MERION STATION, Pa. – The Saint Joseph's baseball team will host Villanova on Tuesday afternoon in the Liberty Bell Classic semifinals at Smithson Field. The winner of the contest will head to Citizens Bank Park on April 26 for the Liberty Bell Classic title game.
In addition to live stats and streaming audio, a free video stream will be available for Tuesday's game via the Atlantic 10 Network.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: The Hawks and Wildcats both won their quarterfinal matchups by identical 9-4 scores last Tuesday. Saint Joseph's took an early 4-0 lead at Lafayette before the Leopards chipped away and tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. The Hawks responded with a five-run seventh to lock up a trip to the semifinals for the third time in five years.
Villanova trailed at Penn, 3-1, heading into the eighth, but the Wildcats put a four-spot on the board in both the eighth and ninth innings to salt away the win over the Quakers.
WHO TO WATCH: The Hawks are led by sophomore catcher Deon Stafford, Jr., who leads the Atlantic 10 in home runs, batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage, and is tied for the league lead in walks. Stafford has nine home runs and 18 free passes (tied with classmate Marc Giacalone for the team and conference lead), and has posted an outstanding .409/.785/.504 slash line through 24 games.
Senior John Brue is the Hawks' leader in runs batted in with 21 on the season, while Stafford has 20. Brue hit his 21st career home run on Sunday, leaving him four short of the career record of 25 currently held by Jason Hamilton.
On the mound, the Hawks have been paced by a pair of strong freshman starters in Tim Brennan and Lucas Rollins. Brennan is 3-0 with a 2.83 earned run average, while Rollins has a 3.67 ERA and a team-best 9.5 K/BB ratio. Graduate student Tim Ponto has turned in a pair of strong starts in conference play as well, with a 1-1 record and a 2.45 ERA.
Senior Jack Stover, junior Ryan Kelly, and sophomore Justin Aungst have been solid in the bullpen, combining for a 2.34 ERA in over 34 innings thus far.
Todd Czinege is Villanova's leading hitter, checking in with a .327 average. He also leads the Wildcats in home runs, RBI, and slugging percentage.
On the mound, Hunter Schryver, Mike Sgaramella, and Ryan Doty lead the team in games started; Schryver's 3.14 ERA is tops among qualifying hurlers. Woody Bryson and Trevino Rodriguez lead the Wildcats with 14 appearances apiece, while Bryson and Kagan Richardson have each notched a pair of saves.
First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
NOTABLE: Stafford went 3-for-4 on Sunday; his third hit was the 100th of his career. Stafford is the third Hawk to reach the milestone this season after Brue and Taylor Boyd, and did so in just 71 games played…Brennan was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week and the Big 5 Baseball Pitcher of the Week on Monday after striking out 10 in eight innings of one-run ball on Sunday, while Stafford earned Co-Big 5 Player of the Week honors.
