Erie, Pa. - Mercyhurst Baseball got their conference schedule started off the way they had hoped as they were able to claim three wins over Slippery Rock this past weekend. They hope to keep the ball rolling to end March and begin April as they see Clarion for a four-game set. The Lakers host Clarion to begin the series on Friday, March 31st, with the team set to travel to face the Golden Eagles the following day with start times of 1:00 p.m. on both days.

The Lakers and Golden Eagles are no strangers to one another as they have seen 42 meetings between the two teams going into this iteration of the matchup. Mercyhurst has dominated their counterparts in those prior meetings, holding a 39-3 record all-time against Clarion. The Lakers held a 27-game win streak against the Eagles, spanning from 2014-2021, and hope to build up their current run of three wins to a similar mark somewhere down the line. 

2. Making History

Coach Spano's crew was part of a historic game this past weekend in their 2-1 win over Slippery Rock Sunday afternoon as they played a total of 20 innings in order to get the win. What was originally scheduled as a seven-inning game turned out to be a contest nearly three times as long, helping put Mercyhurst in the record books. It was the longest game ever in the Laker's history while also being the longest in PSAC history and comes in second in recorded NCAA DII games, behind only a 22-inning game between Kentucky Wesleyan and Oakland City which dates back to 1964. 

3. Leading the Way

Mercyhurst has had a handful of standout performers so far this season. At the plate, Matt Christopher and Eric Chorba have gotten it done at the top of the Laker's order. The Mercyhurst shortstop carries a team-high .358 batting average into the weekend with a .972 OPS as well. Chorba checks in just behind with a .326 batting average and a .970 OPS with three triples to his line to lead the team. On the mound. Jacob Bazala and Jarrett Heilman have been the go-to hurlers. They rank eighth and ninth in the PSAC in ERA with Bazala's mark of 2.38 just ahead of Heilman's 2.42. Jarrett carries the upper hand in opponent batting average with a mark of .208 for the ninth lowest in the conference while his 26 Ks lead the team.

4. Scouting Clarion

The Golden Eagles are 7-14 on the year after defeating IUP to end a four-game losing skid last weekend. Offense has not been the team's strong suit up to this point in the season as they have logged a .260 batting average for the second lowest in the PSAC while their SLG is last at .328. Clarion's hurlers have also found it tough sledding, bolstering the third-highest conference ERA at 6.25 with 99 walks allowed.

5. Next Game

After taking on Clarion, Mercyhurst moves on to face their cross-town rivals, Gannon. The Lakers go to Gannon's side of town first on Friday, April 7th, with the two teams set to meet on the Mercyhurst Baseball Field the following day.