SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- Point Park baseball will visit Slippery Rock on Tuesday for a non-conference matchup. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Jack Critchfield Park. 

Point Park split its four-game series with Wheeling, splitting doubleheaders on Friday and Sunday to end its regular-season conference schedule. Harold Boyce pitched a complete-game shutout and Carlos de la Vega provided the only runs on his two-run shot in Point Park's win on Friday. Boyce was named MEC Pitcher of the Week on Monday for his efforts. On Sunday, the Pioneers' bats exploded in game two, scoring 22 runs on 17 hits.

Chris Williams was named MEC Player of the Week after he led Point Park in Sunday's win, going 6-for-6 with two grand slams, two doubles and 13 RBIS. Williams set program records for the most hits and RBIs in a single game. 

Eight Pioneers tallied hits in game two on Sunday with Olindo Pezzone, Blake Ewing, Trevor Jones and Luis Gonzalez all recording two each, and Carlos de la Vega, Felix Gonzalez and JonAlan Richardson all tallying one respectively. Pezzone and Ewing both left the yard, and both Luis and Felix Gonzalez hit doubles. Pezzone, Ewing, Felix Gonzalez and Luis Gonzalez all recorded two RBIs each. de la Vega added an RBI of his own. The Pioneers' 22 team RBIs are a single-game high for the season.

Loren Torres picked up his 600th win as Point Park Head Coach on Sunday over Wheeling. Torres earned the 700th win of his career on Apr. 9 when Point Park beat California (PA) at PNC Park.

Slippery Rock (27-15, 13-11 PSAC) enters on a five-game win streak, highlighted by a sweep of Clarion last weekend. The Rock have won nine of their last 10 games and are 16-8 at home this season. 

PLAYOFF PICTURE

With the MEC portion of the schedule completed, Point Park has clinched a spot in the MEC Tournament. The Pioneers currently sit in third place in the MEC North Division, good for the final spot. Point Park (18-10 MEC) is two games behind first-place Wheeling (18-6) and 1.5 games behind Frostburg State (17-7).

Wheeling will take on West Liberty for four games next weekend, and Frostburg State will battle Fairmont State in a four-game series. If Fairmont State sweeps Frostburg State, the Pioneers would move to second in the division. 

Concord, Charleston and Glenville State have clinched tournament berths in the South Division. 

MEC WEEKLY HONORS    

• Olindo Pezzone - MEC Player of the Week, Mar. 9

• Ramon Rodriguez - MEC Pitcher of the Week, Mar. 9

• Harold Boyce - MEC Pitcher of the Week, Mar. 16

  • Named NCBWA Atlantic Region Pitcher of the Week and NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week

• Blake Ewing - MEC Player of the Week, Mar. 23

  • Named NCBWA Atlantic Region Hitter of the Week

• Trevor Jones - MEC Player of the Week, Apr. 13

• Camden Dimidjian - MEC Pitcher of the Week, Apr. 20

  • Named NCBWA Atlantic Region Pitcher of the Week

• Chris Williams - MEC Player of the Week, Apr. 27

• Harold Boyce - MEC Pitcher of the Week, Apr. 27

STORYLINES

• Olindo Pezzone leads the team with his 1.142 OPS and .344 batting average, which rank second and seventh in the MEC respectively. Pezzone leads the conference with his 15 home runs - two better than teammate second-place Blake Ewing. Pezzone leads the team with 48 RBIs, which is third in the conference.

• Blake Ewing is second on the team in OPS (1.034), RBIs (32) and total bases (80). Ewing is 13th in the MEC in RBIs and ninth in the conference in total bases. 

• Point Park features nine players with double-digit RBIs: Pezzone (48), Ewing (32), Felix Gonzalez (26), Chris Williams (24), Trevor Jones (24), Felix Rodriguez (23), Carlos de la Vega (15), Sebastian Hernandez (14) and Luis Gonzalez (14). Point Park has the most players with 10+ RBIs in the MEC.

• Ramon Rodriguez is one of four Pioneers with over 50.0 innings pitched (51.1). Rodriguez is second on the team in 52 strikeouts. He is second among qualified Pioneers in ERA (3.16) and WHIP (1.15). Rodriguez ranks fourth in the MEC in ERA and seventh in strikeouts.

• Harold "Shaggy" Boyce threw Point Park's first no-hitter since 2018 on Mar. 13. Boyce became the first Pioneer to be named NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week on Mar. 19. He leads the team with seven wins and has a WHIP of 1.25 over his 53.2 innings pitched. Boyce pitched a complete-game shutout last Saturday against Wheeling.

• Camden Dimidjian was named MEC Pitcher of the Week last  Monday and NCBWA Division II Atlantic Region Pitcher of the Week last Thursday. Dimidjian is second on the team in wins (six). He leads qualified Pioneers with his 0.98 WHIP and his 53 strikeouts over his 54.0 innings pitched. He is fifth in the MEC in ERA and strikeouts.

• Ethan Parker's ERA of 3.67 and his WHIP of 1.37 are third-best on the team among qualified pitchers. Parker is 3-2 with seven saves on the year and has pitched a team-high 56.1 innings. His ERA ranks 10th in the MEC.

• Loren Torres recorded his 600th win as Point Park's Head Coach on Sunday against Wheeling. Torres reached 700 career wins on Apr. 9 when the Pioneers beat California (PA) at PNC Park.