his fourth stellar effort to start the season. He struck out four and through 26 innings to start the season, he has a 0.00 ERA.
• USI starter Abdriel Figueora was just as tough on the mound also going six scoreless innings. Figueroa allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out five batters. Both starting pitchers exited the game with the contest tied 0-0 in the seventh and did not factor in the decision.
• Alex Jang led the YSU offense with a double, a single and a walk while also reaching base via a hit by pitch. Luke Rossi added a pair of hits including a double as the Screaming Eagles outhit the Guins, 7-6.

at Southern Indiana – Sunday, March 8 (Game 1) // L, 1-10

• Southern Indiana scored the final eight runs of the game to pull away for a 10-1 win over Youngstown State in game one of Sunday's doubleheader at the USI Baseball Field.
• The Screaming Eagles jumped ahead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning before the Penguins plated a single run in the top of the third. USI pushed its lead to 4-1 with two more runs in the home half of the fourth before adding six runs in the eighth to secure the series win.
• Jang went 2-for-4 at the plate while Nathan Beckley doubled and scored a run. Brayden Kuriger singled, walked and drove in a run while Nic Goodwin singled and stole a base.
• Jack Messmore allowed four runs on three hits with three strikeouts over six innings pitched in his fourth start of the season. Tyler Heflin was responsible for six runs, one of which was earned, on five hits in 1.2 innings of relief while Lane Rhodes came on to record the final out of the eighth inning.
• USI starter Ryan Weller allowed one run on four hits over five innings to earn the win while three different relievers combined to allow two hits over four scoreless innings of relief.

at Southern Indiana – Sunday, March 8 (Game 2) // L, 1-4

• Southern Indiana limited Youngstown State to three hits while using a pair of two-run innings to extend its winning streak to four with a 4-1 victory in game two of Sunday's doubleheader at USI Baseball Field.
• The Screaming Eagles took an early 2-0 lead on a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning before the Penguins cut the deficit in half with a single run in the top of the fourth. USI added two tallies in the sixth inning while blanking YSU over the final five frames.
• James Carlson doubled while Misael Uriepero singled and walked twice for the Penguins offensively.
• YSU starter Mikey Rodriques suffered the loss after allowing two runs on two hits with a pair of strikeouts over three innings on the mound. Brandon Mikos surrendered two runs on four hits over 2.2 innings out of the bullpen while Kale Wemer did not allow a hit over a career-high 2.1 innings of scoreless relief. Wemer retired the side in order in both the seventh and eighth innings.

Up Next

The Penguins are scheduled to play a midweek contest at Pitt on Wednesday, March 18. First pitch at Charles L. Cost Field in Pittsburgh is scheduled for 3 p.m.