ERIE, Pa. – The 12^th-ranked Mercyhurst baseball team wraps up its 2018 regular-season schedule with its final Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) series aginst Pitt-Johnstown May 4-5.
 
The Lakers (28-10, 17-8 PSAC West) will honor its senior class Friday at home in their doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. They will play at UPJ's Point Stadium Saturday, the host site of this season's PSAC Tournament. That doubleheader will also start at 1 p.m.
 
A LOOK AROUND THE CONFERENCE
The PSAC Tournament picture is shaping up as five of the eight positions in the tournament field have been clinched. In the West Division, Mercyhurst is joined by Slippery Rock as the two teams that have secured a spot.
 
Gannon has a two-game lead in the third position while Seton Hill has a two-game lead in fourth-place. California (Pa.) still has an outside chance to jump into the playoff picture if the Vulcans can have a strong showing against IUP and get some help from Clarion against Seton Hill and Slippery Rock against Gannon.
 
In the East Division, Bloomsburg, West Chester, and Millersville have secured their spots in the tournament while the fourth and final spot is being fought for by four different teams. Those teams include Kutztown, Lock Haven, Shippensburg, and East Stroudsburg. Kutztown and Shippensburg face off this weekend while Lock Haven and East Stroudsburg will also play each other.
 
View the full PSAC Standings here: 2018 PSAC STANDINGS
 
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAIN CATS
Pitt Johnstown has been eliminated from the PSAC Tournament field with a 11-28 overall record and an 8-16 PSAC record. Despite the record, the Mountain Cats have come up with some big wins this season, including two against Gannon and one against Seton Hill.
 
UPJ enters the weekend losers of three straight, including two on the weekend to Clarion and one, ten-run loss to PSAC East leading Bloomsburg on the road.
 
UPJ Top Players To Watch: Jr. Jack Shirk - 33 starts, 42-of-112 (.375 BA), 17 2B, .481 OB%
Sr. Dan Clark – 46-of-133 (.346 BA), 5 HR, 27 RBI, 32 runs, 12 2B
 
UPJ Top Pitchers: Fr. Dylan Heid – 10 app (7 starts), 1-6 W/L, 38.2 IP, 3.96 ERA, 44 K
So. Brady Walker – 11 starts, 2-4 W/L, 50.2 IP, 5.33 ERA, 41 K, 13 BB
 
LAKER OUTLOOK
Mercyhurst is coming off its first PSAC series loss since the 2016 season last weekend. The Lakers current three-game skid matches its longest of the season. After the first three-game losing streak, Mercyhurst went on to win a season-high ten-straight games after.
 
Jack Elliott hit his second home run of his freshman season to tie last Sunday's first game against Gannon. Jimmy Standohar added his 11^th multi-hit performance of the season with three hits in three at-bats also in Sunday's first contest.
 
Mercyhurst's pitching staff continues to be one of the best in all of Division II in terms of striking out batters. Their 12 K performance in game two of last Friday's doubleheader was the 17^th time the Lakers put together double-digit strikeouts in a single game as a staff.
 
MERCYHURST IN THE POLLS
Mercyhurst slipped a few spots in all three national polls this week but remain the top team in the Atlantic Region as determined by the NCBWA. The Lakers are third place in the NCAA Regional Rankings.
 

	Collegiate Baseball	NCBWA	Perfect Game	NCBWA (Atl. Region)	NCAA  (Atl. Region)	Lakers' Record*
Preseason	#10	#11	#6	#2	N/A	0-0
Feb. 19-25	N/A	#14	N/A	#2	N/A	0-0
Feb. 26-March 4	N/A	#8	#3	#1	N/A	2-0
March 5-11	#5	#4	#3	#1	N/A	5-0
March 12-18	#19	#7	#11	#2	N/A	6-3
March 19-25	#18	#15	#11	#2	N/A	8-3
March 26-April 1	#14	#9	#7	#1	N/A	13-3
April 2-8	#14	#8	#7	#1	N/A	16-4
April 9-15	#14	#11	#7	#1	N/A	20-5
April 16-22	#16	#9	#8	#1	N/A	23-7
April 23-29	#15	#8	#7	#1	#2	27-7
April 30- May 6	#22	#12	#14	#1	#3	28-10

*Record entering the week