| Gameday Information: Games 14-16 at La Salle | vs. Wagner | at Saint Joseph's |
|---|
| When | Game 14 at La Salle: Friday, March 13 | 3 p.m.
Game 15 vs. Wagner: Saturday, March 14 | 3 p.m.
Game 16 at Saint Joseph's: Sunday, March 15 | 2 p.m. |
| Where | Game 14: Hank DeVincent Field | Philadelphia, Pa. | Directions
Game 15: Smithson Field | Merion Station, Pa. | Directions
Game 16: Smithson Field | Merion Station, Pa. | Directions |
| Pitching probables | Game 14: Nick Berger (1-2, 4.63 ERA) vs. Jordan Meyer (1-0, 6.43 ERA)
Game 15: Dustin Hunt (1-2, 4.79 ERA) vs. TBD
Game 16: James Mulry (1-2, 6.23 ERA) vs. Ryan Doty (1-3, 3.60 ERA) |
| Broadcast and stats | Game 14: Stats
Game 15:
Game 16: Stats | Audio |
| Game notes | Game 14: Northeastern (PDF)
Game 15:
Game 16: Northeastern (PDF) |
| Social media | @GoNUbaseball
facebook.com/GoNUbaseball
instagram.com/GoNUathletics
Use #GoNU |
BOSTON - One week before its 2015 CAA-opening series against UNCW, the Northeastern baseball team will keep its bags packed as the Huskies travel to Philadelphia for three games against La Salle, Saint Joseph's, and Villanova. NU enters the weekend with a 6-7 overall record and looks to return to a .500 winning percentage for the first time since Feb. 21.
All-time against the Atlantic 10 Northeastern has faced six of the 12 current members of the Atlantic 10 conference and will bump that number up to eight this weekend after meeting both La Salle and Saint Joseph's for the first time in program history. The Huskies sport a 78-97-1 all-time record (.446) against active A-10 programs and hold winning records against Richmond (6-4) and St. Bonaventure (5-2). NU, VCU, and George Mason were all members of the CAA prior to the Rams' departure in 2012 and the Patriots' in 2013. Geographical rivals, Northeastern and Rhode Island have met on the diamond a total of 113 times since 1921.
All-time against Villanova The Huskies lead the Wildcats, 4-3, in the all-time series with all seven previous head-to-head matchups occurring during the last seven seasons. Northeastern traveled to Villanova for the first time in 2014 for a three-game series that was won by the Huskies, 2-1. Prior to last season, NU had played the Wildcats four times in the state of Florida, with Northeastern earning victories on March 1, 2008 (10-9), and March 6, 2013 (7-2).
Scouting the Explorers Although La Salle enters the weekend having won just two of its last seven games, the Explorers have tallied nine or more runs in five of their six victories this season. La Salle scored during the first inning of its Feb. 21 game against No. 1 Virginia, and forced the Cavaliers to make two defensive errors while registering nine hits on the afternoon. Outfielder Justin Korenblatt is hitting .407 through 14 games this year, and his 13 RBIs rank third on the team behind Ryan Welling and Cameron Johnson, who each have 15. Junior right-hander Joey Ravert has the lowest ERA among La Salle starting pitchers (3.00).
Scouting the Hawks An 11-5 win against Florida International on March 10 at the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Florida helped snap an eight-game losing streak for Saint Joseph's, but the Hawks have struggled to bring runs across the plate during the early going. Saint Joseph's has managed to score five or more runs during just three of their 11 games this season, and are ranked 12th in the Atlantic 10 in team batting average (.212). John Brue has belted seven extra-base hits for the Hawks this year and leads SJU with four home runs, 10 RBIs, and 11 runs scored. Pat Vanderslice (2.51 ERA) and Justin Aungst (1.69 ERA) are tied for the team lead in strikeouts with 13.
Scouting the Wildcats Villanova's stay at the 2015 Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Florida, was a tad longer than Northeastern's as the Wildcats went 4-3 in seven tournament games. Considering common opponents, the Huskies managed to go 2-0 against Chicago State and Mount St. Mary's, while Villanova went 2-1, splitting a pair of games against CSU before routing the Mountaineers, 21-4. Sophomore Todd Czinege is hitting three percentage points shy of .400 through 14 games (.397 avg.), while teammate Max Beermann has blasted seven doubles and four home runs for a team-best 21 RBIs. Mike Sgaramela's 19 strikeouts rank first among the Wildcats' pitching staff, two more than fellow starter Josh Harris (17).
Huskies sweep CCSU, fall to Brown Northeastern walked away from a three-game trip to New Britain, Connecticut, last weekend with a 2-1 overall record, sandwiching two wins against Central Connecticut State around a Sunday afternoon loss to Brown. Sophomore
Joey Scambia ripped a bases-loaded two-RBI double down the right field line during the top of the 11th inning on Saturday, March 7, to put the Huskies ahead for good, 5-3. Although Northeastern surrendered nine runs during the fifth inning of its 13-6 loss to Brown on March 8,
James Mulry helped guide the Huskies to a 5-2 victory against CCSU on Monday, March 9, allowing just one earned run on six hits during 6.2 innings on the mound for NU.
NU pushes Red Sox to extra innings Redshirt-sophomore
Aaron Civale struck out four Boston Red Sox players, including David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez in back-to-back at-bats, in 2.0 innings against the MLB club despite NU losing a 2-1, extra-inning decision on March 3. Civale along with
Mike Fitzgerald,
Mike Driscoll,
Nate Borges, and
Keegan Taylor combined for 10 strikeouts against the Red Sox, keeping Boston scoreless through the first four innings.
Rob Fonseca belted a double off Anthony Varvaro in the fourth, and a Sox throwing error allowed
Isaac Lippert to tie the game at 1-1 in the seventh. The two squads played a bonus eighth inning, with Boston walking off on a defensive miscue by the Huskies.
Foster quick to three triples Redshirt-junior
Michael Foster has recorded three triples in 12 games this season, a mark that is currently tied for the 10th most in the NCAA. Foster legged out his first three-bagger of the year during his first start of the season on Feb. 14 at Incarnate Word, and hit triples in back-to-back games against Chicago State on March 1 and Mount St. Mary's on March 2. Foster is one of just seven players in all of Division I that have recorded three or more triples in fewer than 13 games played.
NU one of four teams with two in NCAA top 50 Northeastern is one of only teams in Division I that has two players ranked in the top 50 of batting average. As of March 12, infielder
Michael Foster (.500 avg., 23-for-46) is ranked in a tie for sixth nationally, while NU outfielder
Pat Madigan (.429 avg., 21-for-49) is tied for 48th overall. Arizona, Northern Colorado, and Yale, are the only other Division I programs that have more than one player ranked in the NCAA top 50.
Berger, Hunt approach strikeout milestones As of March 12, Huskies starting pitchers
Nick Berger and
Dustin Hunt are ranked second and third, respectively, in the CAA in total strikeouts. Berger has dialed up 23 strikeouts in four starts this year, and is now just six strikeouts away from eclipsing 200 career strikeouts. Hunt has thrown 22 strikeouts this season, nine of which have caught batters looking, and is five strikeouts away from accumulating 100 career strikeouts.
