Erie, PA—The No. 23 Mercyhurst Baseball team will open PSAC play this weekend after going 4-1 last weekend. Mercyhurst will head to downtown Erie to take Gannon on Friday before coming back to Mercyhurst host Gannon on Saturday. Both days will consist of two seven inning games.
Laker Overview
Mercyhurst enters PSAC play with a record of 9-3, the Lakers played five games last weekend against Salem and D'Youville. The Lakers fell to Salem in the first game of the weekend, Mercyhurst bounced back with four straight wins, two against Salem and two against D'Youville.
The Lakers did not play in any PSAC games last season and went 19-9 in conference play in 2019. This season the Lakers have received production from top to bottom in their lineup. Matthew Gibson is currently leading the team in batting average as he is hitting .370, right behind him is Tyler Zaluski and Philip Ferranti who are both hitting .366. Freshman Luke Jackson is fourth in hitting with a .348 average. Eight different hitters have hit homers this season, leadoff man Troy Banks is tied with Jack Elliott with three round trippers this season. Zaluski and John Susnik have each put two over the fence, while Ferranti, Jackson, Josh Suriwiec and Jordan Zilka have each homered once.
On the mound for the Lakers Michael Krauza has led the way, he has a 3-0 record in his first season with the Lakers, he also has a 0.68 ERA which is the lowest on the team, while pitching 13.1 innings. The Mercyhurst pitching staff has a combined ERA of 4.50 through the first 12 games of the season. They have struck out 118 opponents while holding them to a .224 batting average.
What They Are Saying
After receiving votes through the first three weeks of the season in NCBWA National Poll, the Lakers have moved up to 23rd in the nation in the latest poll. Mercyhurst also moved up to second in the Atlantic Region this week after going 4-1 last weekend.
Scouting Gannon
The Golden Knights come into the first weekend of PSAC play with a record of 2-4, their two wins came against Notre Dame College on March 7th and Lake Erie College on March 8th. Gannon fell to Davenport last weekend by scores of 16-6 and 14-5. In 2021 the Golden Knights have a combined batting average of .272 while their opponents are hitting .353 off of them. The pitching staff has a combined ERA of 10.23 while opponents only have a 3.83 ERA against Gannon.
Up Next
The Lakers will play UPJ on April 2nd and April 3rd with the Lakers hosting on Friday and heading to UPJ on Saturday.
Spectator Policy
Friday's Games at Gannon: https://bit.ly/3fd1KUK
Saturday's Games at Mercyhurst:
· Each Rostered Baseball Player will Receive Two Tickets
· No visiting team spectators will be permitted at the site of the competition.
· Tailgating is prohibited before or after any athletic event.
· There will be no contact with student-athletes or mingling between student-athletes and team personnel before or after events.
· Masks must be worn at all times -indoors and outdoors – while on campus and at an off-campus MU athletic home competition site. Fans must also practice social distancing.
· Gates will open 30 minutes prior to the official game start time. Fans must leave immediately after the completion of the game.
· Before spectators arrive at Mercyhurst campus, they must complete the Mercyhurst Guest Screening. www.mercyhurst.edu/guest
· Upon arrival, spectators will go to the check in table to show successful completion of guest screening on a mobile device.
· Spectators will not be permitted into events without being on game spectator list.
· Spectators sitting in bleachers will sit in designated areas that are marked for proper social distancing.
· Spectators sitting in personal chairs must follow the family groups of 4 or less and social distance from other groups.
· Families will be required to stay in their pods from other groups.
· Concessions will not be available
· Spectators will be required to vacate the facility within 15 minutes of the conclusion of the event.
· Any spectator refusing to comply with these policies will be immediately removed from the facility or denied entry. This policy will be strictly enforced.
Additional Safety Measures
· Signage will be placed throughout facilities encouraging social distancing and mask wearing.
· Hand sanitizing stations and wipes will be placed throughout facilities.
· Any high touch areas will be frequently cleaned before, during and after events.
· Campus staff and administration will be on site to ensure safety measures are followed
