DAYTON - Fresh off its first Top 25 win in nearly 17 years, the University of Dayton baseball team heads to North Carolina to take on No. 1-ranked Wake Forest in a three-game set beginning Friday, Feb. 23 at David F. Couch Ballpark.

The series begins at 4 p.m. on Friday, with Saturday's game also scheduled for a 4 p.m. first pitch. Sunday's game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Friday and Sunday's games will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.

TAKING DOWN VANDY
 - Dayton used a two-out, seven-run eighth inning rally to top No. 6 Vanderbilt in midweek action Tuesday night, topping the Commodors 8-5 in Nasvhille.
 - The win was the first ranked win of the Jayson King era of Dayton baseball, and the first victory over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 23 Charlotte in 2007. It also marked the first win over a Top 10 opponent since 1996 when the Flyers defeated LSU.
 - Redshirt sophomore Alejandro Cazorla was a monster at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a homer, double and three RBI, while reliever Nick Wissman pitched the final 2.1 innings, striking out a season-high four batters and picking up his first win of the campaign.

ALE! ALE ALE ALE! 
- Redshirt sophomore Alejandro Cazorla has made his mark on the #FlyBoys lineup since joining it, hitting .444/1.222/.500 (in nine at-bats) with a 1.722 OPS in four games.
- The Okotoks, Alberta, Canada native hit his first career home run in his second game as a Flyer, and saved his best for Dayton's showdown with No. 6 Vanderbilt. Cazorla went 3-for-3 with a home run, double, single and a walk, driving in three and scoring two against the Commodors. The left fielder started the rally in the seven-run eighth inning, smacking a two-strike single to left to lead off the frame. He put the exclamation mark on the frame when he drove in two off a near-homer to left field.

DOOOUUUUGS!
- Freshman DH/catcher Ryan MacDougall has performed like a seasoned veteran in his first four games as a collegiate player, hitting .375 with six RBI and a 1.000 OPS in 16 at-bats.   He has the second-most at-bats for a freshman, trailing only Chris McHugh from VCU, and is tied for the most hits (6) and has the second-best OPS.
- The Taunton, Mass. native made a loud debut on Opening Day, driving in Dayton's first run of the season in his first at-bat with an RBI double. He'd later drive in the clutch game-tying run an at-bat later.
- After a one-hit, two-RBI performance in the second game of the series with the Lions, MacDougall cracked his first career home run in the series finale. He'd turn around to drive in the go-ahead run against No. 6 Vanderbilt two days later.

WISSMAN SLAMS THE DOOR (AGAIN)
- After dominating in the closer role over the weekend, senior reliever Nick Wissman added his first win of the season to his two saves with a 2.1 inning performance against Vanderbilt Tuesday night.
- Against the Commodores, Wissman came in with a man on third and only one away. He escaped the inning with a strikeout and rolled from there. He'd fan three more over the final two frames, including the final two to end the game.
- In his first appearance of the season, the sidearmer stranded a man aboard in the eighth before slamming the door with a perfect ninth. In his second, the Dayton, Ohio native came in with two aboard in the eighth, escaped the jam, and once again turned in a 1-2-3 ninth. It marked the first successful back-to-back, multi-inning saves since the 2022 season when former Flyer Nick Meyer did it against Purdue Fort Wayne and Saint Louis.

8TH INNING MAGIC
- Alejandro Cazorla had two hits in the inning, leading off the frame with a single and then adding a clutch two-out, two-run double later in the frame.
- Junior Mason Dobie nearly tied the game with a bases loaded ground-rule double, driving in a pair of runs while the other had to stop at third by rule.
 - After a wild pitch tied the game and a walk to freshman David Mendez, who was making his collegiate debut, fellow freshman Ryan MacDougall drove in the go-ahead run with a single to right-center.    
 - In total, Dayton had four hits in the inning, including two doubles, as well as four walks. It was UD's highest single-inning run output since a 13-run sixth inning against Massachusetts last season (Dayton went on to win 32-14).

PEGUERO'S STELLAR DEBUT
-Redshirt junior Chris Peguero was sharp in his #FlyBoys debut in 2024, throwing four innings and allowing one run on one hit and one walk while striking out a career-best nine hitters. Peguero has battled injuries since arriving in Dayton, pitching just 18.2 total innings prior to this weekend. 

PAXTON TOMAINI - MR. ON-BASE 
- Senior Paxton Tomaini's second season with the FlyBoys picked up where his junior campaign finished - being an on-base machine. The Tallahasee, Fla. native hit .500 (4-for-8) opening weekend and turned in a .667 OBP thank to two walks and two HBP. He then went 1-for-2 with a walk against Vanderbilt Tuesday night.

SOMETHING IN THE ARIAS
- Sophomore newcomer Ivan Arias stepped into the leadoff role immediately for the Flyers and has responded by hitting .357 and getting on base at a .457 clip. Arias, who transferred from Vanderbilt, has an OPS of 1.042 thanks to a double and triple on the campaign.

(SOMEWHAT) FAMILIAR FOR
- Though just the third time in program history that the Flyers and Demon Deacons have played one another, Wake Forest's Saturday starter, Chase Burns, started against Dayton last season. Pitching for Tennessee in 2023, Burns went 6.1 innings striking out 12 and walking three while allowing just one earned run.

SCOUTING THE DEMON DEACONS
- Wake Forest is 3-1 on the young season, taking care of business with three wins opening weekend against Fordham, Illinois and Akron before falling to UNC Greensboro on Tuesday. The Demon Deacon offense is still looking to get warmed up, turning in a .218 average and .794 OPS through four games. The pitching has thrived, however, as one of the nation's top pitching staffs has shown why it has received the accolades early. As a staff Wake Forest has a 3.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. They're limiting opponents to a .171 batting average and have 48 strikeouts to just 13 walks.