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Staten Island, NY – Another weekend another big series for the Green & White. After splitting their first three Northeast Conference (NEC) four-game sets, the Wagner Seahawks (17-15; 6-6 NEC) will be looking to win their first conference series as reigning NEC Champions Mount St. Mary's invades Richmond County Bank Ballpark this weekend.

The Mountaineers are fresh off a four-game sweep of Fairleigh Dickinson, winning all four by a total of just nine runs, including two by just one run. Mount St. Mary's is led by Shane Eyler, who is enjoying a breakout sophomore campaign as he leads the squad in batting (.362), hits (42), home runs (10), RBI (34) and slugging percentage (.690) Classmate Kyle Kane checks in next at .343 with a team-best 29 runs, five home runs and 29 RBI. Two more sophomores, Joe Kavanagh and Tommy Flynn, are hitting above .300 at .333 and .319, respectively. Senior Matt Staso and junior Jacob Darr are also batting above .300, while recording team-bests with 10 doubles apiece.

The aforementioned six-some struggled against Seahawk pitching a year ago, going 7-50 (.140) with 12 strikeouts and no extra-base hits.

Mount St. Mary's pitching staff is led by junior RHP and reigning NEC Pitcher of the Week Mike Matta, who is 3-0 with five saves and 18 strikeouts over 26.0 innings. Last week, Matta had a hand in all four victories over FDU, collecting two wins and two saves. Last year he posted a 1.64 ERA over 11.0 innings against the Green & White. Freshman LHP Brady Feigl is the squad's flamethrower with 41 strikeouts and a 2-1 record over 37.0 innings. Junior RHP Max Brittenham also has 41 punch-outs with a 3-3 mark and a 7.65 ERA over 40.0 innings. Rounding out the projected starting rotation are junior right-handers Kent Worthington (2-5; 4.58 ERA; 31 K; 35.1 IP) and Costa Kapothanasis (3-2; 5.40 ERA; 28 K; 41.2 IP).

Wagner will turn to its outstanding rotation this weekend against the Mountaineers. Last year, the Seahawks' pitching-unit posted a Bob Gibson-esque 1.62 team ERA over 39.0 innings against the Mountaineers. Junior RHP Matt Watson (Howell, NJ / Howell) had six strikeouts while not allowing a run over 10.2 dominating inning, including posting his first career complete game shutout. Junior RHP Kyle Morrison (Middlesex, NJ / Immaculata) also was solid with a 2.61 ERA over 10.1 innings but was done in by five unearned runs, spanning two appearances.

Watson has quietly become one of the most dependable pitchers in the league, currently holding a NEC-best 2.41 ERA and a 5-1 record over 33.2 innings. During NEC-play, he has picked it up a notch going a perfect 3-0 with a microscopic 1.56 ERA over 17.1 innings.

Sophomore Jared Gruccio (Landisville, NJ / Buena Regional) continues to lead the offense and after his first career four-hit game is batting a team-best .458 (38-83), which ranks second in the NEC and among the top-16 in the NCAA. Six other Seahawks are hitting above .300 as the squad, which finished last a year ago in hitting, is batting a league-best .310. Junior Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA) is the top power threat with 10 double, 10 home runs and 29 RBI. The power-hitting first baseman went 2-6 with a walk-off RBI double in the Seahawks' 3-2 win over Saint Peter's on Wednesday.

Game one is slated for Friday, April 25 at 3:00 pm. Saturday's doubleheader will start at 5:00 pm with Sunday's finale on tap for 1:00 pm.

NOTES:
• Head coach Joe Litterio is 16-14 all-time against Mount St. Mary's, but has lost nine-of-12 to the Mountaineers over the last three years. All-time, Litterio is 10-6 at home against Mount St. Mary's.
• In 2007, the Mount took all four games in Staten Island by a combined 10 runs.
• The Green & White hold a 32-24 advantage in the all-time series.
• The teams have met in the NEC playoffs last year for the first time with the Mount defeating the Seahawks 5-1on the way to their first-ever NEC Baseball Championship.
• Last year, the teams split their four regular season games. Mount St. Mary's won game one 5-1 before Wagner won games two and three by scores of 5-0 and 8-0. The Mountaineers rallied to win game four 3-2.
• Sophomore Jon Lucas (Hackettstown, NJ / Hackettstown) hit .467 (7-15) against Mount St. Mary's a year ago while junior Damian Csakai (Freehold, NJ / Freehold) batted .412 (7-17).
• This year, the Green & White are 9-6 in games decided by three runs or less, including winning the last five such contests in a row.
• Avella's team-leading 10th home run of the year at Monmouth was the 27th of his career, leaving the junior just five off of Chris Dick's school-record total of 32.
• This weekend's match-up features the top-two power hitters in the league as Avella and Eyler share the NEC lead with 10 home runs apiece.
• Wagner has not blown a save this year, going 8-8 in save situations with senior RHP Andrew Huebner (Hatfield, PA / North Penn) collecting seven. After two stops at Monmouth, he has 19 for his career.
• The Seahawks rank eighth in the nation with 1.29 double plays per game.
• The teams have had eight players sign with affiliated teams over the last three years. Andrew Bailey (Oakland, 2006), Joey DiGeronimo (Baltimore, 2007), Mike McTamney (Philadelphia, 2007) and Joe Testa (Minnesota, 2008) represent the Green & White. Ivor Hodgson (Kansas City, 2007), Mike Gioioso (Baltimore, 2007), Dustin Pease (Kansas City, 2008) and Josh Vittek (Kansas City, 2008) all came out of Emmitsburg.
• Bailey continues to impress in the Major Leagues, spinning 11.1 innings of one-run ball with 13 strikeouts and a 0.79 ERA over his first eight career games.