Baseball 4/11/2024 2:00:00 PM Chris Brannick

UCO Hosts Rogers For Three-Game MIAA Series

Bronchos Look To Maintain High Position In League Standings

EDMOND – No. 18 Central Oklahoma hosts Rogers State this weekend in a three-game MIAA series beginning Friday at 6 p.m. at Wendell Simmons Field.

Central Oklahoma is 30-9 on the season and 16-8 in the MIAA. Rogers State is 20-16 on the season and 11-13 in the MIAA. Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m. and Game 3 is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m.

UCO is third in the league standings with three weekends left in the 2024 regular season. Rogers State is currently in sixth place, and the two teams would meet again if the standings held before May. The top four teams in the final standings will host a best-of-three series against the fifth- to eighth-place squads. The four advancing teams will convene in Pittsburg, Kansas for a three-day double-elimination tournament to decide the league champion.

Central Oklahoma welcomes Rogers State to Edmond with an offense averaging 7.0 runs per game on 8.8 hits per game. The Bronchos have a .285 team batting average with four regulars in the lineup hitting above .300 on the season. UCO ranks 11th in the MIAA in hits and 10th in batting average, but sixth in doubles, fourth in triples, and seventh in home runs.

Carson Carpenter's .333 batting average is one of several categories the junior from Texas is leading way for the Bronchos. The outfielder has played in 38 of 39 games this season and leads the Bronchos in hits (43), RBIs (40), runs scored (39), walks (25), home runs (11), and doubles (10).

Wyatt Gray (.373), Shea Morrison (.348), and Kaleb Glass (.333) have all been key in the lineup for the Bronchos playing in less than 75 percent of UCO's games this season. Gray has 22 hits in 25 games and Morrison has 16 hits in 17 games, including four doubles and four homers. Glass has 35 hits in 29 games and also leads UCO with 14 stolen bases.

Orlando Gonzalez, who has played and started in 38 of 39 games this season, has also been a key figure in the lineup. The senior shortstop has 37 hits, second to just Carpenter, and has eight doubles, four home runs and one triple. Gonzalez also is second on the team with 10 stolen bases.

Caden Robertson missed the first month of the season but has been a mainstay in the lineup in March and April. The junior outfielder is hitting .299 in 24 games played with eight doubles, four home runs, and two triples.

Defensively, Central Oklahoma has one of the best pitching staffs in the country and the defense behind it is just as good.

The Bronchos lead the MIAA in team earned run average, with UCO posting a 4.38 ERA through 39 games. Central is also No. 1 in the MIAA in hits allowed per nine innings (8.21) and WHIP (1.38). UCO adds the fourth-best average in double plays (31), fielding percentage (.972), and shutouts (two).

Starters Caleb Burchfield, Brady Gilmore, and Brett Pense have been a big part of Central's success on the mound. Pense has a 3.86 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings of work this season. Burchfield has a 4.64 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings. Both Pense and Burchfield also have one relief appearance each this season. Gilmore, who started the season with five relief appearances, now has a 3.44 ERA with a team-high 38 strikeouts in 34 innings this year.

Valek Cisneros is Central Oklahoma's closer and the senior right-hander leads the country with 13 saves this season. He has a 4.03 ERA in 22 1/3 innings of work. Cisneros is tied for second in UCO's single season saves list – the record is 15 – and Cisneros is in solo second with 18 career saves – the record is 24.

Austin Burda's 21 appearances leads the team. All have come out of the bullpen and the junior right-hander has a 2.92 ERA in 24 2/3 innings of work.

Rogers State has a .287 batting average, marginally higher than Central. The Hillcats average 6.2 runs per game with RSU averaging 9.3 hits per game.

Central Oklahoma hosts Rogers State for three MIAA games this weekend before traveling to Washburn next weekend. The Bronchos close out the regular season with three home games against Northwest Missouri in two weeks. UCO also has one non-conference midweek at Arkansas Tech next week.

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Players Mentioned

#32 Caleb Burchfield: P; 6' 3"; Senior; */R

#39 Valek Cisneros: P; 6' 5"; Senior; */R

#1 Kaleb Glass: OF; 6' 0"; Senior; R/R

#27 Orlando Gonzalez: IF; 6' 0"; Junior; R/R

#17 Wyatt Gray: C; 6' 1"; Senior; B/R

#36 Shea Morrison: IF; 6' 4"; Junior; L/L

#12 Brett Pense: P; 6' 4"; Redshirt Freshman; */R

#16 Austin Burda: P; 5' 10"; Junior; */R

#9 Carson Carpenter: OF; 6' 2"; Junior; L/L

#28 Brady Gilmore: P; 6' 1"; Junior; */R

Players Mentioned

#32 Caleb Burchfield
: 6' 3"; Senior; */R
: P

#39 Valek Cisneros
: 6' 5"; Senior; */R
: P

#1 Kaleb Glass
: 6' 0"; Senior; R/R
: OF

#27 Orlando Gonzalez
: 6' 0"; Junior; R/R
: IF

#17 Wyatt Gray
: 6' 1"; Senior; B/R
: C

#36 Shea Morrison
: 6' 4"; Junior; L/L
: IF

#12 Brett Pense
: 6' 4"; Redshirt Freshman; */R
: P

#16 Austin Burda
: 5' 10"; Junior; */R
: P

#9 Carson Carpenter
: 6' 2"; Junior; L/L
: OF

#28 Brady Gilmore
: 6' 1"; Junior; */R
: P