Smithfield, RI – The two teams tied for first place in the Northeast Conference (NEC) standings at 17-5, Wagner and Bryant, will square off this weekend in a three-game series, beginning with a 3:00 p.m. first-pitch at Contay Park on Friday afternoon.
All-Time Series: The Seahawks and the Bulldogs have met 39 times in program history with the all-time series favoring Bryant at 27-11. The Green & White lead the season-series against the Bulldogs, 2-1, as these two teams opened conference play back in late March. All three games were decided by two runs or less.
Last Time Out For Wagner: The Green & White fell to the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds, 7-3, in the series finale on Sunday afternoon as the teams split its four-game matchup. At the conclusion Sunday's contest, Wagner learned that they had qualified for the 2018 NEC Tournament, which will commence Memorial Day weekend (May 24-27) in Norwich, CT. Seniors
Kyle Cala and
Sean Mazzio each had two hits on the afternoon with Cala driving in two of the three Seahawk runs.
Scouting the Bryant University Bulldogs: Since opening NEC play against the Seahawks back in late March, the Bryant Bulldogs have posted a 19-7-1 record in entering play with an overall record of 27-19-1. The Bulldogs had a weekend series in which they traveled to Stony Brook to take on the Seawolves as well as Massachusetts. Bryant fell 9-1 in the opener against the Seawolves before earning an 8-2 victory on Saturday over the Minutemen. In the finale against the host Stony Brook, the Seawolves edged Bryant, 5-3, thanks to a late two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth. As a team, the Bulldogs lead the conference in the following categories:
average (.306),
doubles (94), earned run average (4.64), hits (488), home runs (38), on-base percentage (.392), runs scored (312), slugging percentage (.456). Among the NCAA, Bryant is 12th in average, 23rd in hits, and 22nd in triples. Individually, Ryan Ward, James Ciliento and Mickey Gasper are the NEC's top-three hitters, with Ward ranking seventh in the nation with a .415 batting average. On the hill, the three Bulldog probable starters in Steve Theetge, Jack Patterson and Vito Morgese are among the top hurlers in the league. Patterson leads the NEC in strikeouts with 73) while ranking second in ERA at 3.74. He and Morgese are among the top-five in opposing batting averages, as Patterson has held opponents to a .235 average while Morgese is fourth at .264. Nathan Wrighter leads the team with eight saves, one ahead of Wagner's
Nick Robino (7).
2018 Seahawks Set Program-Record For Wins: The Wagner baseball team overcame an early two-run deficit by erupting for five runs in the top of the third inning and hung on for the doubleheader sweep of LIU Brooklyn, 6-5, in the nightcap on Saturday. With the victory, the 2018 Seahawks set a program record for victories in a single-season as their 32 triumphs surpassed the previous record of 31, held by the 2009 squad, which was coached by Joe Litterio.
Mascelli's Quest To Rewrite Record Book: Senior 2B
Nick Mascelli, who has played in 196 career games for Wagner, is rapidly approaching several milestones in his Seahawk career. The Clifton, NJ native needs just three hits to become the all-time career hits leader, surpassing former teammate and 2015 NEC Player of the Year, Nick Dini, who finished with 245. Mascelli needs to score nine runs to pass former Seahawk, Damian Csakai, who finished his career with 163 runs. The former Seton Hall Prep standout is the active leader in assists with 525. Mascelli currently leads the NEC in runs scored with 54
Road Warriors: Wagner has played 34 road games this season, compiling a NCAA-leading 22 road victories. In games away from Staten Island, the Seahawks have outscored their opposition by nearly a run a contest while connecting on 27 home runs and driving in close to 200 RBIs.
Seahawks Over The Last Ten Games: Wagner is 8-2 over its last ten games, batting a collective .285 with nine home runs, 49 RBIs and 55 runs scored. Sophomore
Freddy Sabido has increased his production, batting .406 over the last ten contests while he and junior,
Phil Capra, have connected on three home runs apiece. On the mound, the Seahawk hurlers have limited the opposition to a .234 batting average. The Seahawk arms have struck out 64 batters in 80.2 innings over the ten-game span. Junior
Neil Abbatiello, sophomore
Nick Zuppe and freshman
Pat Gallagher have all pitched to an under-3 earned run average over the last ten games, with Gallagher leading the way at 2.40. Abbatiello has recorded three wins combined with a 2.89 ERA in 18.2 innings while striking out 18 and walking five. Zuppe has kept opposing batters to just a .167 average over the Seahawks ten-game span.
BASEBALL ALUMS IN PROFESSIONAL BALL (through May 9, 2018): Here's a look on how our alums are doing in among the professional ranks.
Ian Miller – Tacoma Rainiers (Triple A | Seattle Mariners)
- Currently ranked as the No. 20 prospect in the Seattle Mariners organization
- In 29 games so far this season for the Rainiers, Miller is batting .327 with a home run, 15 RBI, 18 runs scored, two doubles, and eight stolen bases.
- Over his last ten contests, Miller is batting .371 (13-for-35) with nine runs scored, three RBI and four stolen bases.
- Miller has a hit in his last five games, which included a 2-for-4 stint with two runs scored against the El Paso Chiihuahuas (Triple A affiliate of the San Diego Padres) as Tacoma was victorious, 8-5, on the road on May 9.
- He connected on his first home run of the season back on April 23 against the Sacramento River Rats (San Francisco Giants Triple A affiliate).
- Miller led off the third inning with a solo shot to right field, giving Tacoma a 3-0 lead before the Rainiers went on to win, 4-1.
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- On May 1st at home against the Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado Rockies Triple A affiliate), Miller made a spectacular catch, traveling a far distance in doing so.
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Nick Dini – Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Double A | Kansas City Royals)
- Dini was assigned to Northwest Arkansas Naturals from the Omaha Storm Chasers (Triple A) on April 26.
- In 14 games at the Triple A level, Dini batted .333 (13-for-39), with three home runs and six RBIs while slugging .667 and posting an OPS of 1.017.
- This is Dini's second stint with the Naturals, as he appeared in 64 games with the squad last season, batting .310 with two home runs, 25 RBI and an OPS of .761.
Nolan Long – Tulsa Drillers (Double A | Los Angeles Dodgers)
- Long was called up to Double A on April 24 from the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- The 6-10 right-hander appeared in six games for the Quakes, going 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA and picking up a save in 14.2 innings of work.
- The former 2015 All-NEC First Teamer struck out 20 batters while walking just eight men and limiting the opposition to a .146 batting average.
- He made his Drillers debut on April 28, relieving Dennis Santana in the bottom of the sixth inning in Tulsa's 6-2 defeat at Northwest Arkansas. Long walked the first man he faced. He got Elier Hernandez to ground into a force out before striking out Anderson Miller, his first punchout at the Double A level. He ended the frame getting Alex Liddi to fly out to center.
- In the bottom of the seventh, Long fanned Donnie Dewees before retiring Jecksson Flores on a ground out to third. Long gave up a single to Nicky Lopez before ending the frame on his third induced ground out.
- It would have been a Wagner reunion of sorts as Nick Dini was leading off the bottom of the eighth for the Naturals, but, Long was replaced by Michael Johnson.
- In three appearances so far for Tulsa, Long has pitched 5.2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, three walks while striking out ten in holding opponents to a .053 batting average.
- In the May 5 outing against the Springfield Cardinals (Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals), Long worked 2.2 perfect frames, not allowing a walk while striking out five batters,
Ben Ruta – Trenton Thunder (Double A | New York Yankees
- Ruta has excelled for the Trenton Thunder in the early part of the 2018 season.
- In 24 games, the West Windsor, NJ native is batting .346 (28-for-81) while scoring 11 runs, connecting on six doubles, one triple, and driving in seven RBIs.
- Ruta is also 8-for-10 in stolen base opportunities.
- His splits of .393/.444/.838 are all current career-bests.
- Over his last ten games for Trenton, Ruta is hitting close to .300 with five runs scored, four RBIs.
- Ruta has a modest five-game hitting streak, after going 1-for-3 at home against the Reading Fightin Phils (Double-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies)
- Ruta doubled to center field, which scored the game's first run as Mandy Alvarez came around to score. .
- Ruta has been chronicle in several online stories:
