Players Mentioned
Baseball Hosts Xavier Friday & Saturday
5/9/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 8, 2014
SETON HALL WEEKEND NOTES 
/ XAVIER WEEKEND NOTES
Game 45: Friday, May 9 - 6:00 p.m. ET
Scott Klever - R (XU) vs. Josh Prevost - R (SHU)
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Game 46: Saturday, May 10 - 1:00 p.m. ET
Vinny Nittoli - R (XU) vs. Anthony Pacillo - L (SHU)
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Game 47: Saturday, May 10 - TBD
Adam Hall - R (XU) vs. Luke Cahill - R (SHU)
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SETON HALL STATUS
Seton Hall lost its first BIG EAST series of the season when it dropped two of three games at Creighton last weekend. The weekend got started on the right foot when Josh Prevost won a battle of aces over the Bluejays' Matt Warren. Prevost threw his fifth complete game of the season as the Pirates defeated Creighton, 8-2. Kyle Grimm went 3-for-4 to lead Seton Hall's offense. On Saturday, Seton Hall rallied to tie the game in the sixth inning, but ultimately fell in 10 innings, 4-3. In the loss, Joe DiBenedetto pitched 3.1 scoreless innings of relief. Derek Jenkins and D.J. Ruhlman had two hits apiece. On Sunday, the Pirates fell again in extra innings. Seton Hall led 5-3, and 7-5, but lost in 10 innings, 8-7. The Pirates scored two runs in the top of the 10th inning, only to have the Bluejays score three runs in the bottom of the frame. Sal Annunziata had a monster game offensively, going 4-for-4 with a walk, three runs scored, two RBIs and his fifth home run of the season. Josh Prevost was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week for the sixth time this season on Monday.
SETON HALL - XAVIER SERIES
This weekend, Seton Hall and Xavier two new BIG EAST rivals will meet for the first time. The teams will play a game at 6:00 p.m. on Friday and a double-header beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. The series is crucial for potential BIG EAST Championship seedings. The teams are currently tied for third in the conference at 7-5. Only the top four teams in the league gain entrance to the championship tournament in Brooklyn. Butler is currently in fifth place, three games behind the Pirates and Musketeers, but hold the tie-breakers over both teams. Seton Hall and Xavier are three games behind Creighton and St. John's for the conference lead.
PIRATES DROP SERIES AT CREIGHTON
After winning the opener in convincing fashion, the Pirates dropped the final two games of their series at Creighton in extra innings. On Friday, Seton Hall won, 8-2, as Josh Prevost won a battle of aces. On Saturday, the Pirates fell, 4-3, in 10 innings. On Sunday, Seton Hall took a 7-5 lead in the top of the 10th inning, only to allow three runs in the bottom of the inning to fall, 8-7.
PREVOST WINS BATTLE OF ACES
On May 2 at Creighton, senior Josh Prevost won a battle between the two front-runners for BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year. Prevost entered with a 9-1 record, while Creighton's Matt Warren was 9-0. Both had sub-2.00 ERAs. Prevost threw a complete game, while giving up just two earned runs in Seton Hall's 8-2 victory. For his exploits, Prevost was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week for the sixth time this season.
ANNUNZIATA'S BIG BAT
Junior Sal Annunziata had a huge afternoon in Seton Hall's 8-7 extra-inning loss at Creighton on May 4. The first baseman reached base all five times, going 4-for-4 with a walk, three runs scored, two RBIs and his team-leading fifth home run of the season. The homer, a booming opposite field shot was only the 59th home run in the history of TD Ameritrade Park.
SWEEPING THE WILDCATS
For a second straight year, Seton Hall swept a three-game series from Villanova. The Pirates won big, 10-0, on Friday as Josh Prevost went the distance on his fourth complete game. On Saturday, Seton Hall walked-off to a 6-5 victory in 11 innings. On Sunday, the Pirates edged the Wildcats, 3-1, as Luke Cahill and Sal Annunziata had big performances.
PREVOST, RUHLMAN HONORED AGAIN
Senior Josh Prevost was named BIG EAST Baseball Pitcher of the Week on April 28. Teammate D.J. Ruhlman was added to the conference's Weekly Honor Roll. Prevost threw his fourth complete game of the season and his second shutout while scattering just two hits and striking out a career-high 13 batters. Ruhlman batted a team-best .471 last week. He hit safely in all five games and recorded an RBI in three of them.
PREVOST ON WATCH LIST
Senior Josh Prevost was named to the 2014 College Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher of the Year Watch List. The Seton Hall ace is one of 47 pitchers on the initial list. The Pitcher of the Year Award, sponsored by Diamond, will be presented during the National College Baseball Hall of Fame's annual Night of Champions on June 28 in Lubbock, Texas.
MORE LOVE FOR JOSH
Senior Josh Prevost was one of five players named National Players of the Week by the NCAA on April 28. College Sports Madness named Prevost their BIG EAST Player of the Week, while the ECAC named him Pitcher of the Week.
PACILLO GOES DISTANCE... SORT OF
Freshman Anthony Pacillo recorded his first career complete-game, shutout, albeit in seven-innings on April 30. The left-hander shut down Saint Peter's,while scattering five hits, striking out five batters and walking only one. Seton Hall won the game in a rout, 15-0.
PIRATES WIN GEORGETOWN SERIES
Seton Hall evened its BIG EAST record last weekend with a series victory at Georgetown. The Pirates defeated the Hoyas, 5-4, on Thursday, fell 4-3, on Friday, and won, 9-3, on Saturday. Seton Hall received strong pitching throughout the weekend.
CAHILL EARNS HONOR ROLL
Sophomore Luke Cahill was named to the BIG EAST Baseball Weekly Honor Roll on April 21. Cahill pitched seven strong innings in Saturday's rubber game vs. Georgetown, leading Seton Hall to an easy 9-3 victory. Cahill gave up only one earned run over seven innings and struck out five batters, while not issuing a walk.
TRIPLE PLAY
In Seton Hall's 9-3 victory over Georgetown on April 19, the Pirates turned a rare triple play. The Hoyas had runners on first and second, when the batter hit a grounder to first base. Annunziata stepped on the bag and noticed that the trail runner had run past second base. Annunziata spun and threw to Ruhlman, who ran down the trail runner. Presumably assuming three outs had been recorded, the lead runner inexplicably stepped off the third base bag and was also tagged out by Ruhlman.
GRAND SLAM
Senior Dillon Hamlin hit a grand slam to break a scoreless tie in Seton Hall's 9-3 victory at Georgetown on April 19. The home run was Hamlin's second of the season and third of his career.
APRIL POWERS
Derek "Wheelz" Jenkins has seen his game elevate to another level when the calendar turned to the month of April. In 18 games that month, Wheelz has upped his batting average from .263 to .344, scored 19 runs and stolen 22 bases. He's was also named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll twice.
ANOTHER FRESHMAN ARM EMERGING
Anthony Pacillo has established himself as a quality freshman arm, but Ryan Testani has quietly emerged as another pitching gem in the rookie class. Testani has now made eight appearances and has an impressive 1.98 ERA. On April 18 at Georgetown, Testani shut down the Hoyas for four innings until finally allowing a run late. He gave up only one hit.
SUCCESS
At 33-11, Seton Hall has already recorded the fifth-most wins in a season since 2001. The Pirates still have seven games remaining in the regular season. Last season, the Pirates finished with 37 wins, their most since 2000.
SETON HALL SWEEPS NYIT
Seton Hall completed a three-game sweep of NYIT, April 11-12. The Pirates routed the Bears, 21-0, in game one on Friday, and swept a double-header, 7-6 in game one, and 6-0 in game two, on Saturday. Sal Annunziata, Chris Selden and Derek Jenkins all hit .500 or better in the series. Two starters, Josh Prevost and Luke Cahill didn't give up a run. Anthony Elia only gave up one earned run.
MORE WEEKLY HONORS
Senior Josh Prevost and sophomore Derek Jenkins were named to the BIG EAST Baseball Weekly Honor Roll on April 14. Prevost had a no-hitter through 6.1 innings and settled for allowing just one hit over eight shutout innings in Seton Hall's 21-0 rout of NYIT. He also struck out a career-high 12 batters. Jenkins batted a team-high .500 with a .529 on-base percentage, six runs scored and six stolen bases in four games.
SATURDAY THEATRICS
Seton Hall trailed, 5-2, to NYIT in the eighth inning, but rallied to take a 6-5 lead before eventually heading into extra innings tied at six. With two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the 10th inning, junior Sal Annunziata crushed his third home run of the season to send the Pirates to a walk-off 7-6 victory.
BATTERING THE BEARS
Seton Hall erupted for 21 runs on 24 hits in a 21-0 victory over NYIT on April 11. The Pirates' 21 runs are the most in program history since tallying 24 in a victory over Chicago State on March 11, 2003. Fourteen Pirates recorded at least one hit with Dillon Hamlin and Kyle Grimm leading the way with three hits apiece. Hamlin also recorded two doubles and a career-high five RBIs. Grimm had three RBIs and a team-high four runs scored.
PIRATES DROP TWO AT BUTLER
At Butler, Seton Hall dropped its first series since the season-opening series at Oklahoma. The Pirates were besieged by 10 errors during the three-game series. Seton Hall lost game one, 6-1, on Friday, which handed Josh Prevost his first loss of the season. On Saturday, the Pirates bounced back with a 7-3 victory behind a 14-hit attack. On Sunday, Seton Hall dropped the rubber game, 7-6.
JENKINS HONORED
Sophomore Derek Jenkins was named to the BIG EAST Baseball Weekly Honor Roll on April 8. The speedy center fielder led the team with a .500 on-base percentage, seven runs scored and eight stolen bases last in five games last week.
SPEED KILLS
Derek Jenkins has taken his base-running to another level recently. The outfielder stole eight bases last week and now has a BIG EAST Conference leading 29 steals this season. On April 2 at Princeton, Jenkins reached base five times, going 2-for-3 with three walks, three runs scored and three stolen bases. At Butler on April 5, he went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three stolen bases.
FAB FROSH
Freshman Anthony Pacillo turned in his best career start at Princeton on April 2. The left-hander surrendered just one hit over seven scoreless innings to improve to 2-0 on the young season. Pacillo struck out a career-high eight batters and walked only one in Seton Hall's 13-6 victory.
THE PEST
As the season progresses, Derek Jenkins is getting on base more often and wreaking havoc on the base paths. At Princeton on April 2, Jenkins reached base five times, scored three runs and stole three bases. One of the fastest players in the BIG EAST, he currently leads the conference in steals.
PIRATE DOWN IONA, SPLIT AT CCSU
Seton Hall won two of three games, March 28-29. The Pirates shut out Iona, 8-0, on Friday and split a double-header at Central Connecticut State on Saturday. Seton Hall lost the opener, 1-0, in seven innings, but rebounded to win the second game, 2-0.
2,000 WINS
With a mid-week victory over Saint Peter's on March 27, Seton Hall won its 2,000th game. To date, the Pirates are 2016-1258-24 in 128 seasons of college baseball.
SWEEPING THE KNIGHTS
Seton Hall completed a three-game sweep of Fairleigh Dickinson, March 21-23, for its fourth series sweep of the season and its fifth series victory in six series' this season.
TRIO HONORED
Junior Anthony Elia was named BIG EAST Baseball Pitcher of the Week on Monday. Teammates Josh Prevost and Zack Weigel were added to the conference's Weekly Honor Roll. In a season of weekly awards for Seton Hall players, it's the first time that three Pirates have been honored in the same week. Elia pitched his first complete-game shutout at Central Connecticut State on March 29.
SUPERB PITCHING
Seton Hall pitchers had a superb weekend at Iona and Central Connecticut State. The Pirates gave up just one earned run all weekend and twice shut out their opponent. Josh Prevost shut out Iona over eight innings and Anthony Elia recorded his first complete-game shutout at CCSU.
COME BACK KIDS
Seton Hall trailed 5-0 in the first inning at FDU on March 22, but proceeded to score 10 unanswered runs to win, 10-5. It's the first time in nearly a year that Seton Hall has trailed by four or more runs and came back to register a victory.
SWEEPING THE JASPERS
Seton Hall won its fourth straight series with a three-game sweep of Manhattan at Owen T. Carroll Field, March 14-16. With the victories, the 22nd-ranked Pirates have won four straight and 11 of their last 12 games.
SWEEPING THE AWARDS
Tyler Boyd was named BIG EAST Baseball Player of the Week, while teammate Josh Prevost earned BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week honors for the fourth time this season on March 24. Boyd led Seton Hall with a .500 average last week and hit a key three-run home run at FDU on March 22 to turn a 5-3 deficit into a 6-5 lead. Prevost pitched his third complete game of the season vs. FDU on March 21 while giving up just one run while striking out five.
USED BROOMS
Seton Hall swept its second consecutive opponent with a three-game sweep at Arizona. Dating back to last season, the Pirates have not only won, but swept five of their last nine three-game series.
ACE DOMINANCE
Through six starts, senior Josh Prevost is having a season for the ages. The 6-foot-8 right-hander is a BIG EAST-leading 6-0 and has been named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week four times. The other two weeks, he was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll. Prevost currently leads the conference in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, opponent batting average and earned run average.
PREVOST, RUHLMAN HONORED
Senior Josh Prevost was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season on March 17. Junior D.J. Ruhlman earned Weekly Honor Roll status for the second time. Prevost threw his first career complete-game shutout while scattering just four hits to improve to a perfect 5-0 on the young season. Ruhlman batted a team-best .500 in four games last week and had a game-winning, walk-off hit vs. Manhattan on March 15.
STRONG PITCHING
While historically strong hitting led to success at James Madison, it was impressive pitching that led to a sweep of Manhattan. Seton Hall pitchers shut out the Jaspers twice in three games and gave up just two runs in the series. Pirate hurlers held Manhattan to just .167 batting in the series and had an ERA of 0.67.
DOWNING THE DUKES
Seton Hall won its third consecutive series, two-games-to-one, at James Madison last weekend. The story was the powerful Pirates' offense, but Seton hall received decent pitching as well. Josh Prevost got the win on Saturday and Joe DiBenedetto earned his first career victory in relief on Monday.
HISTORIC OFFENSE
Seton Hall collected 54 hits, which resulted in 37 runs in its three-game series at James Madison. As a team, the Pirates batted .435 for the series. On Saturday, Seton Hall's 22 hits were the most since collecting 22 hits in a victory over Rider on April 20, 2004. Two days later, the Pirates' offense erupted for 24 hits and 19 runs. The 24 hits are the most since March 11, 2003 and the 19 runs are the most since April 25, 2004.
PREVOST HONOR ROLL
Senior Josh Prevost was named to the BIG EAST Baseball Weekly Honor on March 11. The honor is the fourth straight recognition for the Pirates' ace. It's the second time Prevost has received the Honor Roll distinction and he has also twice been named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week. The 6-foot-8 right-hander pitched seven innings in Seton Hall's easy 15-4 victory. Prevost struck out six and walked only one.
TAMING THE WILDCATS
Seton Hall swept a three-game series at the University of Arizona. The #22 Wildcats entered the series with a .359 team batting average, but could only muster five runs over the series. Seton Hall outscored Arizona, 24-to-5. Sal Annunziata, Zack Weigel and D.J. Ruhlman all batted higher than .450 for the series.
NATIONAL ATTENTION
Seton Hall made its 2014 national rankings debut on March 3 when Collegiate Baseball listed the Pirates as the 22nd-ranked team in the country. The Pirates also received votes in the NCBWA and the USA Today Coaches Polls. Last season, Seton Hall reached as high as #19 in the Collegiate Baseball poll. Currently, Seton Hall is ranked #29.
PREVOST, RUHLMAN HONORED
Senior Josh Prevost was named BIG EAST Baseball Pitcher of the Week on March 3 for the second time this season and teammate D.J. Ruhlman was added to the conference's Weekly Honor Roll. On Feb. 28, at #22 Arizona, he pitched eight innings, while giving up just one earned run against a powerful Wildcat offense that entered the series with a .359 team batting average. Ruhlman batted .462 with four runs scored and three stolen bases. In the Pirates' 11-2 victory in the series finale, he went 4-for-5 with three runs scored, a triple and his team-leading sixth stolen base of the season.
BOYD BOMBS
In Seton Hall's 4-2 rain-interrupted victory at #22 Arizona, junior Tyler Boyd connected on his first career home run. The blast broke a scoreless tie and gave the Pirates the lead for good. Later in the game, he added insurance in the form of a two-RBI double.
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.
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.
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.
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.
INTERRUPTIONS
Seton Hall has had five of its games either postponed or interrupted due to poor weather already this season. The Pirates' home opener against Lehigh, originally scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 26, was postponed due to inclement weather and a significant accumulation of snow on the field from prior storms. The Pirates' game at Rutgers on March 5 was also postponed. Rain postponed a game at Richmond and caused a suspended game at Arizona, while cold temperatures postponed a game at James Madison.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 May 15 at 6:30 p.m.
