Baseball at Villanova This Weekend
4/26/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 19 - 21, 2013
SETON HALL (23-16, 7-5) at
VILLANOVA (11-29, 2-10)
Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth
Plymouth Meeting, Pa.
Game 40: Fri., April 26 – 3:15 p.m. ET
Jon Prosinski - R (SHU) vs. Stephen Ostapeck - R (VU)
Live Video Stream: CLICK HERE
Live Stats: CLICK HERE
Game 41: Sat., April 27 – 1:15 p.m. ET
Jose Lopez – R (SHU) vs. Pat Young - R (VU)
Live Video Stream: CLICK HERE
Live Stats: CLICK HERE
Game 42: Sun., April 28 – 12:15 p.m. ET
Greg Terhune – L (SHU) vs. Josh Harris - L (VU)
Live Video Stream: CLICK HERE
Live Stats: CLICK HERE
SETON HALL STATUS
Last weekend, Seton Hall won a series vs. Georgetown, two-games-to-one. The series win is the fourth straight for the Pirates and improves their BIG EAST record to 7-5. On Friday, Jon Prosinski threw his third complete game of the season with nine innings of two-run baseball in a 9-2 Seton Hall victory. Four Pirates had two hits apiece. Starter Jose Lopez earned his first victory of the season on Saturday with seven innings of two-run baseball in Seton Hall’s 11-4 victory. Giuseppe Papaccio had a monster game, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a career-high five RBIs. Due in part to this performance, Papaccio was named to the BIG EAST’s Weekly Honor Roll on Monday. Scott Kalamar went 2-for-3 with three RBIs for Georgetown on Saturday. On Sunday, starter Greg Terhune pitched well, but the Pirates lost 2-0, snapping a four-game win streak. Zack Weigel had two hits for Seton Hall and Brian Gilbert pitched 3.2 scoreless innings in relief. In a pair of mid-week victories, the Pirates offense erupted for a combined 27 runs. SHU won at Monmouth, 10-1, thanks in part to seven innings of one-run pitching from Josh Prevost. In a 17-7 win over Lehigh, SHU tallied a season-high 21 hits.
SETON HALL - VILLANOVA SERIES
This weekend the Pirates will face one of their oldest rivals, Villanova, for the 113th, 114th, and 115th times. Seton Hall has dominated the all-time series, winning 71 of the 112 games. Last season, the Pirates lost two of three games at Owen T. Carroll Field. In the Friday matchup, Jon Prosinski went eight innings, while striking out 10 Wildcats in Seton Hall’s 8-2 victory. On Saturday however, Villanova won both games of a double-header, 7-4 in 12 innings in game one, and 12-5 in game two. Seton Hall won two of three games in the teams’ last meetings in Pennsylvania in 2011.
PIRATES DOWN HOYAS
In a crucial weekend BIG EAST series, Seton Hall won two of three games vs. Georgetown. The Pirates have now won their last four weekend series. The Seton Hall offense exploded for nine runs on Friday and 11 runs on Saturday in the Pirates’ two victories.
PAPACCIO HONORED
Senior Giuseppe Papaccio was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll this week. The shortstop batted .563 (9-for-16) with seven RBIs over the four games last week. Most notably was his performance vs. Georgetown on Saturday. Papaccio went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a career-high five RBIs in Seton Hall’s 11-4 victory.
RUNNING INTO RECORD BOOKS
Seton Hall has 98 bases stolen already this year, which is the highest single-season mark since stealing 112 bases in 2000. The Pirates still have 13 regular season games left to play.
PAPACCIO STREAKING
Senior Giuseppe Papaccio has now hit safely in 10 straight games. He’s batting .476 (20-for-42) during that stretch. Mike Genovese had the longest streak of any Pirate this season. His 14-game streak was snapped at Monmouth.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Having already set two career records, senior Jon Prosinski is on the cusp of setting two more. The ace is needs four more victories to tie the career wins leader and just 26 strikeouts to pass Jason Grilli for the all-time lead in that category.
SEEING DOUBLE
Senior Giuseppe Papaccio currently leads the BIG EAST with 18 doubles. He is four shy of breaking Seton Hall’s career record for doubles. Tim Pahuta is the all-time leader with 53. The Pirates’ single-season record for doubles is 24 set by David Kim in 1997. Sophomore Tyler Boyd collected three doubles vs. Lehigh, the most by a Pirate in a single game this season.
PIRATES TAME #24 COUGARS
Seton Hall took advantage of its BIG EAST bye weekend, winning a series at #24 Houston. The Pirates sandwiched a pair of offensive explosions around a Houston shutout. Seton Hall outscored Houston, 26-6, in the three-game series.
GRANITE, PROSINSKI HONORED
Junior Zack Granite was named BIG EAST Player of the Week, while Jon Prosinski was added to the Weekly Honor Roll for the fourth time this season on April 15. Granite batted .444 with eight runs scored, five RBIs and six steals in a 3-1 week for Seton Hall. Prosinski improved to 5-2 with eight innings of one-run baseball on 4/12 with nine K’s and no walks.
TOOK A LICKING AND KEPT ON TICKING
Making Jon Prosinski’s eight-inning, one-run performance at #24 Houston even more impressive is the fact that he was hit in the face on a come-backer in the third inning. A batted ball took one hop and hit the senior in the jaw. The game was halted as medical personnel cared for Prosinski, but to the surprise of many, the ace stayed in the game and kept Houston off the scoreboard for an additional 4.2 innings.
GOING YARD
Senior Giuseppe Papaccio hit a towering home run at Houston on April 14 as part of a 15-run, 18-hit barrage. The dinger was Papaccio’s first of the season and sixth of his career. The home run was the seventh for the Pirates as a team this year and first since March 20.
SOLID AS A ROCK
Zack Granite had an all-time great game at Houston on April 14. The junior leadoff hitter reached base five times, going 4-for-6 with three runs scored, three RBIs, a walk, a double and a stolen base.
VISITING BIGGIO
A native of Houston, Texas, Craig Biggio came to all three games that Seton Hall faced the Univ. of Houston. Prior to each game, he spent time watching batting practice and conversing in the Pirates’ dugout. Prior to the series’ rubber game, the Seton Hall and future MLB Hall of Famer addressed the team in its locker room.
PIRATES SADDLE RU WITH FIRST SERIES LOSS
Rutgers entered its series with Seton Hall having swept Villanova and taken two of three at Louisville, but the Pirates pinned them with their first series loss. Seton Hall defeated Rutgers, 15-1, on Friday and, 5-3, on Sunday, sandwiched around a 7-5 loss on Saturday. The Pirates enter their BIG EAST bye week with a 5-4 conference record.
RECORD BREAKER
In the Pirates’ 15-1 victory at Rutgers, starting pitcher Jon Prosinski broke two Seton Hall career records. The start was the 50th of his career, surpassing the prior record of 49, and by throwing a complete game, Prosinski set the all-time innings pitched record.
NEAR NO-HITTER
On April 7, starting pitcher Greg Terhune flirted with a no-hitter. The 6-foot-5 left-hander kept Rutgers hitless for 7.1 innings before losing the bid and the shutout. Terhune earned the victory with 7.1 innings pitched, just one run on one hit, and struck out four.
BREAKING OUT THE BATS
Seton Hall’s offense broke out in a huge way vs. Rutgers on April 5. The Pirates exploded for 15 runs on a season-high 20 hits. The 20-hit barrage is the most since belting 21 vs. Georgetown on March 15, 2008. Zack Granite, Giuseppe Papaccio, Sal Annunziata and John Beaubien all had three hits.
WALK THIS WAY
In Seton Hall’s victory at Wagner on April 10, Seahawks pitchers walked a season-high 15 Pirate batters. It’s the most walks for Seton Hall in a game since walking 19 times vs. Saint Peter’s on March 18, 1999. Zack Granite and John Beaubien walked four times each.
SETON HALL TAMES HUSKIES
The Pirates won their first BIG EAST series of the season winning two of three games against Connecticut over the Easter break. Starters Jon Prosinski and Josh Prevost combined to pitch 14 innings and give up just one earned run in a double-header sweep on April 28. Seton Hall is now 3-3 in conference play.
PREVOST’S HONOR ROLL
Josh Prevost received the first BIG EAST honor of his career by being named to the Weekly Honor Roll on April 1. Prevost pitched 7.1 innings of scoreless baseball and gave up just three hits vs. UConn on March 28.
MID-WEEK MASTERS
With a pair of victories last week, the Pirates improved to 8-1 against mid-week opponents. The Pirates have averaged 8.8 runs in mid-week games, but have allowed an average of only 2.4 runs.
PIRATES OPEN BIG EAST PLAY
Last weekend, Seton Hall opened BIG EAST play with a three-game set at #15 Notre Dame. The Pirates lost two out of three very close games. The run differential for the series was Notre Dame +1, as all three were decided by just one run. Seton Hall’s 4-3 victory on Friday was their first victory over a ranked team since defeating #19 Louisville on April 15, 2012.
OFFENSE ERUPTS
Seton Hall went 4-1 over the four games of the Strike Out Cancer Tournament and Wednesday’s game vs. Saint Peter’s. In the Pirates’ lone loss, they scored just one run on six hits, but in their four victories, they averaged more than 11 runs and 12 hits per game. The Hall’s team batting average went from .249 before the weekend to .269 after Wednesday (3/20).
TOURNAMENT MVP
Junior Zack Granite turned in a career weekend at the Strike Out Cancer Tournament. The speedy leadoff hitter batted a tournament-high .556 with eight stolen bases. He also led all competitors with 14 total bases, 10 hits, eight runs scored and two triples. For his efforts, Granite was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament, NJCBA Division I Player of the Week and earned BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll recognition.
NEW SCOREBOARD AT OWEN T. CARROLL FIELD
A new, state-of-the-art scoreboard, equipped with cutting edge graphic and video capabilities, has been installed for Seton Hall baseball home games this spring. The scoreboard will improve the fans’ viewing experience and is wired to supplement the enhanced coverage offered on the Pirate Sports Network.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Seton Hall placed four players on the 2013 Strike Out Cancer All-Tournament Team. Zack Granite was named Most Valuable Player, and joining him on the team were Jon Prosinski, Giuseppe Papaccio and Chris Selden. Manhattan had three members of the team and UMass added one.
SPEED FREAKS
Seton Hall stole a season-high 12 bases in its victory over UMass on March 17, five of which occurred in the first inning. The Pirates currently rank second in the BIG EAST with 98 steals. Zack Granite is second in the BIG EAST among individuals with 28 steals.
BOMBS AWAY
Sophomore Sal Annunziata has reintroduced the long ball to Owen T. Carroll Field. The burly first baseman hit a grand slam in Seton Hall’s 9-0 victory over UMass on Friday, and added solo shots vs. the Minutemen on Sunday and Saint Peter’s on Wednesday. He now has a team-best four home runs on the season. It already matches the single-season high for home runs in a season since Chris Affinito hit nine home runs in 2009.
NEW BIG EAST
On March 20, the new BIG EAST Conference was unveiled with 10 teams and Fox as the new media rights partner. The 2014 BIG EAST baseball conference will feature seven teams, Butler, Creighton, Georgetown, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Villanova and Xavier.
PIRATES GET OUT BROOMS
Needing a win after nine straight losses to start the season, Seton Hall swept Pepperdine in Malibu. The Pirates received strong pitching on all three days, including a complete game performance by Jon Prosinski on Friday. Seton Hall gave up just six runs over the three-game series, while scoring 18 runs.
PROSINSKI GETS HONORS
Junior Jon Prosinski threw a complete game vs. Pepperdine, leading the Pirates to their first victory of the season. For his efforts, Prosinski was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for the second time this season. He also earned a spot on CB360 Primetime Performers Weekly Honor Roll.
TWO OUT OF THREE
Seton Hall nearly swept the New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association (NJCBA) Weekly Awards last week. Jon Prosinski was named NJCBA Division I Pitcher of the Week, while freshman Sam Burum earned NJCBA Division I Rookie of the Week honors. Steve Zavala of Rutgers was named Player of the Week.
BIG STREAK
Senior Scott Kalamar reached base safely in each of the team’s first 18 games.
STRIKE OUT CANCER TOURNAMENT
March 15-17 will mark the fifth annual Strike Out Cancer Tournament hosted by Seton Hall. Each season, the Pirates have hosted the tournament to raise funds through donations and merchandise sales to support cancer awareness and research.
UP TO THEIR OLD TRICKS
True to their “small ball” style, Seton Hall has recorded 40 sacrifice bunts to start the season, which again leads the BIG EAST Conference. Last season, the Pirates led the conference, and Mike Genovese led the BIG EAST among individuals.
HEAVY D
Seton Hall has been one of the best defensive teams thus far this season. The Pirates lead the BIG EAST in fewest errors (32) and fielding percentage (.978).
PROSINSKI’S HONOR ROLL
Senior Jon Prosinski was named to the BIG EAST’s first Honor Roll following his masterful performance vs. #1 North Carolina on Feb. 15. The right-hander threw seven innings and gave up just one run, while scattering three hits.
TANGLING WITH TAR HEELS
The Pirates opened the 2013 season with a weather-abbreviated series at #1 North Carolina. Seton Hall lost a pitchers’ duel on Friday, Feb. 15, losing 1-0, after Pirates’ pitchers scattered just four hits. Seton Hall had the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position in the ninth inning, but couldn’t push the runs across. UNC starter Kent Emanuel pitched a complete-game shutout. Saturday’s game was rained out. Seton Hall lost Sunday’s game, 17-2.
KALAMAR CRUSHES
Senior Scott Kalamar was the offensive star for the Pirates in their opening weekend vs. #1 North Carolina. The Bethlehem, Pa. native garnered one of the Pirates’ four hits on Friday and reached base four times on Sunday. Kalamar also crushed his second career home run in the loss.
CUNDARI HONORED
Seton Hall baseball associate head coach Phil Cundari was celebrated by the New Jersey Sportswriters Association for his “Distinguished Service to College Baseball” and was honored at the organization’s 77th Anniversary Banquet on January 20. Cundari has been instrumental in developing what is annually one of the strongest pitching staffs in the BIG EAST Conference.
PROSINSKI NETS PRESEASON HONOR
Senior Jon Prosinski was named Preseason BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year. A First Team All-BIG EAST selection last season, Prosinski went 9-3 with a 3.52 ERA and did not allow a home run in 94.2 innings of work. An All-NJCBA pick, he was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll four times and earned NJCBA Pitcher of the Week honors on April 16. The right-hander pitched back-to-back complete-game shutouts against Fordham and Rutgers respectively. Prosinski led the conference with a 1.91 ERA in 2011, while helping lead the Pirates to the BIG EAST Championship.
PIRATES PICKED SIXTH
The Seton Hall baseball team was picked to finish sixth in the 11-team BIG EAST Conference by the 2013 Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Louisville is expected to win the conference this year and garnered eight first place votes. St. John’s was second, and received three first place votes. Notre Dame, Connecticut and USF round out the teams above the Pirates in the standings.
PIRATES TEAM WITH ST. BALDRICKS
For the first time, Seton Hall Athletics partnered with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to encourage people to voluntarily have their head shaved to recognize children suffering from pediatric cancer. Each member of the baseball team had their heads shaved in an effort to raise money for research and childhood cancer awareness. St. Baldrick’s “BaseBald” campaign encourages baseball teams specifically to have their heads shaved in solidarity with childhood cancer patients.
FOR A TEAMMATE
For the fourth straight season, the Pirates baseball team will honor David Bachner, a 2009 in-coming freshman who passed away on August 11, 2009, by hanging a t-shirt with his name and high school number in the dugout each game.
DUNCAN A PIRATE AGAIN
Eric Duncan, former minor leaguer and Seton Hall Prep standout, is the Pirates’ new volunteer assistant coach for 2013. The talented Duncan recently wrapped up a 10-year professional baseball career, but it was his performance at nearby Seton Hall Prep that put him on the local scene. Duncan attended Seton Hall Prep from 2000-03 where he was a four-year letterman on the baseball team. He was a part of two state championship teams and county titles, in 2001 and 2003, as well as three conference championships (2000, 2001, 2003).
STRIKE OUT CANCER
March 15-17 marked the fifth annual Strike Out Cancer Tournament hosted by Seton Hall. Each season, the Pirates have hosted the tournament to raise funds through donations and merchandise sales to support cancer awareness and research.
PIRATES WELCOME 10
The Pirates will welcome 10 new members to the team this season. Sam Burum, Luke Cahill, Chris Chiaradio, Brett Fontenelli, Derek Jenkins, Steven Lombardi, Adnan Pjetrovic, Blaise Scerbo, Nate Vahedi and Zack Weigel will all don Seton Hall uniforms for the first time this spring. All are true freshmen.
