April 17, 2015: Wagner at NJIT
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Newark, NJ - The Wagner baseball team (14-12-1) begins a four-game series with the NJIT Highlanders this weekend, starting tonight in Newark, NJ.  First-pitch is scheduled for 6:00 pm.  

INSIDE THE SERIES:

• Since 2007, tonight's contest marks the ninth meeting between the two schools, with Wagner leading the head-to-head series, 6-2.
• The Seahawks and Highlanders met last season in a three-game series, with NJIT picking up a 5-0 victory in game one of the April 18 doubleheader with the Green & White taking the nightcap of the twinbill, 3-2, at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. Wagner clinched the series with a 9-7 triumph over the Highlanders in Newark on April 19, 2014. 

LAST TIME OUT FOR WAGNER:

• Behind a sensational pitching performance from senior right-hander Max Schmardel (Eatontown, NJ/Monmouth Regional), and a 2-for-4, two-RBI day from sophomore shortstop Nick Mascelli (Clifton, NJ/Seton Hall Prep), the Wagner baseball team improved to 3-0 against Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) foes this season as the Seahawks knocked off Fairfield 6-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Richmond County Bank Ballpark.
• The hard-throwing Schmardel picked up his first win of the year in his second start of the season as he stifled Fairfield over seven innings in which the towering 6-5 senior allowed six hits, one run, zero walks, while striking out a career-high eight batters. Schmardel retired the Stags in order in three of the seven innings he pitched.
• Mascelli, the reigning Northeast Conference (NEC) Player of the Week, continued his hot hitting, as the Garden State native is batting .438 (14-for-32) with one  home run, 10 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .594 over his last eight games.

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT:

• Sophomore right-hander Nolan Long (Waterford, CT/Waterford [South Kent Prep}) takes the hill tonight for his fifth start of the season.
• The towering 6-10, 240 pound, hard-throwing righty enters tonight's contest with an 0-1 record and a 3.68 ERA to go along with 15 strikeouts, 
• Despite the record, the Seahawks are 3-1 this season in games in which Long is the starting pitcher. 

STREAKING ALONG:

• Senior C/INF Nick Dini (Monroe Township, NJ/Monroe Township) has appeared in 191 consecutive games. 
• In addition, Dini has reached base safely in 27 straight games, dating back to May 23, 2014 against Sacred Heart. 
• Reigning Northeast Conference (NEC) Player of the Week Nick Mascelli (Clifton, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) has reached base safely in 19 straight games.

CARONE NEEDS ONE WIN FOR NO. 80:

• Fourth-year head coach Jim Carone needs one more victory to tie former Seahawk head coach, Ralph Ferraro, for fourth-place on the Wagner baseball all-time wins list.  
• Carone enters this evening's game with an overall record of 79-111-1. Ferraro, who managed the team from 1967-1977, compiled a 80-134-4 record.
• Joe Litterio, who guided the Seahawks to its lone NCAA Regional game back in 2000 and is the current head coach of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, holds the most wins in Wagner baseball history with 240.

DINI CLOSE TO REWRITING THE HISTORY BOOKS:

• Nick Dini has put together an impressive resume at Wagner during his four-year career.
• The fourth-year backstop/infielder currently is tied for seventh place on the Wagner all-time games played list with 191 as the Monroe Township native shares the honor with former Seahawk, Nick Papa ('06).  
• As of April 17, 2015, offensively, Dini ranks third in career at-bats (715) and triples (9), fifth in hits (213) and doubles (44) while ranking in the top-10 in RBIs (114) and stolen bases (45).

TOUGHEST TO STRIKE OUT:

• Senior Nick Dini (Monroe Township, NJ/Monroe Township) is the fourth toughest batter to strike out in the NCAA as the fourth-year Seahawk has only struck-out seven times. 

HITTING RIGHT FROM THE START:

• The Seahawks are batting .357 in the first inning

SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS:

• NJIT (15-11-1) split its most recent series against UAlbany. 
• The Highlanders are 3-0 against schools from the Northeast Conference (NEC) this season, after taking three straight from LIU Brooklyn back on March 27. 
• Freshman outfielder Jess Uttendorfer is the team's leading hitter as the first-year Highlander is batting .354 on the season while posting the team's second-highest on-base percentage (.420) and is a threat on the base paths, stealing 12-of-15 bases this season. 
• Senior CF Ed Charlton is the team's leading homerun hitter with six this season while driving in 20.
• Out of the bullpen, senior left-hander Tyler Kapp has a team-high six saves in 11 appearances while posting a 2.10 ERA
• NJIT sends out Joe Fasano in the series opener as the senior right-hander is 3-1 with a 5.83 ERA with 26 strikeouts on the season.

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 85 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 I collegiate catcher.
• For Dini, it marks the second straight season in which the Garden State native was selected as a nominee for the award. 

NEXT UP FOR WAGNER:

• Wagner continues its series with the Highlanders on Saturday, April 18 as the Seahawks and NJIT will play two, seven inning games at Richmond County Bank Ballpark.
• Junior RHP Mike Adams (3-1; 3.34 ERA) is slated to pitch the first game against NJIT's Sean Lubreski.  In Game Two, fifth-year senior RHP Nick Pavia (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph By The Sea) takes the ball against Ian Bentley.
• In the series finale, sophomore right-hander Austin Goeke (Bordentown, NJ/The Hun School) is scheduled to pitch Sunday for Wagner. 

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