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Staten Island, NY - After taking two-of-three from Iona (4/20-4/21) in winning its bye weekend series, Wagner (18-24; 11-9 NEC) returns to action with four games this weekend at Central Connecticut State (20-20; 12-12 NEC).
Wagner Baseball Capsule:
Roster /
Schedule /
Notes
CCSU Baseball Capsule:
Roster /
Schedule
Schedule and Probable Starters
4/27 - @ CCSU - 3:00 pm
Sr. RHP Ryan Van Spronsen (6-1) / CCSU: Sr. RHP Harry Glynne (2-3)
4/28 - @ CCSU - 1:00 pm
So. RHP Ryan Casey (3-3) / CCSU: Fr. LHP Cody Brown (4-3)
4/28 - @ CCSU - 3:30 pm
TBA / CCSU: Fr. LHP Casey Brown (2-4)
4/29 - @ CCSU - 1:00 pm
Fr. RHP Dan Watson (1-3) / CCSU: Jr. LHP Jack Greenhouse (3-1)
2012 Media Guide
The 2012 Wagner Baseball Media Guide is available for viewing by clicking
HERE
Series Breakdown
The teams will begin their series with on Friday, April 27 with a single nine-inning at 3:00 pm, before playing a doubleheader consisting of two seven-inning games on Saturday, April 28 at 1:00 pm. The series will conclude with a single nine-inning affair on Sunday, April 29 at 1:00 pm.
A Win This Weekend ...
Would give the Seahawks 19 overall and eight road wins, besting last year's totals of 18 and seven, respectively.
Playoff Periscope
With three weeks to play, the Green & White are tied for four place with league leader Bryant ineligible for the Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament. The Seahawks are currently tied with Sacred Heart (11-9 NEC) for the third spot in the playoff race with CCSU (12-12 NEC) one spot back in fifth. Wagner will control its own fate as the Seahawks play the Blue Devils this weekend and the Pioneers the following week, before concluding regular season play at Bryant.
Rolling At Richmond County
After spotting Iona eight first-inning runs, Wagner roared back to an 18-10 victory. By virtue of the win, the Seahawks captured the series by a 2-1 count and since moving to the Stadium in 2008 have won 13 series against just three losses while splitting six. All told, Wagner is 69-34 (46-24 NEC) at the R.C.B. Ballpark.
Staggering Outputs
After scoring as many as 18 runs just once in their first 99 games at the Stadium, the Seahawks notched 18 against Saint Peter's (4/17), before recording 19 vs. Iona (4/21).
SPC x2 = No Go
Due to heavy rainfall over the weekend, the scheduled rematch between Wagner and SPC slated for Tuesday, April 24 was cancelled. The cancellation marks the first time this season the Seahawks have had weather wipe away a game, while marking the only time this season since returning home from its trip to Florida that the Green & White have not played a mid-week game.
Homestand A Success
Wagner returns to the road after posting a 6-2 record over its season-long eight-game homestand, which included the team's first three-game winning streak of the season.
Last Weekend
Behind another solid Van Spronsen performance the Seahawks took the first game of Friday's doubleheader against Iona (4/20) by a 1-0 count, before dropping the nightcap, 11-7. The Green & White then took the series with a come-from-behind 18-10 win over the Gaels (4/21).
Dini Named NEC Co-Rookie Of The Week
Freshman
Nick Dini was honored by the NEC as its Co-Rookie of the Week for the week ending April 22. The rookie second baseman hit a mammoth .563 (9-for-16) with nine RBI and four runs scored while reaching base at a .611 clip over a quartet of non-conference contests against MAAC members Saint Peter's (4/17) and Iona (4/20-4/21). The Garden State product accounted for a finest day as a member of the Green & White thus far, recording career-highs with four hits, five RBI and three runs during a 19-2 mid-week victory, before going 5-for-10 (.500) with four RBI over three games against the Gaels. The highlight of his big week came in the Seahawks' 1-0 series-opening triumph in the first game vs. Iona as his third-inning single plated the game's lone run.
Dini Is ...
The second Wagner student-athlete to be honored by the NEC this season as Van Spronsen was tabbed as Pitcher of the Week following his CG, nine-strikeout, victory over JU (3/10).
Dini Is Also ...
The first Seahawk freshman to garner Rookie of the Week honors since
Christian Rautenstrauch did in April of 2010.
Leading The Way
Dini, who has hit safely in 27-of-29, leads the team with a .331 average and 49 hits while adding 21 runs, six doubles, a NEC-best four triples, 23 RBI and six stolen bases and 14 walks en-route to posting a .400 OBP. The .331 average ranks fifth in the NEC while his 49 hits are just 15 off of
Matt Mastrianni's Wagner freshman record of 64 hits, set back in 2004.
Some Van Spronsen Noise
Van Spronsen collected his third-straight complete game victory and his second complete game shutout of the season in leading Wagner to a 1-0 win over Iona (4/20 in the first game of a doubleheader, while improving to 6-1. The most impressive part of Van Spronsen's performance has not been his team-leading six victories, his NEC-best six complete game or his league-leading 1.73 ERA, but rather the fact that three of his wins have come by one run and five of the six by three runs or less.
Van Spronsen Lauded In Eric Sorensen's National Blog ... For Third Time
Van Spronsen was cited by National College Baseball Writer Eric Sorenson in his national
College Baseball Today blog for the third time this year, which encompasses all of NCAA Division I baseball. Click
HERE for the entire blog
Here is the Van Spronsen excerpt:
“You Stitch-Heads are going to start accusing me of being a Wagner homer here soon. But their ace, Ryan Van Spronsen, threw another complete-game in today's 1-0 win over Iona. The seven-inning effort ties Van Spronsen with Jackson State's Quintavious Drains for the most complete-game efforts this season with six. He also improves to 6-1 on the season with an ERA of 1.73.”
No Relief Needed
Van Spronsen is now third nationally with six complete games and has spun at least seven innings in each of his last eight starts. Previously, he had gone at least eight in seven straight only to see his streak snapped as he started one of the Seahawks' seven-inning games last Friday.
Over His Last Three Game
Van Spronsen's offense has scored just six runs while the Canadian native has yielded two en route to posting a 3-0 record with 23 strikeouts and a 0.72 ERA over 25.0 innings.
At Home This Year
Van Spronsen has notched a 3-1 record with a 0.79 ERA and 27 strikeouts over 34.0 innings of work while going the distance in all four of his starts.
Paving The Way
Sophomore RHP
Nick Pavia earned his second win of the year behind 4.0 scoreless innings of relief in Wagner's come-from-behind 18-10 win over Iona (4/21) in the series finale. The Staten Island native has not allowed a run in each of last two appearances, scattering six hits with six strikeouts over 7.0 innings.
Also Checking In From Staten Island
Pavia's former prep teammate at St. Joseph By The Sea, freshman
Anthony Battaglia made it four saves in as many opportunities with 2.0 scoreless frames in the Seahawks' aforementioned series-clinching victory over the Gaels. Battaglia has converted all four of his save attempts and has not allowed a run over his last 8.0 innings. On the year, he is 3-1 with four saves and a 0.75 ERA over 24.0 innings and has yielded an earned run in just just two of his team-leading 16 appearances. Battaglia collected two of the three Seahawk wins over LIU Brooklyn (4/13-4/15) after earning a win and a save at the Mount (3/30-3/31).
Close Games
Wagner captured its seventh one-run win of the year in Friday's series-opener against Iona (4/20) and is now 7-2 in one-run games on the year, including 5-1 during NEC play. Two major reasons for the one-run success has been the pitching of Van Spronsen and Battaglia. Van Spronsen is 3-0 in one-run games while Battaglia is 2-1 with two saves during that time.
Brown Bashing
Senior
Eddie Brown is having an outstanding senior season in his second year on Grymes Hill. Against the Gaels, the Seahawks' shortstop hit .500 (7-for-14) with two doubles, two home runs, eight RBI, seven runs and three stolen bases while posting a 1.071 slugging percentage and a .632 OBP. His third home run of the year staked the Green & White to an insurmountable 13-10 lead while capping Wagner's rally from eight-down en route to an 18-10 victory. A viable All-Conference candidate, the Garden State native is the midst of an 11-game hitting streak and is batting .325 with team-highs in doubles (13), home runs (3), RBI (30), slugging (.504) and a .415 OBP.
Higgins Snaps Slump And Then Some
To say that Iona is happy it will not have to face senior
Tommy Higgins again this year is an understatement. The Seahawk third baseman absolutely raked against the Gaels, batting .889 (8-for-9) while driving in six runs while adding two doubles. Coming into the series, Higgins was batting just .197 before exiting at .240.
You Call That A Hot Streak?
Higgins has recorded seven RBI and multiple hits in each of his last four games while matching his previous season totals for both categories over the first 38 games.
MAAC Mashing
Over a four-game sample against the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), the Green & White hit a blistering .422 with 45 runs, 43 RBI and a .497 OBP. The run and RBI totals are more than half of Wagner's totals of 84 and 74, respectively, over 20 NEC games.
Hit Parade
Sophomore
Ian Miller has recorded multiple hits a team-best 16 times and in nine of his last 13 games. On the year, he is 14th in the NEC and third on the team in batting at .305 while ranking first in the conference with 23 stolen bases and third with 30 runs and 22 walks.
Dynamic Duo
Miller and Brown rank 1-2 in the NEC in stolen bases, notching 23 and 18, respectively, while their combined total of 41 is more than the other eight league teams.
Non-Conference Notes
On the strength of three wins last week, the Seahawks improve to 23-10, all-time, in non-conference games at R.C.B.B., including going 8-3 against MAAC opponents during that time.
Previewing CCSU
CCSU enters this weekend with a 20-20 record (12-12 NEC) but has been a different team at home, posting a 12-4 record at the CCSU Baseball Field - including a 9-3 mark during conference play. Owning one of the most powerful offenses in the league, the Blue Devils are second with 75 doubles and 10 home runs. Leading the way is JP Sportman, who paces the team with a .317 average while adding 12 doubles, one triple and six home runs to go along with 22 RBI. Tyler McIntyre leads CCSU with eight home runs while Anthony Turgeon and Mitch Wells each have 12 doubles.
Recent History ...
Has not been kind to Wagner when facing the Blue Devils as the Seahawks have gone 9-19 against their Nutmeg State neighbors since the 2006 season, including posting a 3-8 record in New Britain. Additionally, since CCSU entered the league in 1999 the Seahawks are just 16-32 (4-13 New Britain) against the Blue Devils.
A Series Win ...
Would go a long way in helping the Green & White wrap up its seventh NEC postseason berth in nine years while giving Wagner its first-ever series victory on the road over CCSU since the school entered the league in 1999.
Did You Know?
The teams have met five times in the postseason with the Blue Devils going 2-7 during that time.
Higgins Is ...
A career .333 (17-for-51) hitter against CCSU pitching with four doubles, seven RBI and six runs. A year ago, he batted .385 (5-for-13) while reaching base at a .467 clip against the Blue Devils.
Brown ...
Provided the difference in Wagner's game-three extra-inning 1-0 victory over the CCSU a year ago with a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Walk-Off Fun
Freshman
Jason Gordon was the walk-off hero in Wagner's 3-2, 10-inning in game one of Saturday's doubleheader vs. LIU Brooklyn (4/14), before graduate student
Bill Murphy provided a walk-off hit of his own in the Seahawks' 5-4 victory over the Blackbirds (4/15) in the finale. Both hits came with no outs and the bases loaded.
Dini Keeps Hitting
After seeing his hitting streak snapped at 16 in a 16-1 loss to LIU Brooklyn (4/14), Dini went 2-for-4 in the series finale against the Blackbirds and is currently on a five-game hitting streak.
Dini's 16-Game Hitting Streak ...
Was the longest since by a Seahawk since former Baltimore Oriole farmhand
Joey DiGeronimo opened the 2007 season with a 20-game tear.
High Five
Wagner is a perfect 7-0 when scoring at least five runs during NEC play.
Hurting
2006 graduate, two-time American League (AL) All Star and current Boston Red Sox reliever
Andrew Bailey while 2008 graduate and current Washington National farmhand
Joe Testa are each on the disabled list.
Second Little League Day On The Horizon
The Green & White second Little League day will be held on Saturday, May 5 against Sacred Heart. The Great Kills U-11 All-Star Team that won the 2011 Staten Island and City Championship was recognized prior to the game vs. St. Peter's (4/17).
Higgins, Van Spronsen Ascend All-Time Seahawk Record Books
Higgins has 165 career hits and is currently 13th on the all-time Green & White hit list. With one more base knock he will match former teammate Chris Drechsel and former Atlanta Brave farmhand Joe Francisco for 11th place. Van Spronsen is tied for fourth in the single-season annals with six complete games and tied for 10th with six wins while his 1.73 ERA would rank ninth if the season were to end today. He is also on the verge of cracking the top-10 list for innings pitched. Miller's 23 stolen bases also rank eighth in the school's single-season annals.
Van Spronsen Lauded In Eric Sorensen's National Blog ... Again
Van Spronsen was cited by National College Baseball Writer Eric Sorenson in his
College Baseball Today blog, which encompasses all of NCAA Division I baseball, for the second time this season. Here is the excerpt:
“For the second straight week Wagner's Friday ace threw a complete game, this time collecting a career-high nine Ks as the Seahawks beat LIU 2-1. The most impressive part was that he got stronger as the game went on, going three-up, three-down in the final three innings and struck out the side in the 9th inning.”
Yard Work
Wagner has seven home runs this season with four coming at home. Additionally, there have been two solo shots, three two-run drives and two three-run shots.
NEC In The Major Leagues
Joining Bailey in the Major Leagues from the Northeast Conference last season were former Central Connecticut State hurler Evan Scribner and former Monmouth pitcher Brad Brach as both saw time with the San Diego Padres out of the bullpen.
Noteworthy
Bailey made his first start following Tommy John surgery in 2006 against of all people Scribner in New Britain, CT. In that game, Bailey garnered a no-decision as he was limited to a strict pitch count and left after three innings of one-run ball. Scribner, meanwhile, struck out four over a complete-game effort in lifting the Blue Devils to a 8-1 victory.
Lucas Earns Contract With Toronto
Jon Lucas became the eighth former Seahawk student-athlete since 2006 to ink a contract with an affiliated team when he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. However, the team's 2011 Team MVP garnered All-Conference accolades as a DH.
Interesting
The Seahawks will square off with six of
Baseball America's Top-100 prospects this season: Jacksonville OF/1B Adam Brett Walker (#31), Monmouth RHP Pat Light (#58), St. John's OF Jeremy Baltz (#74), Georgia Tech OF Brandon Thomas (#77), Georgia Tech RHP Buck Farmer (#92) and St. John's RHP Kyle Hanson (#94).
Up Next
Wagner returns home to host NJIT on Tuesday, May 1 at 7:00 pm at the Stadium.
