West Liberty, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team will step back outside of MEC play on Wednesday, March 20, as they are set to take on California (PA) in Washington, Pennsylvania. The Hilltoppers and Vulcans are slated for a 1 and 3 p.m. first pitch at the Wild Things Park.

GAME DETAILS

• Location: Washington, Pennsylvania (Wild Things Park)
• First Pitch: 1 and 3 P.M.

WEST LIBERTY STORYLINES

• West Liberty enters Wednesday's doubleheader with a record of 4-12 (1-3 MEC) after falling twice at home to Charleston on Sunday afternoon by scores of 12-2 and 22-11.
• As a team, WLU has hit .274 with 121 hits, 23 doubles, six triples, 16 homeruns, 88 RBI, and 97 runs scored through 16 games played.
• James Salvatori holds the team's top batting average at .368 and adds a .446 on-base percentage, a .877 slugging percentage, and a 1.323 on-base plus slugging percentage. He has tallied 21 hits, three doubles, four triples, six homeruns, 20 RBI, and 19 runs scored. Salvatori leads the MEC in triples, slugging percentage, and home runs while also ranking sixth, tenth, and 82^nd nationally in DII respectively.
• Jacob Sherman is also hitting above .300 as he is batting .351 with an on-base percentage of .479, a slugging percentage of .486, and an on-base plus slugging percentage of .965. He has notched 13 hits, five doubles, three RBI, and ten runs scored.
• The Hilltoppers' pitching staff recorded an ERA of 8.01, allowing 160 hits and 107 walks, while throwing 68 strikeouts. Opponents have held a .338 batting average against WLU pitchers.
• Tanner Pelaez is 2-2 in his four starts and appearances in 2024, holding an ERA of 5.44, a WHIP of 1.89, and has limited opponents to a batting average of .309. In 18.0 innings pitched he has thrown eight strikeouts.
• Ethan Conley has made three starts and appearances this year, pitching 11.1 innings as he has recorded a 3.09 ERA and adds a 1.85 WHIP. He has struck out a team-high 13 batters.
• Eric Burkle is in his 12^th season as the head coach at West Liberty with a career record of 225-293 during his time with the Hilltoppers.

CALIFORNIA (PA) STORYLINES

• California (PA) enters Wednesday's doubleheader with a record of 8-4 after defeating Davis & Elkins at home on Wednesday, March 13, by a score of 8-1.
• As a team, Cal has hit .296 with 124 hits, 14 doubles, five triples, three homeruns, 66 RBI, and 76 runs scored through 12 games played.
• Payton Conte leads NCAA Division II with a batting average of .541 and adds an on-base percentage of .591, a slugging percentage of .730, and an on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.321. He has recorded 20 hits, two triples, one homerun, ten RBI, and nine runs scored. In all ten games played he has notched a hit, including seven multi-hit games.
• Caleb Collins is the second player on the team to hit .500 or better for the Vulcans, batting .500 with an on-base percentage of .615, a slugging percentage of .550, and an on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.165. He has tallied ten hits, one double, four RBI, and five runs this season.
• The Vulcans' pitching staff has recorded an ERA of 3.23, allowing 106 hits and 34 walks, while throwing 64 strikeouts. Opponents have held a .262 batting average against Cal pitchers. They rank 17^th in DII with a WHIP of 1.32 and are 18^th in team ERA.
• With a 3-0 record in four starts and appearances, Michael Valente is the top pitcher for California as he has posted an ERA of 2.16, a WHIP of 1.00, and has held opponents to a .237 batting average. He has thrown 11 strikeouts in 25.0 innings of work.
• Jackson Miller is another key starter to watch as has posted a 3.10 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and has limited opponents to a .247 batting average. He holds a 1-2 record in 20.1 innings pitched and four starts and appearances. He has struck out 15 batters thus far during the 2024 season.
• The top relief pitcher for Cal is Jake Kramer who has thrown 9.2 innings in five appearances and has yet to allow a run. He holds a 1-0 record with two saves and has combined for two shutouts. He has posted a WHIP of .52 and has limited opponents to a .097 batting average.
• Mike Conte is in his 28^th season as the head coach at California (PA) with a career record of 744-519 during his time with the Vulcans.

SERIES HISTORY

• Since the 2011 season California (PA) holds a 13-3 advantage in the series.
• The Hilltoppers earned a 13-10 win in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the most recent match-up on April 11, 2023, as they snapped a 6-game losing streak in the series.