MERION STATION, Pa. – Fresh off a three-game sweep of Massachusetts, the Saint Joseph's baseball team heads to Saint Louis this weekend for a big Atlantic 10 series against the first-place Billikens.
Saint Joseph's (18-14 overall, 6-3 Atlantic 10) has moved into a tie for third in the Atlantic 10 after its weekend sweep over the Minutemen. On Saturday, A-10 Co-Rookie of the Week and Philadelphia Big 5 Baseball Pitcher of the Week Tim Brennan tossed his first collegiate complete game, allowing five hits and striking out eight without walking a batter in a 6-1 victory. In Sunday's series finale, Cal Jadacki polished off his Big 5 Player of the Week résumé with a pair of home runs in the fourth inning as the Hawks used the eight-run frame to power a 17-7 win over the Minutemen. The Hawks then ran their winning streak to five in a row with a 9-4 win at Delaware on Tuesday.
After his big week, Jadacki now ranks third on the squad with six home runs and 26 runs batted in. Deon Stafford, Jr., and John Brue have driven in 27 runs apiece, while Stafford's league-leading 11 home runs and Brue's eight pace the Hawks in those categories as well.
Stafford's .376 batting average is a team best and currently slots him third in the conference, while his .712 slugging percentage and .477 on-base mark are both tops in the A-10. His 11 longballs are two shy of the single-season school record, set by Brue a year ago. Brue's eight home runs bring his career total to 23, good for second in program history, and two behind Jason Hamilton for the all-time record.
Brennan's 4-0 record and 2.30 earned run average front the SJU rotation, while the freshman currently sits fourth in the conference in ERA. Classmate Lucas Rollins earned his first collegiate win on Friday, and his 3.32 ERA and 49 strikeouts (tied for fourth in the A-10) against just five walks has given the Hawks a formidable one-two punch of young arms in the weekend rotation.
Ryan Kelly leads the pitching staff in appearances, having taken the mound in 15 contests, all in relief. He is 1-1 on the year with three saves and a 2.81 ERA to go with 20 strikeouts in 16 innings of work. Justin Aungst and Jack Stover have made 11 appearances apiece and have posted a combined 2.40 ERA in 30 innings to provide a strong bridge to the final innings.
Saint Louis (16-22 overall, 7-2 Atlantic 10), meanwhile, enters the weekend looking to put an end its eight-game losing streak. On Tuesday, the Billikens took a 1-0 lead early but fell behind in the middle innings to Southeast Missouri State before a five-run ninth secured a 10-3 win for the Redhawks.
Josh Bunselmeyer is the Billikens' leading hitter, posting a .312 average and ranking second in the league behind Stafford with 10 home runs. He also paces SLU in runs scored, RBI, walks, slugging, and on-base percentage.
Parker Sniatynski is the only other Billiken regular with a .300 average on the season, hitting the mark on the nose while tying for the team lead in runs scored. Michael Bozarth ranks second on the team with a .399 on-base percentage, and has used that to his advantage by converting 18 of 22 stolen base attempts.
Former All-Conference relief pitcher Matt Eckelman has made the transition to the starting rotation and leads Saint Louis with a 6-2 record, a 3.88 ERA, and 48 strikeouts in 55.2 innings pitched. Miller Hogan has inhabited the second slot in the rotation, posting a 3-5 mark with a 3.97 ERA in 45.1 innings.
Five Billikens have made double-digit appearances out of the bullpen, paced by Brett Shimanovsky's 2.19 ERA in 17 appearances. Nick Vichio leads the SLU staff with 18 appearances and five saves on the season.
The series kicks off on Friday evening at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Saturday's game is set for 3:00 p.m., and Sunday's series finale starts at 1:00 p.m.
Probable Starters (all times Eastern):
Friday, 7:00 p.m.: LHP Lucas Rollins (1-3, 3.32 ERA) vs. RHP Matt Eckelman (6-2, 3.88 ERA)
Saturday, 3:00 p.m.: RHP Tim Brennan (4-0, 2.30 ERA) vs. RHP Miller Hogan (3-5, 3.97 ERA)
Sunday, 1:00 p.m.: RHP Tim Ponto (1-3, 4.26 ERA) vs. LHP Devin Mahoney (1-2, 4.86 ERA)
