MARIETTA, Ohio – After playing the first 12 games of the season on the road, the Etta Express returns to Don Schaly Stadium this Sunday (March 25) for a 1 p.m. game against Montclair State University (N.J.). The first 100 fans through the gate will receive a free t-shirt compliments of BSN Sports and Todd Northrup.

The Pioneers, 9-3 overall, are currently ranked No. 2 nationally in both the American Baseball Coaches Association and D3baseball.com polls. Marietta ended its spring trip last weekend with a pair of victories over top-ten teams. The Pioneers defeated No. 6 Rowan University (N.J.) 6-5 and No. 7 Piedmont College (Ga.) 1-0.

Montclair State defeated Muskingum University Friday (March 23) by the score of 11-7 to improve to 6-5 on the season. The Red Hawks play John Carroll University at Muskingum on Saturday before meeting the Pioneers on Sunday.

Marietta and Montclair State met twice in Florida. The Pioneers won the first meeting 12-2 as junior #Michael Mulvey# pitched seven strong innings to record his first win of the year. Four Pioneers had multiple hits as the Etta Express outhit the Red Hawks 16-4.

In the second meeting, Montclair State got a complete-game shutout from senior Sean Hille and downed the Pioneers 4-0. Hille held Marietta to just three hits and struck out nine Pioneer hitters.

Offensively, the Pioneers are led by junior first baseman #Evan Brockmeier#, who leads the team with a .404 batting average. Brockmeier, junior outfielder #Aaron Hopper (Wheelersburg/Wheelersburg)# and senior shortstop #Tim Saunders (Alliance/Alliance)# are tied for the team lead in runs batted in with nine.

Saunders leads the Etta Express with eight stolen bases and 13 runs scored. Senior second baseman #Kirby Becker (South Euclid/St. Ignatius)# is second on the squad with a .350 batting average and 12 runs scored. Junior catcher #Alex Toth (Painesville/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin)# is hitting .333 and has thrown out six of the eight opposing runners trying to steal on him.

On the mound, senior #Austin Blaski (Pandora/Gilboa)# is 2-1 with a team-best 0.36 earned run average and 29 strikeouts in 25.0 innings of work. Fellow seniors #Mike Mahaffey (Worthington/Bishop Watterson)# and #Brian Gasser (New Philadelphia/Indian Valley)# are 2-0 and 2-1, respectively. Mahaffey has a 0.87 ERA, while Gasser's earned run average is 2.37.

Montclair State is led by junior third baseman Stephen Nappe, who is hitting .462 with two home runs and 12 runs batted in. Junior outfielder Matt Moreno is hitting .415 with a team-leading 14 RBI.

Hille is Montclair's top pitcher with a 2-1 record and a 2.37 earned run average. He has struck out 15 in 19.0 innings of work.