2017 Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament - Day One
 
No. 3 Wagner College Seahawks (21-26; 13-12 NEC)
vs. No. 2 Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils (33-20; 21-7 NEC) |
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2017 Northeast Conference (NEC) Baseball Tournament Headquarters
Norwich, CT - The No. 3-seeded Wagner College Seahawks (21-26; 13-12 NEC) will take on the No. 2-seeded Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils (33-20; 21-7) on Thursday, May 25 at 4:00 p.m. on day one of the 2017 Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament, held at Dodd Stadium, the home of the New York-Penn League (NYPL) Short Season A, Connecticut Tigers.
The opening game of this year's tournament features at the No. 1 seed and defending league champions, the Bryant University Bulldogs, taking on the No. 4 seed, the Sacred Heart University Pioneers in a noon start.
If Wagner defeats CCSU tomorrow, the Seahawks will meet the winner of the Bryant/Sacred Heart at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, May 26. If the Green & White lose on Thursday, they will face an elimination game against the loser of the Bulldogs/Pioneers contest, which is slated for 12:00 p.m. on Friday from Dodd Stadium.
Leading Off:
- Wagner makes its 12th appearance in the NEC Tournament and first since 2015, when the Green & White were the No. 2 seed.
- In NEC Tournament play, the Seahawks are 8-21 all time, with their last victory coming back in 2010, when, as the No. 3 seed, they defeated the Monmouth University Hawks, 9-4, before falling to CCSU, 7-2.
- The Seahawks won its lone NEC title back in 2000, going 3-1 in the tourney, defeating then-conference member UMBC, 16-1, before taking two of three from Monmouth.
- After claiming the program's first and only championship, the Seahawks went on to the Coral Gables region of the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament, where they fell to the University of Miami (FL), 19-5, and Florida International University (FIU), 10-1.
- Sixth-year head coach Jim Carone makes his third appearance in the NEC Tournament.
All-Time Series:
- Wagner and CCSU are meeting for the 84th time in program history, with the Blue Devils holding a 53-30 edge in the head-to-head series.
- Wagner and CCSU split their regular season contests this year, with the Seahawks needing extra innings in defeating the Blue Devils back on May 14 (5-4 in 11 innings).
Scouting The Seahawks:
- Wagner is 7-3 over their last ten games.
- During this stretch, the Seahawks are collectively hitting close to .300 (.294) with six players batting .300 or better
- For the second time program history, three Seahawks swept the NEC weekly awards last week, as junior OF Anthony Godino (Thornwood, NY/Pleasantville) was tabbed Co-Player of the Week; sophomore LHP Neil Abbatiello (North Salem, NY/Dobbs Ferry) was named Pitcher of the Week and freshman designated hitter, Freddy Sabido (Staten Island, NY/Susan E. Wagner [Saint Louis Univ]) became a two-time NEC Rookie of the Week award winner.
- Sophomore C/INF Phil Capra (North Salem, NY/North Salem) showed no signs of a "sophomore slump" as he finished among the top three in the circuit in batting average (.369), slugging percentage (.568) and on-base percentage (.455).
- Sabido led the league with nine home runs while Capra and Godino finished tied for fifth-place in that department, connecting on seven round trippers this season.
- The Green & White featured the top two pitchers in the league this season, senior co-captain Danny Marsh (Monroe Township, NJ/Monroe Township) and senior Austin Goeke (Bordentown, NJ/The Hun School).
- Marsh finished seventh in the entire NCAA, and first in the league, with a 1.52 ERA while holding opposing hitters to just a .203 batting, good for second in the circuit. The senior right-hander led the entire nation in ERA back on April 10, when he posted a miniscule 0.40 ERA.
- For Goeke, he finished behind Marsh with the second-lowest ERA at 2.69 while limiting the opposition to a league-best .192 batting average. The Bordentown, NJ native has steadily moved up on the Wagner career list, as he stands in eighth place on the all-time wins list with 14 and needs just two strikeouts to take sole possession of fifth place, as he enters the tournament with 181 punchouts.
Scouting Central Connecticut:
- The Blue Devils are playing in the NEC Tournament for the 15th time and have an all-time record of 24-22.
- CCSU has won four NEC titles (2002, 2003, 2004, 2010) and is the last school other than Sacred Heart or Bryant to win an NEC championship.
Seahawks In Professional Baseball....
Andrew Bailey (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, American League):
- Transferred to the 60-day disabled list as of May 20 with right shoulder inflammation.
- Bailey improved to 2-0 this year after taking the victory in the Angels' wild 10-9 win over the Seattle Mariners (Read Staten Island Advance's Jim Waggoner's recap of the contest)
- The former Seahawk earned his first win of the season on April 4 when he came in for Bud Norris and retired the Oakland A's in order in the bottom of the eighth.
- In 12 games last season, Bailey went 0-0 with a 2.38 ERA while recording six saves, to bring his career total to 95.
- In 11.1 innings for LAA, Bailey struck out eight batters and walked just two while giving up just three earned runs.
Mike Adams (Rockland Boulders | Can-Am League | Independent League):
- In his first professional season playing for the Rockland Boulders, Adams went 5-6 with a 5.86 ERA in 16 games for the 2015 Can-Am Regular Season champions.
- For the year, Adams hurled 66.0 innings, striking out 30 batters while walking 37.
- In Rockland's playoff run, the former Seahawk right-hander pitched in four games, striking out five batters in five innings of work.
Nick Dini (Lexington Legends | Class A | South Atlantic League | Parent Club: Kansas City Royals):
- The former 2015 NEC Player of the Year is batting .286 (22-for-77) with 16 runs scored, two home runs and eleven RBIs in 20 games for the Legends.
- Over his last ten games, Dini is hitting .317 (13-for-41) with seven runs scored, six RBIs with three walks and two stolen bases while currently sporting a four-game hit streak.
- Dini hit his second home run of the season back on May 2 against the Greensboro Grasshoppers (Class A Affiliate of the Miami Marlins) in the sixth inning, which helped Lexington to an 8-4 victory.
- Last season, Dini posted a .316 batting average with 4 home runs in his first season, Dini saw time with four clubs within the Kansas City Royals organization in his second professional season, finishing out the year where he started back at the Idaho Falls Chukars.
- For 2016, Dini batted a combined .319 with nine RBIs and three stolen bases.
Nolan Long (Great Falls Loons | Class A | Midwest League | Parent Club: Los Angeles Dodgers):
- Recalled to Great Lakes on May 18 from Dodgers Ext. Spring Training.
- In his first game back since being recalled from Dodgers Extended Spring Training, Long picked up his first win of the season in the Loons 17-8 victory over the Fort Wayne Tincaps (Class A Affiliate of the San Diego Padres).
- Long went 3.0 innings, giving up two hits, two runs, a walk and a season-best seven strikeouts.
- In his most recent appearance, the former Seahawk starter came on in the top of the ninth in relief of Andre Scrubb, and got Michael Beltre to strikeout.
- After allowing the first two batters on in the top of the tenth, Long recorded back-to-back pop outs before getting James Vasquez to ground out to second, ending the inning.
- Long is 2-1 on the year, with an 8.59 ERA in 7.1 innings. He has allowed nine hits and seven earned runs while walking eight and striking out 11 batters.
- The towering 6-10 right-hander finished his second professional season splitting time between the Great Lakes Loons and the Ogden Raptors as he compiled a 6-11 record, with a 5.65 ERA in 27 games.
- As a member of the Loons, Long made 13 starts en route to a 4-8 record as he threw 64.1 innings, striking out 62 batters while walking 35, a 1.77:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
- The former two-sport athlete on Grymes Hill, had eight games of at least five strikeouts, which included a season-best nine punchouts against the Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds Class A affiliate) back on July 11.
Ian Miller (Arkansas Travelers | Double A | Texas League | Parent Club: Seattle Mariners):
- The former 2013 NEC First Teamer is batting .337 (56-for-166) in 41 games for the Travelers, while ranking sixth in hitting among all players in the Texas League.
- Miller has 12 doubles, a triple, two home runs, and 14 RBIs on the season while going 18-of-20 on stolen base attempts.
- Over his last ten games, Miller is batting .385 (15-for-39) with 12 runs, a home run, five RBIs and five steals.
- Miller leads the entire Texas League in the stolen base department with those 18 steals
- On April 26, Miller finished a season-best, 4-of-6 at the plate with a run scored, and his first home run of the season despite Arkansas falling 6-5, in extra innings. Miller's solo shot came in the top of the seventh as he led off the frame.
- Last season, Miller finished his fourth professional season with the Jackson Generals of the Southern League. In 114 games, Miller batted .269 with 28 RBIs, eight doubles, seven triples and 45 walks.
- Miller finished second in the league with 49 stolen bases and was caught just five times while posting an on-base percentage of .331.
Ben Ruta (Charleston RiverDogs | Class A | South Atlantic League | Parent Club: New York Yankees):
- The former two-time NEC First Teamer was assigned to the Charleston RiverDogs from the Staten Island Yankees on May 8.
- In nine games at Charleston, Ruta is batting .419 (13-for-31) with seven runs scored, a double, a triple and three RBIs.
- Ruta has recorded a hit in eight of his first nine games for the RiverDogs, who are currently fourth in the South Atlantic League Southern Division at 22-21.
- In his second game for the RiverDogs, Ruta went 3-for-5 with three runs scored in leading Charleston to 14-4 road victory at the Hickory Crawdads (Class A affiliate of the Texas Rangers) on May 11.
- In his first game, Ruta went 2-for-4 while playing right field and batting ninth for the RiverDogs as they couldn't complete the comeback, falling to the Delmarva Shorebirds (Class A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles), 6-4.
- In his first professional season, Ruta began the 2016 season with the Pulaski Yankees of the Appalachian League.
- In 13 games, Ruta batted .283 with a home run and eight RBIs while slugging .413.
- He was promoted to the Staten Island Yankees on July 14, becoming the first Seahawk to play for Staten Island, whose home games are played at Richmond County Bank Ballpark where the Green & White play their home games.
- In his first game back in St. George, Ruta went 1-for-4 with a RBI.
- On August 4 against the Williamsport Crosscutters, Ruta belted his first home run as a member of the SI Yankees while driving in two runs and going 2-for-4 in the contest, a 5-3 victory for the Yankees.
2017 Wagner Baseball Team Leaders
| Category |
|
|
|
|
|
| Batting Average |
Phil Capra .369 |
Anthony Godino .329 |
Freddy Sabido .294 |
Kyle Cala .292 |
Sean Mazzio .288 |
| Slugging Pct. |
Godino .578 |
Capra .568 |
Sabido .525 |
Mazzio .441 |
Cala .421 |
| On-Base Pct. |
Capra .455 |
Godino .443 |
Mazzio .385 |
Cala .366 |
Sabido .345 |
| Runs |
Godino 43 |
Mazzio 39 |
Capra 34 |
Cala 29 |
Sabido 27 |
| Hits |
Capra 65 |
Godino 53 |
Cala 52 |
Mazzio 49 |
Sabido 47 |
| RBIs |
Capra 42 |
Godino 33 |
Sabido 30 |
Cala 27 |
Two tied at 26 |
| Doubles |
Godino 11 |
Capra 10 |
Joe Silvestrone 9 |
Anthony Pecora 7 |
Mazzio 7 |
| Triples |
Pecora 5 |
Godino 4 |
Four tied at 2 |
|
|
| Home Runs |
Sabido 9 |
Capra 7 |
Godino 7 |
Cala 5 |
Mazzio 5 |
| Walks |
Godino 27 |
Capra 26 |
Mazzio 24 |
Pecora 18 |
Cala 17 |
| Stolen Bases |
Godino 17 |
Silvestrone 12 |
Mazzio 10 |
Pecora 8 |
Cala 7 |
| ERA |
Danny Marsh 1.52 |
Austin Goeke 2.69 |
Chris Mormile 6.28 |
|
|
| Opposing Batting Avg. |
Goeke .192 |
Marsh .203 |
Mormile .260 |
|
|
| Wins |
Marsh 6 |
Goeke 6 |
Douglas Molnar 3 |
Six tied at 1 |
|
| Innings Pitched |
Goeke 77.0 |
Marsh 71.0 |
Mormile 53.0 |
|
|
| Strikeouts |
Goeke 75 |
Marsh 62 |
Mormile 49 |
Neil Abbatiello 41 |
Douglas Molnar 18 |
Next Up For Wagner: If Wagner defeats CCSU tomorrow, the Seahawks will meet the winner of the Bryant/Sacred Heart at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, May 26. If the Green & White lose on Thursday, they will face an elimination game against the loser of the Bulldogs/Pioneers contest, which is slated for 12:00 p.m. on Friday from Dodd Stadium.
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