Oklahoma Panhandle State University

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 Austin, Texas—The OPSU Baseball team went up against stiff competition over the weekend with a three-game Heartland series versus the #23-ranked team in NCAA Division-II, St. Edward's University.

The Hilltoppers entered the series ranked second in conference standings and improved their record to 31-10 on the season with three wins over the Aggies. Game one started with a lead-off single by Payton Osbon who had two of the Aggies' three hits in SEU's  seven-inning shut-out (14-0); Sam Moreno hit the third and final single of the game in the fourth inning.

Senior Walker Rainwater got the start on the mound for OPSU and took the game one loss in 3.2 innings of work giving up eight hits for ten runs (eight earned). Brett Nasello entered for Rainwater and controlled the Toppers for 1.1 innings with zero hits and zero runs. Freshman Dallas Guerrero threw the final inning for the Aggies and gave up two hits for four earned runs. Collin Sherrod earned a complete game shut-out win for St. Ed's allowing just three runs and throwing six strikeouts.

Two games were played on Saturday due to weather delays on Friday and the Toppers took another shutout victory in the first game of the day. SEU pitcher Bryce Davis got his sixth win of the season in seven innings giving up four hits to the Aggies. Nick Zieniuk had the first hit of the day with a single to left-center in the first inning. Chris McClendon came through with a double in the fifth and Zieniuk also drove a double in the sixth. Sam Beattie did a solid job on the mound for OPSU holding the Hilltoppers to three runs in 4.2 innings, but the Aggie bats struggled to bring in runs resulting in the 0-3 loss.

Up against Cameron Stanton, the Toppers' No. 2 pitcher, in the series finale senior Nick Crosswhite stepped up with a solo home run to left field in the top of the fifth to score the first run for OPSU. McClendon then knocked a big triplein the eighth and was brought home on a sac bunt by Collin Smith for the Aggies' second and final run of the day. Stanton earned the 12-2 win for SEU to remain undefeated on the season, while Zack Tingen took the loss for OPSU after giving up six hits for seven earned runs during his 4.0 innings on the mound.

The Aggies now hold a season record of 3-39 and two wins in the Heartland Conference. OPSU Baseball returns to Goodwell this weekend for a three-game conference series against the University of Texas-Permian Basin. Friday's double-header will start at 1 p.m. with game three taking place Saturday, also at 1 p.m. The team will play their final games of the regular season May 1-2 against Rogers State; seniors will be recognized prior to the series finale on Saturday.