MERION STATION, Pa. – Fresh off another Liberty Bell Classic title, the Saint Joseph's baseball team is preparing to host Rhode Island this weekend in a massive three-game series at Smithson Field. First pitch in the series opener is set for 2:00 p.m. on Friday; the teams will meet again at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Live audio will be available for all three games of the series, while Friday's game will also be streamed via live video on the Atlantic 10 Network.
Sunday's game will also serve as SJU's annual “Hawks vs. Cancer” event. Hawks vs. Cancer is a joint effort among student-athletes across all Saint Joseph's athletic teams to raise awareness and money for the fight against cancer. T-shirts, shoelaces, and wristbands will be available for sale, with all proceeds going towards finding a cure.
Both Saint Joseph's and Rhode Island enter the weekend as part of a six-way tie for first place in the Atlantic 10, with 8-4 conference records and a .667 winning percentage in league play. The pair joins VCU, at 10-5, as well as Fordham, George Washington, and Saint Louis, all at 8-4, atop the league standings with four weeks left in the season.
Saint Joseph's (21-15) comes into Friday's opener having won eight of nine, including Wednesday night's 5-3 win over Rider in the Liberty Bell Classic championship game at Citizens Bank Park. The Broncs took an early lead on a first-inning home run by Lee Lipinski, but the Hawks tied the game with two runs in the second before going ahead to stay with two more in the third. Rider got back within one in the fourth, but an SJU insurance run in the seventh would be it for the scoring, and the Hawks went on to claim their third Liberty Bell title in five years.
Current Atlantic 10 Player of the Week Deon Stafford, Jr., leads the Hawks in most offensive categories, and leads the Atlantic 10 in home runs (13), slugging percentage (.721), and on-base percentage (.470). He has tied the school record for home runs in a season, set a year ago by John Brue. Brue currently sits on 24 career home runs, one short of the program's all-time record set by Jason Hamilton in 1993.
Brian Lau ranks second on the squad in batting average while leading in doubles; his 14 two-baggers tie him for second in the conference in that category. Ranking second in the league in walks is leadoff man Marc Giacalone, whose 26 free passes are the most among Hawk hitters.
The Hawk rotation has been led by a pair of outstanding freshman arms in Tim Brennan and Lucas Rollins. Brennan ranks fifth in the conference in earned run average (2.38) and has posted a 5-0 record in nine starts, including a complete game at Massachusetts on April 16. Rollins, meanwhile, has won his last two decisions and checks in with a 2-3 mark and a 3.16 ERA. He ranks among the league leaders in strikeouts with 59, and his 9-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio leads the Atlantic 10 and ranks among the leaders nationwide.
Rhode Island (17-20), meanwhile, split a doubleheader at Maine on Tuesday. In the opener, the Rams took a 4-2 lead in the top of the third, but the Black Bears tied the game in the bottom half, and things remained level until the 10th. In the extra frame, Laurence Hill and Chris Hess hit consecutive two-out RBI singles to give URI a 6-4 win. In the nightcap, Maine scored a run in the bottom of the fourth on a Tyler Schwanz single that provided the game's only run in a 1-0 defeat for the Rams.
The loss ended a four-game winning streak for Rhode Island, which swept St. Bonaventure in an Atlantic 10 series last weekend. For his efforts in Friday's opener, Tyler Wilson was named the A-10 Pitcher of the Week.
Jordan Powell leads both the Rams and the Atlantic 10 with a .393 batting average, having started 36 of URI's 37 games. He is also their leading base stealer, with 10, and has gotten on base at a team-high .444 clip. Hess and Martin Figueroa have been the Rams' leading power sources, with five and four home runs, respectively; Figueroa's 24 RBI also give him the team lead by one over Hess. Figueroa also paces URI with 15 doubles, over a quarter of the team's output for the season, and a .517 slugging percentage.
The reigning Atlantic 10 Pitcher and Rookie of the Year, Wilson fronts the Rhode Island rotation with a 7-1 record and a 3.13 ERA, leading the league in both wins and strikeouts (69). Steve Moyers has been solid in the second spot, posting a 3.47 ERA and 54 strikeouts in nine starts.
Tyler Barss has had the lion's share of the save opportunities, converting six in his 12 total appearances. Mark Silvestri (1.88 ERA) and Brad Applin (6.89 ERA) are the Rams' co-leaders in appearances with 13 each, all but one out of the bullpen.
Probable Starters
Friday, 2:00 p.m.: RHP Tim Ponto (1-4, 5.61 ERA) vs. LHP Tyler Wilson (7-1, 3.13 ERA)
Saturday, 2:00 p.m.: LHP Lucas Rollins (3-5, 3.16 ERA) vs. LHP Steve Moyers (3-5, 3.47 ERA)
Sunday, 1:00 p.m.: RHP Tim Brennan (5-0, 2.38 ERA) vs. RHP Ben Wessel (3-3, 5.57 ERA)
