Baseball starts off season undefeated in RSC play

Written By Mason Strawn, Staff Writer

The baseball team started off their regular season hot, and not just because they are in Florida.

The Pioneers begun their season with a record of 8-1 in Florida against several National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and NCAA Division II opponents.

Before the start of the season, the Pioneers ranked No. 4 overall in the River States Conference (RSC) out of the nine teams in the 2020 RSC Baseball Coaches’ Preseason Poll.

The start to the men’s season began with a bang, as they swept Judson University (Ill.) in their double header 3-2 and 8-1, also winning their first game of the season on a walk off single by senior Antonio Carrillo.

The Pioneers took part in three different doubleheaders down south, sweeping Cornerstone University (Mich.) 6-1 and 11-7, and suffering their first loss in the second half of a doubleheader against NCAA DII opponent Minnesota Crookston. In that match-up, the Pioneers won game one 7-3 and fell 9-3 in the second game.

Point Park started RSC play on the right foot as well, sweeping Brescia University on the road in a three-game series.

The Pioneers played the doubleheader on Saturday in Kentucky, defeating the Bearcats 14-4 and 6-5, and once again defeated Brescia 9-4 on Sunday.

The Pioneers outscored the opposition 36 to 67 in their first nine games, with Carrillo leading the way on offense with a team-high three home runs and nine runs batted in (RBI).

Point Park will continue action at RSC rival Indiana University Kokomo in another three-game series. The men will play a single game on Friday and a doubleheader on Saturday, as the Pioneers continue their road trip.

The Pioneers are currently first in the RSC standings and are second in overall record behind undefeated Indiana University Southeast.