Utica, NY - The Utica College baseball team returns to action on Wednesday when they hit the road to take on the nationally-ranked No. 6 Cortland Red Dragons. The non-conference matchup is scheduled to begin at 4:15 p.m.
 
Halfway Home: The Pioneers are 20 games into their 2018 campaign and hold a 11-9 overall record.  They currently sit fifth in the Empire 8 Conference standings with a 4-5 record. UC has won four of its last six games and will look for a big upset victory on the road Wednesday against national power Cortland.
 
Last Time Out: The Pioneers lost their previous series against Ithaca College this past weekend as they took 1-of-2 games on Saturday, but lost in extra innings on Sunday afternoon in game three. Matthew Leviton (South River, NJ/South River) helped secure the win in game one going 2-for-3 at the plate and driving in three runs. Infielder's Tim Quinlan (Monroe, CT/Masuck) and Christian Tiffin (Sherrill, NY/VVS) also contributed to the lead as they each had one hit and tallied two RBIs to their credit. Pitcher Brett Sarnowski (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville) received the win, going three scoreless innings, while tallying three strikeouts and only allowing three hits.
 
Still on Top: Counting players with at least 15 starts, Christian Tiffin (Sherrill, NY/VVS) is currently the top hitter in the Empire 8 with a .404 batting average. He is currently 21-for-52 at the plate and is second in slugging percentage (.596). Matthew Fitzgerald (Clinton, NY/Notre Dame) and Ryan Palmer (Verona, NY/VVS) also remain in the top five in hitting. Fitzgerald ranks third in the conference with a .391 batting average, while Palmer ranks fifth with a .368 average.

Breakout Season: Junior shortstop Christian Tiffin (Sherrill, NY/VVS) has posted at least one hit in 11 of 17 games this season. He has six multi-hit games and he also leads UC with a career-high 10 walks.  He has an on-base percentage of .500 and his 12 RBIs this season are a new career-high. Tiffin needs just four more hits to match his career-best.
 
It's a Team Effort: The Pioneers still remain as one of the top hitting teams in the Empire 8 as they rank second in the conference in overall batting average (.301) and third in slugging percentage (.417). Jake Ryan (Kingston, NY/Kingston) and Tom Carrigan (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) have hit their way into the top 20 of the conference. Carrigan currently sits 18th with a .329 average and Ryan ranks 19th with a .321 average. Tim Quinlan (Monroe, CT/Masuck) is just outside the top 20 in batting, but still has a respectable .318 average.
 
Pitching Leaders: Sophomore Griffin Baur (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills) earned a no-decision this past weekend and leads the team with a 4-1 record on the mound. Senior Alex Rocci (Utica, NY/Notre Dame) has also been a strong contributor for the Pioneers as he boasts a 3-2 record in 32.2 innings pitched. Brett Sarnowski (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville) is one of Utica's top relievers as opposing hitters are only batting .209 against the senior.
 
Scouting Cortland: The Cortland Red Dragons are currently ranked sixth in the nation with an overall record of 25-6. The Red Dragons are 11-1 in SUNYAC play after sweeping Fredonia in their last SUNYAC matchup. They are currently on a 17-game winning streak, with their last loss dating back to March 16^th against SUNY Brockport. Patrick Schetter has been a huge contributor for the Red Dragons offensively; hitting .361 with three homeruns, and 27 runs batted in. Mike Harrington has led the charge for Cortland on the mound, sporting a 6-0 record with a 2.15 ERA in 46 innings pitched. 
 
Looking Ahead: The Pioneers will go up against St. John Fisher College in a Empire 8 showdown this upcoming weekend. Game one is set to start at 1 p.m. on Saturday.