MERION STATION, Pa. – The stretch run is here for the Saint Joseph's baseball team as the Hawks prepare to play their final six games of the season at Smithson Field. The first three are set for this weekend as SJU hosts Fordham in a key series for both teams.
Due to weather concerns, first pitch in both Friday and Saturday's contests has been moved up to noon. Sunday's game remains a 1:00 p.m. start.
In addition, commencement exercises for Saint Joseph's University are scheduled for the Maguire Campus on Saturday. Spectators are advised to park in the Hawks' Landing parking garage, where shuttle vans will be available to bring spectators to Smithson Field.
Saint Joseph's (25-19 overall, 11-7 Atlantic 10) enters the weekend on the heels of consecutive 14-2 wins, at La Salle on Sunday and at home against Monmouth on Wednesday. In the sixth inning of Sunday's game, Deon Stafford, Jr., set a new program record with his 14th home run of the season, breaking the mark of 13 set a year earlier by John Brue. After the two embraced at home plate following the milestone home run, Brue stepped in and followed with a longball of his own, the 26th of his Saint Joseph's career, making him the program's all-time home run king. For good measure, the senior outfielder added number 27 in his next at bat.
A day earlier, head coach Fritz Hamburg set a record of his own with the 185th victory of his tenure on Hawk Hill. That broke the previous program record for coaching victories set by Chris Loschiavo between 1987 and 1996.
Stafford leads the Atlantic 10 in home runs, as well as batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. He also sits in a first-place tie for runs scored and is second in the league in hits.
Brue's 12 home runs on the season put him second on the team and in the league. Cal Jadacki is tied with Stafford for the team lead in runs batted in with 38, while Marc Giacalone is second in the A-10 with 30 walks and leads SJU with seven stolen bases.
On the mound, freshmen Lucas Rollins and Tim Brennan have fronted the Hawk rotation and given SJU a formidable one-two punch. Brennan ranks fifth in the league in earned run average at 2.54, while Rollins is tops in the A-10 with a 9-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. After a rocky start to the season, Pat Vanderslice has dropped his ERA to 3.99 and won his last five decisions. The trio, plus starter Tim Ponto, has combined for a 4.7-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio this far this season.
The bullpen has been anchored by a number of reliable arms, headlined by Ryan Kelly's 30 strikeouts and six saves in the closer's role.
Fordham (26-23 overall, 12-6 Atlantic 10) comes to Hawk Hill in third place, a game ahead of SJU in the Atlantic 10 standings. Last weekend, the Rams picked up a big three-game sweep of George Washington to run their winning streak to four games.
Mark Donadio leads the Fordham offense with a .291 average, while Ryan McNally provides the power with nine home runs, 35 RBI, and a .518 slugging percentage, all team highs. He is also the leader in runs scored with 35 and has a team-best .385 on-base percentage, while his 15 stolen bases are second on the squad. Joseph Runco leads the way with 16 swipes and 55 hits, and is the only Ram to start every game this season.
The Ram pitching staff ranks third in the Atlantic 10 with a 3.96 ERA. The rotation is led by Joseph Serrapica, whose 2.87 ERA leads the way while his 74 strikeouts rank third in the conference. Jimmy Murphy is Fordham's leader in appearances with 19 on the season, and his five saves are tops on the staff. Four other Rams have notched a save as well, while four Fordham pitchers have recorded over 30 strikeouts on the season.
Probable Starters
Friday, Noon: LHP Lucas Rollins (3-4, 3.03 ERA) vs. RHP Greg Weissert (4-3, 4.12 ERA)
Saturday, Noon: RHP Tim Brennan (6-1, 2.54 ERA) vs. RHP Joseph Serrapica (4-4, 2.87 ERA)
Sunday, 1:00 p.m.: RHP Pat Vanderslice (5-2, 3.99 ERA) vs. RHP Kirk Haynes, Jr. (3-4, 3.73 ERA)
