FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Media Relations

SOMERS, Wis. (Apr. 22, 2015)-- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside baseball team clashes with in-state rival Cardinal Stritch University on Thursday before embarking on its final road swing of the regular season, heading to Greyhound Park to face Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division rival University of Indianapolis in a four-game set beginning on Friday.
 
The Rangers and Wolves are set to clash at 2 p.m. on Thursday at Oberbruner Field while Parkside and UIndy open up the weekend GLVC series on Friday at 1 p.m. (Eastern Time). The two squads return to the diamond on Saturday with a twinbill getting underway at 12 p.m. (Eastern Time).
 
About the Rangers: UW-Parkside (11-20, 10-18 GLVC) closes out its penultimate homestand on Thursday having split its last three doubleheaders. The Rangers began last week with a split against Lewis University on April 14, edging the Flyers 2-1 in the opener while visiting Lewis snagged game two by a 6-1 score as the Ranger bats fell silent, collecting just one hit.
 
A three-run outburst in the second inning powered the Rangers to a 5-2 win to open the series against the University of Illinois Springfield last Saturday and owned a 2-1 lead after three innings in the nightcap before conceding four runs to the Prairie Stars, falling 5-2.
 
On Sunday, UIS exploded for four runs in the 11th inning, securing the 6-2 extra innings win while the Rangers got the last laugh, netting a walkoff 2-1 win to close the series. The Rangers scored both runs in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with no outs. DJ Peltz blasted a fly ball to right field, plating the tying run while Zach Thompson touched home for the winning score after the UIS right fielder air-mailed a throw to home off Peltz's sacrifice fly.
 
Jake Kolasinski is the Rangers top hitter, owning a .307 batting average with four home runs and 22 RBIs. Darius Hampton owns a .302 average while Troy Bittenbender has scored a team-best 25 runs while swiping 15 bases on the season.
 
Bittenbender along with Ryan Ruediger and Zach Thompson have been ironmen for Parkside this season, holding the distinction as the only three players to start all 31 games in 2015.
 
Josh Serio leads the Ranger pitching staff in innings pitched, logging 51 1/3 innings of action and owning a 5-3 record. The sophomore has additionally struck out a team-leading 55 batters while sporting a 4.21 earned run average. Riley Phillips has a team-leading 1.96 ERA in 23 innings of work while reliever John Perez has a 2.16 ERA with a team-high five saves.
 
About the Wolves: NAIA Cardinal Stritch (17-17, 12-12 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference) heads into Thursday's tilt having won four of its last five games. The Wolves winning ways began on April 14, winning game two of a doubleheader against host Purdue University-North Central 2-0. Stritch outmuscled Lakeland College 12-6 in a midweek non-league game on April 16 before seizing two of three against Judson University last weekend. Stritch swept the opening doubleheader, winning 5-1 and 7-5 in Elgin, Illinois, before getting steamrolled 15-1 by the Eagles on Sunday to close the series.

About the Greyhounds: GLVC East Division leading Indianapolis (24-17, 18-10 GLVC) heads into the weekend riding a two-game win streak after sweeping Notre Dame College (Ohio) 9-3 and 5-2 on Tuesday afternoon.
 
Prior to the NDC sweep, UIndy earned a split last weekend against Bellarmine University on the road in Louisville, Kentucky. The Greyhounds edged the hosts 3-2 in the series opener last Friday before suffering a 4-3 setback in game two. On Saturday it was a familiar script with the Hounds blanking the Knights 2-0 in game one before succumbing 12-6 in the nightcap.
 
Indianapolis has been a tough squad to play at Greyhound Park this season, owning a 12-2 mark inside the facility. Both of UIndy's home setbacks have come against GLVc foes, getting nipped 3-2 by Missouri University S&T on Mar. 22 while dropping an 11-6 decision to Illinois Springfield on Mar. 30.
 
Zach Jacobs is UIndy's leading hitter, owning a .347 batting average with seven stolen bases while Sean McCracken is hitting at a .345 clip with 22 extra base hits and a team-high 34 RBIs. McCracken additionally sports a .601 slugging percentage to pace UIndy. Colin Hawk is hitting .300 in 2015, collecting 16 extra base hits and 21 RBIs.
 
On the mound, Jake Sprinkle has tossed three complete games, owning a 6-1 record with a 2.49 earned run average in 47 innings of work. Connor Mailloux has a 3.29 ERA while Matthew Kaplanis has a 6-0 record on the bump with a team-leading 37 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings.