Trio of Spikes Whiff 15 Black Bears in 5-4 Victory on Saturday Night
MLBDL State College Spikes

Trio of Spikes Whiff 15 Black Bears in 5-4 Victory on Saturday Night

Published on June 6, 2026 under Major League Baseball Draft League (MLBDL)
State College Spikes News Release


UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Chase Meyer, Garrett Shearer and Cale Willson, each making their State College Spikes debut, combined to post 15 strikeouts while Jacob Croxford contributed a key two-run triple in the seventh to give the Spikes a 5-4 win over the West Virginia Black Bears on Saturday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

Meyer started the proceedings with seven strikeouts over three innings of work. The Baseball America top 400 draft prospect allowed one run over three hits and two walks while staying ahead of hitters throughout the outing.

Shearer (1-0), a Northwestern product, then followed with his own three innings of one-run ball. The right-hander whiffed five batters and gave up just one hit and one walk. Willson (1) then logged the last three innings for the save, striking out three more batters along the way. The Central Missouri product, who came to Happy Valley after playing in the Division II Men's College World Series for the Mules, battled through the ninth inning and stranded the would-be game-tying run on third base.

The 15 combined strikeouts were just two away from the MLB Draft League record of 17, held by several different teams, and three shy of the Spikes (2-3) record of 18 in a nine-inning game set on July 3, 2019 against the Batavia Muckdogs.

Croxford delivered what proved to be the hit that made the difference, stepping up with two outs in the seventh and launching hist triple to left-center field to plate Kolt Myers and CJ Richmond.

The Spikes had to withstand an onslaught from Black Bears (2-3) catcher Beau Sylvester, who started a four-RBI night with a single off Meyer in the third to knock in West Virginia's first run. Sylvester then smashed a 422-foot solo homer, his second of the season, to the left-field Pepsi Picnic Pavilion off Shearer in the fifth before driving in two more runs with a triple in the ninth to put State College on the ropes.

However, Willson bore down and forced Wills Maginnis to pop up to third-base foul territory to end the game.

West Virginia reliever Miles Smith (0-1) took the loss after allowing two runs on six hits and a walk over 2 1/3 innings.

Sunday, the Spikes will transform into the State College Six Seven Baseball Club for Six Seven Night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Game time will be 6:07 p.m., and right-hander Jack Turner (0-0) will make his second start of the season for State College against an as yet unnamed West Virginia starter.

The special Six Seven jerseys - with every jersey bearing the number Six Seven - are up for bids now in a Jersey-off-the-Back Auction presented by PSECU to benefit Children's Miracle Network at Geisinger Janet Weis Children's Hospital in Danville. Fans can place their bids on the Six Seven jerseys on the LiveSource app, with app downloads and desktop bidding available at LiveSourceApp.com.

In addition, Bullpen Box tickets will be available for $6.70 through the Spikes Ticket Office on June 7 for all fans that stand 6'7", or any fan that is 67 years old.

The first 670 fans through the gates will also receive a pair of Six Seven Sunglasses, and all fans can enjoy the Six Seventh Inning Stretch during the game, along with more Six Seven activities.

Fans can also enter the Six Seven Sweepstakes - if the Six Sevens score six runs in the seventh inning, one lucky fan drawn will win $6,700. No purchase is necessary for Six Seven Sweepstakes entries. In addition, lucky fans will be selected throughout the night to win $67 in gift cards.

Tickets for Sunday's game, as well as every game on the 20th Anniversary Season Spikes home schedule in 2026, are available by calling 814-271-1711 or by visiting the Spikes Ticket Office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with hours during home game days of 9 a.m. to the end of the game Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to the end of the game on Saturday and Sunday.

Fans can also buy and download single-game tickets, and view the 2026 promotional schedule, by visiting StateCollegeSpikes.com.

Catch all of the action of the Six Seven Baseball Club's game against the Black Bears on Sunday via the Spikes Radio Network presented by Penn State Sports Medicine, Official Healthcare Provider of Penn State Athletics with Steve Jones and Joe Putnam on the call. The broadcast starts with Spikes Live! presented by Mount Nittany Health on the air from Medlar Field at Lubrano Park starting at approximately 5:35 p.m.

Audio streaming of every Spikes game, home and away, is available on StateCollegeSpikes.com.

Check out the State College Spikes Statistics

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Major League Baseball Draft League Stories from June 6, 2026


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