Baseball To Close Out Regular Season At #20/19 Connecticut
5/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Game Notes (pdf)
SETON HALL STATUS
The Pirates take their 2-7 BIG EAST Conference road record to Storrs for their final regular-season series of the 2010 season. Led by Michael Rogers and his conference-hitting .337 batting average, the Pirates will look to avenge the loss of last year's series to Connecticut at Owen T. Carroll Field. Despite being rained out on Tuesday, the Pirates enter the weekend on a high note having defeated in-state rival Rutgers, 5-4, on a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth Sunday afternoon.
CONNECTICUT STATUS
Connecticut enters the weekend with a BIG EAST Conference regular-season championship on the line. Standing at 18-5, they begin the weekend in first place, a standing they have occupied for the last five weeks, only a half game better than Louisville. Led by Mike Nemeth who ranks fifth in the conference with a .392 batting average and Elliot Glynn's conference-leading 2.30 ERA they begin the series with a national ranking of 20/19.
Game 48: at #20/19 Connecticut - Thursday, May 20 - 1:00 p.m. - J.O. Christian Field
Game 49: at #20/19 Connecticut - Friday, May 21 - 1:00 p.m. - J.O. Christian Field
Game 50: at #20/19 Connecticut - Saturday, May 22 - Noon - J.O. Christian Field
CAME OUT OF LEFT FIELD
Since entering the lineup on a regular basis on Saturday, April 24, Bobby Abreu has batted .467 with 21 hits including two triples, five walks, and two stolen bases. The fourth-year junior has reached base safely in all 12 games, picking up hits in 11. While playing left field, he has recorded 25 putouts and one assist.
CAUGHT LOOKING
The series this weekend features four of the eight top ranked pitchers in the conference in called third strikes. Seton Hall's Joe DiRocco and Jon Prosinski are fifth and sixth with 25 and 24, respectively, while Connecticut's Matt Barnes in second with 28 and Greg Nappo is third with 27.
TWO FOR TWO
Shortstop A.J. Rusbarsky recorded his record breaking 490th career assist in game two of the doubleheader on Saturday, May 8 against Pittsburgh and broke the single-season assist record on Saturday, May 15 against Rutgers. He set the new standards by passing Mike Moriarty's mark of 489 career assists set between 1993-95, and former teammate Mark Pappas' number of 177 single-season assists in 2008.
CURRENT SINGLE-SEASON RECORD WATCH
- Matt Singer has 26 appearances, just three shy of tying Jamie Fischer's and his own mark of 29. All his appearances are relief appearances which have him only three shy of second place in that category , again behind Jamie Fischer and himself.
- Joe DiRocco's next start will be his 14th this season tying his mark from last year and placing him in a four-way tie for fourth place.
- A.J. Rusbarsky is one double shy of a six-way tie for 10th place
- Will Walsh is one triple shy of a six-way tie for 10th place.
CURRENT CAREER-RECORD WATCH
- Matt Singer enters the weekend with 82 total appearances which is two shy of tying Isaac Pavlik for first all-time. Pavlik pitched for the Pirates from 1999-2002 and has held the mark since his final campaign.
- Singer also has nine career saves which has him tied for fifth with Larry Schwartz, only one behind Chris Noonan for fourth, and two behind Pat Pacillo for third.
- Michael Rogers is one triple shy of moving into a two-way tie for ninth place all-time with nine career triples. He is currently in a 10-way tie with eight triples, but has his sights set on tying Mike Rota who played for the Pirates from 1974-77.
SOUNDING LIKE A BROKEN RECORD
On Friday, May 7, Matt Singer set a new Seton Hall record with his 80th career relief appearance. He tossed one perfect inning striking out one Pittsburgh batter.
FONTENELLI EARNS COLLEGEBASEBALL360.COM HONOR ROLL
Red-shirt senior Chris Fontenelli batted .364 with three runs scored and one RBI at the plate in addition to his eight assists and three putouts at second base at #13/13 Louisville during the weekend of April 23-25 to earn Collegebaseball360.com's Primetime Performer Weekly Honor Roll honors.
ROGERS TAKES HOME SENIOR MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
On Thursday, May 6, Michael Rogers was awarded the Seton Hall Senior Male Athlete of the Year honor during the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) Banquet. It was the first honor Rogers received at the Hall, but the second in as many years for a baseball senior as Matt Smedberg took home the same award in 2009.
SETON HALL AWARDS
Since 2008, five Seton Hall baseball players have earned SAAC Banquet awards. Chris Spagnuolo (Sophomore Male Athlete of the Year in 2008), Corey Young (Co-Junior Male Athlete of the Year in 2008), Sean Black (Junior Male Athlete of the Year in 2009), Matt Smedberg (Senior Male Athlete of the Year in 2009), and Michael Rogers (Senior Male Athlete of the Year in 2010).
ON DECK:
After this weekend, the Pirates will have completed their 2010 regular-season schedule.
"HALL" OF A COACHING STAFF:
On February 4, 2010, Pirates pitching coach Phil Cundari became the fifth Seton Hall baseball coach to be inducted into the Seton Hall University Hall of Fame. It started with Owen T. Carroll who was inducted in 1973 after 25 seasons as a head coach, followed by Albert Mamaux, Mike Sheppard, Sr., and Charles Doehler. Cundari was a Pirates pitcher for Mike Sheppard's Pirates from 1983 through 1985 and was drafted by the Oakland Athletics following his final season. Today, Cundari is entering his 11th season as the Hall's pitching coach in which he has coached 16 players who have moved on to pitch professionally. Mike Sheppard is currently the head coach emeritus after 31 successful seasons at the helm totaling a record of 998-540-11.
PLAYING WITH HEAVY HEARTS:
This season the Pirates will be playing in honor of a fallen teammate and incoming freshman, David Bachner, who passed away on August 14, 2009. In his honor, the Hall will wear a "DB" patch on their 2010 jerseys.
STRIKE OUT CANCER:
For the second straight year, Seton Hall has teamed up with the American Cancer Society to host the Rawlings Strike Out Cancer Tournament. In 2010, the Pirates hosted two weekends, including a rain-shortened first weekend, and raised over $2,500 in donations and merchandise sales for the ACS. Fans can still donate until the end of the regular-season by visiting www.shupirates.com.
FRIENDS OF JACLYN:
On Saturday, December 12, 2009, the Seton Hall Baseball Team welcomed Connor Mackay to their squad through the "Friends of Jaclyn" Organization at the men's basketball game against VMI. "Friends of Jaclyn" is a non-profit organization that connects children struggling with brain tumors with an NCAA team. Throughout the year, the team provides support and encouragement to the child and their family.
SETON HALL RETURNS TO BIG TEN/BIG EAST CHALLENGE
For the second straight year, Seton Hall will join the BIG EAST Conference and the Big 10 on February 26-28 in St. Petersburg, Fla. for the Big 10/BIG EAST Challenge. Similar to 2009, the challenge will feature 30 games in three days. All games will be played in either St. Petersburg at the Raymond A. Naimoli Complex, the former spring training practice facility of the Tampa Bay Rays, and Al Lang Stadium, the former spring training game site of the Rays, or in Clearwater at Jack Russell Stadium, the former spring home of the Philadelphia Phillies.
BIG EAST RETURNS TO CLEARWATER FOR 2010 AND 2011 TOURNAMENT
The BIG EAST Conference will continue to play their baseball tournament at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Fla. through the 2011 season. Home of the tournament for three of the past four seasons (2006, 2008, and 2009), Bright House Field is also the spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies as well as their Florida State League affiliate Clearwater Threshers since the facility opened in 2004. Seating capacity of the $25 million facility is 8,500. Outfield dimensions measure 329 feet down the left field line, 408 feet to center, and 330 down the right field line. In addition to the tournament, Bright House Field will also host the tournament's annual opening ceremonies and the BIG EAST Home Run Derby.
PRESEASON BIG EAST PREDICTIONS
Seton Hall received 32 points by the BIG EAST head coaches to finish 10th in the conference preseason polls for the 2010 season. The Louisville Cardinals received nine first place votes to be tabbed the favorites to win the conference championship this season following the 2009 campaign where they swept the regular season and conference championships. Junior shortstop from West Virginia Jedd Gyorko earned the preseason conference Player of the Year award, while USF's junior right-hander Randy Fontenez was named the preseason Pitcher of the Year.
