Game Notes: Wagner | Saint Joseph's | Villanova | La Salle-Niagara Game Recap

Friday, March 13, 2015: Wagner vs. Saint Joseph's
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Saturday, March 14, 2015: Wagner vs. Villanova
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Sunday, March 15, 2015: Wagner vs. La Salle
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Merion Station, PA - The Wagner baseball team travels to Pennsylvania this weekend as the Seahawks participate in the Big Five Baseball Bash March 13-15.

SCHEDULE CHANGES ANNOUNCED:

Below is the schedule for this weekend's Big Five Baseball Bash (Note: Subject to change due to potential inclement weather in the area)

FRIDAY, March 13, 2015
Villanova vs. Niagara, 11:00 a.m. (at La Salle)
Northeastern at La Salle, 3:00 p.m.
Wagner at Saint Joseph's, 3:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, March 14, 2015
Villanova vs. Wagner, 11:00 a.m. (at Saint Joseph's)
Niagara at La Salle, 1:00 p.m.
Northeastern at Saint Joseph's, 3:00 p.m.

SUNDAY, March 15, 2015
Villanova vs. Northeastern, 10:30 a.m. (at Saint Joseph's)
Wagner at La Salle, Noon
Niagara at Saint Joseph's, 2:00 p.m.

PLEASE NOTE:

• If only one game can be played at SJU on Saturday due to the weather, the game will consists of Northeastern vs. Wagner, with Wagner being the designated home team. 

LEADING OFF:
The Wagner Seahawks travel to Pennsylvania as they will take on the Saint Joseph's University Hawks on Friday, March 13, the Wildcats of Villanova on Saturday, March 14 and conclude the three-game swing against the La Salle Explorers on Sunday, March 15.

INSIDE THE SERIES:

• Friday's contest with Saint Joseph's will mark just the fifth all-time meeting between the Seahawks and the Hawks and the series is tied 2-2.
• This series dates back to April 30, 2011 in which the Green & White swept the doubleheader, 5-0 and 4-1 at Richmond County Bank Ballpark.
• Saint Joseph's proceeded to take the next two meetings, on March 16 & March 17, 2013, as the Hawks picked up a 14-5 decision on the 16th and 6-5 on St. Patrick's Day. 
• The Seahawks are 2-4 all-time against Villanova, with the most recent meeting on March 28, 2014 as the Wildcats earned a 7-3 home win over the Seahawks
• The Green & White are 1-4 all-time against La Salle with their last meeting coming back March 15, 2013, with the Explorers eking out an 8-7 win.

STREAKING:

• Junior Ben Ruta (West Windsor, NJ/West-Windsor Plainsboro South) currently has a 10-game hitting streak ,dating back to last season, in which he recorded hits at Elon (2/21-22) before sitting out the rest of the year with an injury. This season, he sports a team-leading .323 batting average (10-for-31).

DINI NAMED TO 2015 JOHNNY BENCH AWARD WATCH LIST:

• The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission has announced that Wagner senior catcher Nick Dini (Monroe Township, NJ/Monroe Township) is one of 75 backstops to be named to the official watch list for the 2015 Johnny Bench Award presented by BaseballSavings.com, given annually to the top Division collegiate catcher.
• For Dini, it marks the second straight season in which the Garden State native was selected as a nominee for the award. In 2014, the fourth-year catcher batted .303 during Northeast Conference (NEC) play, with 24 runs, eight doubles, one triple, four home runs, 23 RBI and 18 stolen bases, tied for the second-most in the circuit while his four home runs were tied for seventh. Additionally, Dini threw out 39.4 percent (13-of-39) of runners trying to steal and currently is one of five Division I players to have started in every contest for his team (171 straight games)

BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS:

• Senior right-handed reliever, Steven Bloodworth (Annandale, NJ/North Hunterdon) leads the Seahawk bullpen with eight strikeouts in 6.0 innings pitched of relief.

DINI CLIMBING THE WAGNER CHARTS: 

• Senior catcher Nick Dini (Monroe Township, NJ/Monroe Township) has played in 171 straight games for Wagner, which makes him one of five players to do so in the NCAA.
• Dini is currently sixth all-time on the Wagner All-Time Games Played List as he trails Joe Malfettano ('06) by just eight games as Malfettano finished with 179 career games.
• The Monroe Township, NJ native is currently seventh all-time in At-Bats with 647, passing Matt Mastrianni's ('07) mark of 642. Nick Papa ('06) is up next for Dini as Papa finished with 651 career at-bats. The all-time Seahawk record is 761, held by Damian Csakai ('10) with 76.

BACK-TO-BACK ROUND TRIPPERS FOR SENIORS

• The Seahawks belted their first two home runs of 2015 on back-to-back days as a pair of seniors recorded their first round trippers of the year.
• Senior first baseman Tommy Mazurkiewicz (Neshanic Station, NJ/Somerville) hit his first of the season in Tuesday's defeat to Fresno State.
• For his career, this was Mazurkiewicz's second career home run.
• Dini launched his first of the year as it was the lone run of the contest for the Seahawks, who fell to the Bulldogs, 10-1. The homer hit the top of the scoreboard in left center.  
• For Dini, it was his 10th career homer.

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT: 

• Fourth-year head coach Jim Carone was able to get back one of his pitchers who spent the winter on the hardwood.
• 6-10 sophomore righty Nolan Long (Waterford, CT/Waterford (South Kent Prep), a power forward onn the Seahawk basketball team, joined the baseball team and made his first appearance of the season against the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners on March 7. He pitched one inning in his season debut and gave up two hits, five runs, with none of them being earned, while walking one and striking out one.
• Long helped third-year men's basketball coach Bashir Mason and the Seahawks qualify for the 2015 Northeast Conference Tournament as they captured the #7 seed in the tournament.

GOEKE DOKEY:

• Sophomore right-hander Austin Goeke (Bordentown, NJ/The Hun School) tossed five innings of one-hit ball in Wagner's 4-2 loss to CSU Bakersfield on March 8. Goeke picked up a no decision, with three walks (two HBP) while striking out one batter.

NEXT UP FOR WAGNER:

• After starting the first 12 games away from New York, the Seahawks will welcome former Northeast Conference member, Monmouth University, to Richmond County Bank Ballpark on Friday, March 20 with a first pitch time of 3:00 pm.