Baseball Heads to #22 Arizona This Weekend
2/26/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 26, 2014
Seton Hall Weekend Notes 
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Game 7: Friday, February 28 - 8:00 p.m. ET
SETON HALL 9, #22 ARIZONA 1 (F)
BOX SCORE (.pdf) / BOX SCORE (.html) / PHOTO GALLERY / RECAP
Game 8: Saturday, March 1 - 4:00 p.m. ET
SETON HALL 4, #22 ARIZONA 2 (F)
BOX SCORE (.pdf) / BOX SCORE (.html) / RECAP
Game 9: Sunday, March 2 - 2:00 p.m. ET
SETON HALL 11, #22 ARIZONA 2 (F)
BOX SCORE (.pdf) / BOX SCORE (.html) / PHOTO GALLERY / RECAP
SETON HALL STATUS
After losing two of its first three games of the season at the University of Oklahoma, Seton Hall bounced back in a huge way last weekend. The Pirates swept the University of Richmond in convincing fashion, outscoring the Spiders, 30-6, in the three-game series. The series was delayed a day due to poor field conditions, and a double-header was played on Sunday. In the opener on Saturday, Josh Prevost pitched his first career complete game in Seton Hall's 8-2 victory. Prevost only allowed a two-run home run, while striking out a career-high eight batters. In game one of Sunday's double-header, Seton Hall's bats broke out for 16 runs and 15 hits in a 16-2 bludgeoning of Richmond. Starter Anthony Elia gave up only one unearned run in six innings. Sal Annunziata went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, three doubles and four runs scored. In the nightcap, four Seton Hall pitchers combined to again hold Richmond to two runs in a 6-2, eight inning game. The game was shortened due to darkness. Luke Cahill turned in 4.1 innings of two-hit, shutout relief to earn the victory. Wednesday's scheduled game with Lehigh was postponed due to snow on the field.
SETON HALL - ARIZONA SERIES
Seton Hall and Arizona will meet for a three-game series for only the second time in history and the first time since 1986. Seton Hall is just 1-4 all-time against the Wildcats. Most recently, the teams met twice in the 2011 NCAA College Station Regional. Jon Prosinski opened the tournament with a complete-game shutout of Arizona in a 4-0 Seton Hall victory. The Wildcats however, got their revenge, ousting the Pirates from the tournament just two days later with a 6-0 victory.
THE EXTERMINATORS
Seton Hall squashed the Spiders in a three-game sweep, holding Richmond's offense to just two runs in each game. The Pirates won on Saturday, 8-2, behind Josh Prevost's first career complete game. The bats broke out in a 16-2 victory in the first game of Sunday's double-header and Seton Hall held on for a 6-2, eight-inning, win in the nightcap. The all-time series is now even at six wins apiece.
STRONG START
With Seton Hall's sweep of Richmond, the Pirates have improved their record to 4-2. It's the program's best start to a season through six games in 26 years. The 1988 team won four of its first six games and went on to finish the season with a record of 39-16.
ANNUNZIATA, PREVOST HONORED
Junior Sal Annunziata was named BIG EAST Baseball Player of the Week on Feb. 24. Teammate Josh Prevost was added to the conference's Weekly Honor Roll. Annunziata batted .538 in the series with a team-best six RBIs, 12 total bases, five doubles and a .923 slugging percentage. Prevost threw his first career complete game in Seton Hall's 8-2 series-opening victory. He made just one significant error, allowing a fourth inning two-run home run which accounted for all of the Spiders' scoring. Prevost also struck out a career-high eight batters and walked only one.
ROGUE MOGUES
Mikael-Ali Mogues flashed his power potential in Seton Hall's 16-2 victory at Richmond on Feb. 23. The freshman crushed his first career home run and picked up his first career run scored and RBI. He was a defensive replacement at first base after the game had gotten out of hand.
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
Seton Hall erupted for 16 runs and 15 hits in a 16-2 victory at Richmond on Feb. 23. Every Pirate starter recorded at least one hit and 15 position players saw action in the game. Sal Annunziata had a monster game, going 3-for-4 with four runs scored, three RBIs and a career-high three doubles. Freshman Mike Caputo also had a three-RBI day. For the series, Seton Hall out-scored Richmond, 30-to-6.
BALANCED OFFENSE
In Seton Hall's 8-2 victory at Richmond on Feb. 22, eight of its nine starters recorded an RBI. Kyle Grimm would have made it all nine starters recording an RBI if Zack Weigel wasn't thrown out at the plate on his double in the third inning.
ENOUGH SNOW ALREADY!
Seton Hall's home opener against Lehigh, originally scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 26, has been postponed due to inclement weather and a significant accumulation of snow on the field from prior storms. Next week's mid-week game at Rutgers is also in question for the same reasons.
THE CATALYST
Sophomore Zack Weigel has embraced his new role as Seton Hall's leadoff hitter. After going hitless at Oklahoma, he reached base 11 times in three games at Richmond. Weigel batted .600 in the series and with four walks and an HBP, he recorded a staggering .733 on-base percentage.
HITTING STREAK
Junior D.J. Ruhlman is the lone Pirate to have hit safely in all six games so far this season. The Pirates' starting shortstop is batting .318 on the season and leads the team with three stolen bases.
PIRATES TAKE ONE IN NORMAN
Seton Hall won one of three games in their season-opening series at the University of Oklahoma. The Pirates defeated the 28th-ranked Sooners, 7-5, on Feb. 14, before falling on Feb. 15 and 16.
BIG EAST BEST
Senior Josh Prevost was named BIG EAST Baseball Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 17. Teammate Dillon Hamlin was added to the conference's Weekly Honor Roll. Prevost receives the honor for the first time in his career. Prevost held 28th-ranked Oklahoma to just one earned run on five hits in Seton Hall's 7-5 opening day victory. Hamlin batted .556 in two games this weekend. On Friday, he recorded a career-high four hits (4-for-5), including his second career home run. The sixth inning blast broke a 4-4 tie and Seton Hall never trailed again.
A GRIMM REALITY
Junior Kyle Grimm had a strong weekend at Oklahoma. He is currently tied for the BIG EAST lead with four RBIs. Grimm went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored in Sunday's loss and has recorded at least one hit and one RBI in all three games.
FRESHMAN FIREPOWER
Freshman Mike Caputo has started at second base in each of the season's first three games. Offensively, he's batting .444 with three RBIs. In Seton Hall's opening day win at Oklahoma, Caputo went 4-for-5.
OFF AND RUNNING
Seton Hall is again leading the BIG EAST in steals. The Pirates stole nine bases through the season's first three games and has yet to be caught. In Seton Hall's victory at Oklahoma on Feb. 14, it stole six bases.
NEW BIG EAST
On March 20, the new BIG EAST Conference was unveiled with 10 schools 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.
TRIO NET PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE
Junior Sal Annunziata and seniors Josh Prevost and Chris Selden were all named to the 2014 Preseason All-Conference Team. Prevost was a unanimous selection. Creighton nabbed both the Preseason Player of the Year, Mike Gerber, and the Preseason Pitcher of the Year, Tommy Strunc. The Bluejays also landed four players on the Preseason All-Conference Team.
PIRATES PICKED SECOND
The Seton Hall baseball team was picked to finish second, by only one point, among the seven teams of the BIG EAST Conference in the 2014 Preseason Coaches' Poll. The ranking and all-conference selections were made by a vote of the seven BIG EAST coaches. Creighton, Seton Hall and St. John's were the only schools to receive first-place votes. St. John's received the most first-place votes (three), despite placing third in the overall poll. Creighton and Seton Hall received two first-place votes apiece.
FIRST PITCH DINNER
On Thursday, January 30, the Seton Hall baseball team in conjunction with the Pirate Blue Athletic Fund hosted its first annual First Pitch Dinner at Maplewood Country Club. The event was a celebration of Seton Hall baseball past and present as several former Pirates spanning multiple decades attended the season-opening gala. Among those in attendance were two members of the 1964 College World Series Seton Hall baseball team, John Monteleone and John Sielski. Former Pirate All-American John Morris was the featured speaker.
PIRATES WELCOME 10
Seton Hall announced the addition of 15 newcomers to the team for the 2014 season. The Pirates will welcome Mike Caputo, Joseph DiBenedetto, Brett Ender, Matthew Fortin, Thomas Kelleher, Jackson Martin, Mikael-Ali Mogues, Anthony Pacillo, Joseph Poduslenko, Zachary Prendergast, Anthony Scafidi, Eric Spires, Ryan Testani, Greg Tripold and Nelson Valerio to the squad for the new year.
CBS SPORTS NETWORK BROADCASTS
CBS Sports Network has agreed to air at least four baseball games involving BIG EAST schools in 2014, two of which will feature Seton Hall. The lineup begins on Wednesday, April 23 when Creighton hosts Iowa at 7:30 p.m. The Bluejays will be home for another non-conference foe on CBS Sports Network on Tuesday, April 29 when Nebraska comes to Omaha for a 7:30 p.m. start. The first of two BIG EAST baseball showdowns will air on Friday, May 2 when Creighton entertains Seton Hall to open a three-game series at 7:30 p.m. CBS Sports Network will have the Pirates again when they are home for St. John's for the opener of a three-game set on Thursday, May 15 at 6:30 p.m.
