LA GRANDE, Ore. – Conference play is finally here for Mountaineers Baseball! Eastern Oregon hits the road this weekend as the team takes on in-state rival Oregon Tech in Klamath Falls.

OPPONENT
Oregon Tech Hustlin' Owls (17-9, 0-0 CCC)

WHERE
Klamath Falls, Ore. - Steen Sports Park

WHEN
Sunday-Monday, March 20-21
Sunday, March 20 - 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.
Monday, March 21 - 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.

First Pitch
• The Mountaineers (7-18, 0-0 CCC) will look to get league play started on the right foot after picking up just seven wins in non-conference action.
• One thing not in EOU's favor has been travel. The team has yet to play at home in 2022 and will be on the road for the eighth consecutive week now.
• The Mounties will also play later in the weekend than usual as weather forced the series from Saturday-Sunday to Sunday-Monday due to potential inclement weather.
• Following the series at OIT, Eastern is expected to play at home for the first time next weekend when the team hosts Bushnell in a four-game series.

How to Watch/Follow
• Live video coverage for this weekend's series can be found on the Mountie Sports Network at www.eousports.com/watch. The games will be produced by OIT and will be free to view.
• Live stats coverage for this weekend can be accessed by clicking the respective link above and by going to the EOU Baseball schedule page.
• All home games this year will be webcast on the Mountie Sports Network at www.eousports.com/watch. All EOU home games will be Pay-Per-View and can be purchased for $7.95 per game or $11.95 for a day pass of doubleheaders. Fans can also purchase an Eastern Oregon All-Access pass to watch all 2021-22 EOU home sporting events for $100.
• Livestreams for all home games will begin 15 minutes prior to first pitch.
• Live stats coverage for EOU Baseball games this season can be accessed at www.eousports.com/livestats.

Story Lines
• The Mounties will play on the road for the eighth straight week now.
• Eastern is playing an in-state NAIA opponent for the second consecutive week.
• Since reinstatement, EOU is still in search of its first win over Oregon Tech.

Quick Hits
Last Time Out
• The Mountaineers fell 3-1 in a four-game series at Corban to wrap up non-conference play.
• Eastern was able to split day one against the Warriors, winning game two 11-3.
• Day two went to the Warriors who won 11-3 and 7-0. They won the opener 3-2 to secure the 3-1 series win..

Series History vs. Oregon Tech
• Last season, OIT went 8-0 in the first match-up against the Mounties since reinstatement.
• In Klamath Falls, the Hustlin' Owls are 4-0 against Eastern. 
• Prior to 2021, OIT and EOU last met in 2006 in six games. Tech won the series 5-1.

Longest Road Trip Ever…
• The Mountaineers have played 25 straight games away from home and still have four more left on the road.
• EOU will now play at home in just 12 games and will not be back in La Grande until the end of March.
• The Mountaineers series this weekend will be true road games.

Batter Up!
• EOU has tallied five or more hits in 19 of their 25 games played this season.
• Eastern had a season best 19 hits in the win over Oklahoma Panhandle State.
• McKlane Elgin leads the bats with a .328 average in 21 games played.
• Hector Carreon has a team leading three home runs.

It's Not Stealing If You Don't Get Caught
• EOU has done well this season when it comes to stolen bases, going 27-37 so far.
• Austin Gerding leads the way in stolen bases with seven on nine attempts in 15 starts.
• Garret Kollar is second in stolen bases with five on seven attempts.

Doing Work on the Mound
• The Mountaineers have racked up six more strikeouts in 12 games this year.
• Eastern racked up a season best 12 strikeouts in game one of their series at Pacific.
• Jaydon Yancey continues to lead the pitching staff in strikeouts with 23 in six games played.
• Davis Brown is second in total strikeouts with 18 in seven games played.

Stat Leaders (As of March 18)
• The Mountaineers ranked fourth in the CCC in fielding percentage at .954.
• Matt Garcia is second in the CCC in triples hit with four.
• McKlane Elgin is tied for third in triples smacked with three.
• Austin Gerding is tied for seventh in the conference in stolen bases with seven.

Scouting the Hustlin' Owls
• Oregon Tech enters the weekend with a 17-9 overall record. They have fared well at home with a 6-2 mark. 
• As a team, OIT is batting .302 and has tallied 185 RBI. They have scored 198 runs and hit a total of 28 home runs so far.
• Defensively, the Hustlin' Owls own a .962 fielding percentage. They have committed 34 errors and turned 15 double plays this season.
• On the bump, OIT sports a 4.82 team ERA. They have fanned 228 batters and are holding opposing hitters to a .270 average.
• Matthew Ortiz leads the bats with a .380 average. He has hit 11 doubles, has 23 RBI, and has one home run. He has a team best 41 hits and has scored 27 runs.
• Dalton Daily is the leading home run hitter with 10 on the year. He is batting .374 and slugging .729. He has scored a team best 30 runs and tallied 40 hits to go along with 36 RBI.
• Kaleb Keelean and Tyler Horner are both hitting over .300 at .352 and .320, respectively. They are tied for the team lead in triples with three. 
• On the mound, Cody Dubray is the leader in strikeouts with 47 this season. He is second in innings pitched at 36.0 and sports a 5-1 record to go along with a 1.75 ERA.
• Dlyan Grogan is second in strikeouts with 46, but has pitched the most innings at 38.0. He is also 5-1 in the year and has a 2.84 ERA.
• Three pitchers have tallied two saves this season in Braden Bellum, Spencer Dahlke, and Brodie Mahoney. 

Up Next
• The Mountaineers are home for the first time this season next weekend when they Host Bushnell March 26-27. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. both days against the Beacons.

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