April 14, 2003

Contact: Bob McComas (724) 738-2777 e-mail: robert.mccomas@sru.edu

ROCK HARDBALLERS RANKED 13^TH, 16^TH IN NATIONAL POLLS

            SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Slippery Rock University is ranked 13^th in this week’s National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America Division II national poll and 16^th in the latest Collegiate Baseball magazine poll.

           The Rock won five of eight games in a four-day span last week to improve its overall record to 27-8. The Rock has won 19 of 23 games since returning from its annual spring trip to Florida in mid-March.

SRU, with an 8-2 record at the midway mark of the conference season, enjoys a 2½ game lead as the top team in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference’s Western Division.

           The Rock is 18-6 against NCAA Division II North Atlantic Regional rivals and was ranked No. 1 in the first regional poll of the season last week.

            SRU travels to Edinboro (6-26, 3-6) for a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Wednesday before hosting two-time PSAC-West defending champion California U. of Pa. in a 4 p.m. twinbill Friday at Jack Critchfield Park.

           California is 14-12 overall and currently in second place in the PSAC-West with a 5-4 league record. Two of the Vulcans’ losses came vs. The Rock (11-5, 6-2 on April 2).

           After traveling to Edinboro and hosting California, The Rock will entertain North Atlantic Region rival West Liberty State (W. Va.) in a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Monday, April 21, at Jack Critchfield Park. (EDITORS: Please note the change in starting time.)

           To say SRU’s effort to date has been Rock-solid might be an understatement. The Rock leads the PSAC in team batting average (.342), team earned run average (3.43) and team fielding percentage (.964) and is second in runs per game (7.7). SRU is outscoring its opponents by a 7-3 margin per game.

# ROCK PRIDE #