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Staten Island, NY - Wagner (12-22; 8-8 NEC) returns home following a painful five-game road trip and will host LIU Brooklyn (13-20; 5-7 NEC) in a crucial four-game league series at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. Seahawks fans can receive live updates through the Wagner Twitter Page, which can be accessed by clicking on the above link.

Wagner Baseball Capsule:
Roster / Schedule / Notes

LIU Brooklyn Baseball Capsule:
Roster / Schedule

Schedule and Probable Starters
4/13 - LIU Brooklyn - 3:00 pm
Sr. RHP Ryan Van Spronsen (4-1) / LIU: Jr. RHP Chris Franzese (3-3)
4/14 - LIU Brooklyn - 1:00 pm
So. RHP Ryan Casey (3-2) / LIU: Jr. LHP Matt McCormick (4-3)
4/14 - LIU Brooklyn - 3:30 pm (approximate)
Fr. RHP Max Schmardel (0-4) / LIU: Fr. LHP Chance Fuglistahler (2-2)
4/15 - LIU Brooklyn - 1:00 pm
Fr. RHP Dan Watson (1-3) / LIU: Fr. RHP Jordan Wilcox (0-1)

2012 Media Guide
The 2012 Wagner Baseball Media Guide is available for viewing by clicking HERE

Series Breakdown
The teams will begin their four-game series with a single nine-inning game on Friday, April 13 at 3:00 pm, before playing a doubleheader, consisting of two seven-inning games, on Saturday, April 14 at 1:00 pm. The series concludes with nine-inning affair on Sunday, April 15 at 1:00 pm.

Coach Carone Clutch On His Birthday
Head coach Jim Carone turns 31 on the opener of the teams' four-game series on Friday the 13th. When Carone has played or coached on his birthday at the Division I level, his teams are an eye-popping 9-1. As a player at Monmouth, his Hawk teams went a perfect 7-0. He suffered his first birthday loss as the Wagner pitching coach against Manhattan in 2006 by an 8-5 count, before helping Marist sweep Iona in 2008.

Last Season's Match-Up
After losing the opener, LIU Brooklyn split last season's series by winning two of the final three games while snapping a 12-game Seahawk winning streak in the series dating back to the 2008 season. The Green & White dominated game one by an 8-4 count before losing 5-4 in the nightcap on a walk-off balk. The teams then split another doubleheader with Wagner winning 11-0 in the opener, before falling 3-2 on a walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth.

Series Notes
The Seahawks are 23-5 against the Blackbirds since the 2004 season, including going 10-1 on Staten Island during that time. Additionally, the Green & White have won all eight meetings at the Staten Island Yankees' stadium, since calling it home in 2008.

Close Encounters
While Wagner is a perfect 8-0, all-time, against LIU Brooklyn at R.C.B. Ballpark, the victories have not come easy as six of the eight games have been decided by three runs or less. The Seahawks have been able hold such a dominating advantage thanks to forcing the Blackbirds into an average of just 1.5 runs per game during that time.

Sunday Schedule
The Green & White scheduled to play a Sunday game for the first time since March 18 against Quinnipiac. Wagner then altered its weekend schedules against Monmouth and at the Mount due to the threat of inclement weather, before moving last weekend's series at FDU up a day due to the Easter Holiday.

High Five
When the Seahawks plate more than four runs during NEC play they are a perfect 6-0, outscoring the opposition by a 50-21 count. Conversely, when scoring less than four runs or less, the Green & White is just 2-8, having been outscored 46-21 during that time.

Wagner Looking For Late-Game Spark
Wagner has failed to score in the eighth or ninth inning in any of its eight nine-inning NEC games, but did manage three 10th-inning runs in a 9-6 series-opening win at Mount St. Mary's (3/30). All told, from the eighth inning on in those eight games, the Seahawks have scored just those three runs in 13 innings.

Last Weekend's Recap
The Green & White dropped three-straight heartbreakers to Fairleigh Dickinson last weekend after picking up a 3-1 victory in the opener. Wagner lost both seven-inning games by scores of 4-0 and 5-3, before falling 4-3 on a walk-off hit in the bottom of the 12th inning.

The 12-Inning Game ...
Was the longest by a Seahawk team since posting a 3-2 win in 13 innings over Saint Peter's on April 22, 2009 when Vin Avella delivered a walk-off run-scoring double.

On The Hardwood
LIU Brooklyn and Wagner finished at the top of the conference during men's basketball play and both recently hired new coaches. Jack Perri was named the new Blackbirds' coach while Bashir Mason was recently ushered in as the Seahawks' new coach. Both former coaches left to lead Atlantic 10 programs.

Happy Returns
After missing almost a month due to injury freshman Mitchell Dressing returned to action at Seton Hall (4/11) and didn't disappoint, finishing 1-for-3 with a walk.

Happy Returns (x2)
Former Seton Hall Pirate senior Eddie Brown went 2-for-4 with a run in his first game at his former home field, Owen T. Carroll Field. On the strength of his seventh multi-hit game of the year, Brown improved his average to a team-best .302 and is second in the conference with 14 stolen bases while adding 19 runs, 20 RBI and nine doubles.

Get There Early
Friday's scheduled game one features two of the NEC's premier pitchers in Van Spronsen and Franzese. Van Spronsen enters this weekend's play with a 4-1 record while posting a 2.05 ERA (2nd NEC) (75th NCAA) and a conference-leading four complete games (4th NCAA) over 57.0 innings (3rd NEC). Franzese, who garnered 2011 NEC First Team accolades, is 3-3 with a 3.49 ERA and three complete games over 59.1 innings of work. Additionally, Van Spronsen is limiting hitters to a .234 average while Franzese had hindered batters to the tune of a .220 average.

During NEC Play ...
Van Spronsen is 2-1 with a 2.06 ERA and three complete games while going at least eight innings in all four of his starts. Franzese, meanwhile, is 2-1 with a 2.77 ERA and two complete games while going at least eight innings in all three of his starts.

Van Spronsen, All-Time, Vs. LIU Brooklyn
Over 15.0 career innings against the Blackbirds, Van Spronsen is 1-0 with a 0.60 ERA and nine strikeouts while allowing just eight hits and three walks.

Last Year
Senior Tommy Higgins hit .375 (6-for-16) with a double, home run and four RBI against LIU Brooklyn. Brown also had a big weekend, batting .267 (4-for-15) with six runs, one double, one home run and three RBI while reaching base at a .389 clip. For the Blackbirds, Staten Island native Drew Walsh led the way on offense, hitting .308 (4-for-13).

Eight Is Enough
Beginning with this weekend's series, Wagner will open up a season-long eight-game homestand. The Seahawks are 5-4 at home this season, including 5-3 during conference play.

Carone Announces Little League Days
The Green & White announced its annual Little League Days as memebers of different teams will be recognized at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. The first date will be on Tues., April 17 (7:00 pm) vs. Saint Peter's and Sat., May 5 (1:00 pm) vs. Sacred Heart.

Lucky Number 7
In Wagner's doubleheader sweep of Mount St. Mary's (3/30), junior Jayson Keel exploded for seven RBI on the strength of a 4-for-9 day at the plate. All four hits resulted in runs scoring, including three that netted at least two. In the first game, a 9-6 victory, Keel recorded a career-best three hits and five RBI, capping his performance with a two-run bases-loaded single in the top of the 10th inning. He then picked it up where left off in the nightcap, plating two of Seahawks' four first-inning runs with a double. On the year, Keel has a team-best 21 RBI and six multi-RBI games.

Dini Doing Work
Freshman Nick Dini has batted safely in 14-straight games while matching Seth Boyd (2010) and Damian Csakai (2008) for the longest hitting streaks by a Seahawk in the last five years. With a hit in the series-opener vs. the Blackbirds, Dini, who has batted safely in 20-of-21, would record the longest streak since former Baltimore Oriole farmhand Joey DiGeronimo batted safely in 20-straight to open the 2007 season. On the year, Dini is hitting .294 with 17 runs, 14 RBI, five doubles and a NEC-leading four triples. Additionally, he is batting a team-best .352 during league play.

Miller, Brown Tearing Up Basepaths
Sophomore Ian Miller and Brown rank 1-2 in the Northeast Conference in stolen bases at 19 and 17, respectively. Each player has more stolen bases than the collective totals of Bryant, Central Connecticut State and Quinnipiac. Additionally, the duo's combined total of 36 is more than all but the Mount St. Mary's 39 swipes among league teams.

Setting The Table
Despite batting just .252, Miller has a team-best 20 walks while posting a .364 OBP. The Keystone State native also has a team-best 10 multi-hit games.

Murph's Big Season Continues
Graduate Student Bill Murphy's first season as a position player saw another first in the series finale at FDU (4/7), as the Rutgers graduate belted his first career home run. On the year, he is batting .290 with 16 runs and 14 RBI.

Casey Tough To Hit Walk
Casey ranks 40th in the nation, allowing just 1.17 walks per nine innings and is 82nd with an impressive 4.6 strikeout to walk ratio. On the year, Casey is 3-2 with 23 strikeouts, against just five walks, over 38.1 innings with three complete games. He has allowed just three walks over his five stats this season and is 3-1 for the Green & White during NEC play.

Dynamic Duo
The duo of Van Spronsen and Casey are 6-2 during conference action with the rest of the Wagner pitchers going 2-6 during NEC play.

Wagner Looking To Rebound
The Seahawks have been outscored 43-21 in dropping seven of their last eight games as the offense has hit just .232 during that time.

Battaglia Impresses
Freshman Anthony Battaglia earned his first career win and third save of the year in helping the Green & White sweep last a doubleheader at Mount St. Mary's (3/30). Over 12 games, Battaglia has been scored upon in just two games while posting a 1.06 ERA with three saves and seven strikeouts over 17.0 innings.

Picture Me Rollin
Van Spronsen has gone at least eight innings in each of his last six starts while collecting wins over Charlotte (3/3), Jacksonville (3/10), Quinnipiac (3/16) and FDU (4/5).

Higgins, Van Spronsen Ascend All-Time Seahawk Record Books
Higgins has 153 career hits and is just four behind Pete DiStefano for 15th place on the all-time Seahawk hit list. Van Spronsen, who recently passed Andrew Bailey on the all-time innings list, is seventh with 219.2 innings and his 143 strikeouts four off of 10th place.

Did You Know ?
That all 127.2 innings hurled by Green & White pitching during league play has come by righthanders.

Interesting
15 of Wagner's first 18 games were against teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament or won their conference championship.

Richmond County Bank Ballpark
The Seahawks are 63-32 (43-23 NEC) at Richmond County Bank Ballpark since calling the stadium home in 2008.

Trial By Fire
Eight of the 13 pitchers used by Carone this season are freshmen with just two remaining from the team's last postseason appearance in 2010. The eight freshmen have accounted 47.9 percent (131.2/274.2) of Wagner's innings and 43.4 percent (59/136) of the strikeouts.

Follow On Twitter
For those looking for updates or wanting to chime in on this weekend's action may do so using the twitter hash tag (WAGLIU).