April 28, 2007
RHODE ISLAND (12-24 OVERALL / 7-8 ATLANTIC 10): The Rams return to Bill Beck Field for this weekend's series against Xavier after having played host to Sacred Heart and Connecticut on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. In the first game, senior Scott Brown went 2-for-3 with two RBI and sophomore Oliver Palmer was 2-for-3 with two runs scored as the Rams cruised to a 9-3 win. Freshman Nick Greenwood recorded his first collegiate victory in five-and-two-thirds innings while senior Eric Larson recorded a homerun, an RBI, a stolen base and two runs scored. In game two, senior Gregg Allen, freshman Fernando Robles and Larson each scored to give Rhody a 3-0 lead heading into the fifth inning, but Sacred Heart clawed back into the game and tied things up with three runs in the fifth and three runs in the sixth before the game was called, 6-3 in favor of Sacred Heart, due to darkness. On Wednesday, a seven-inning shutout by freshman Dan Rossignol propelled the Rams to a 4-0 victory over Connecticut in a game that lasted just over two hours. Rossignol struck out five batters and allowed just four hits in his first collegiate start of his career. Dan Tucker broke a scoreless tie in the seventh inning with a two-run double down the right field line, scoring Allen and senior Ryan Cunningham. Allen started the rally with a one-out single to right field and advanced to second on a single by Cunningham. Senior Dave Savard scored Rhody's final run in the eighth after leading off with an infield-single and scoring on a double to left center by Allen. Freshman Mark Fraser threw a perfect eighth inning, striking out two Huskies and Tim Boyce closed out the top half of the ninth to seal the victory for Rhode Island. Entering the week, the Rams were in sixth place in the Atlantic 10 with a 7-8 conference record with Charlotte and Richmond atop the A-10 standings, each with a 13-2 conference marks. Entering the weekend series, URI has been out-hit (372-327) and outscored (247-198) by its opponents while averaging 9.08 hits and 5.50 runs per game. The Rams also have combined for a .960 fielding percentage while turning 26 double plays this season.
OFFENSIVE LEADERS: #30 Eric Larson, #33 Ryan Cunningham, #17 Zach Zaneski, #29 Scott Brown. Larson enters today's contest with a team-best .609 slugging percentage, a .336 batting average and a .429 on-base percentage. The Rhody designated hitter also leads URI with 43 hits, 29 runs, eight homeruns and two triples and is second on the team with ten stolen bases. Cunningham enters today's contest with a .308 batting average, 41 hits, 27 RBI, 14 doubles and 314 put-outs. The Rhody first baseman, who leads the team with 13 multiple-hit and nine multiple RBI games, earned the A-10 Player of the Week award on Feb. 26 and was named to the College Baseball Foundation's National Honor Roll the following day. Zaneski has played in 35-of-36 games for URI and has 199 put-outs (second on team) and 33 hits (t-third on team). The Rhody catcher has a .303 batting average and a .431 on-base percentage. Brown enters today's game with 33 hits, 17 runs, 15 RBI, three stolen bases and two homeruns. The Rhody right fielder boasts a perfect fielding percentage with 63 put-outs and five assists.
PITCHERS: #20 Tim Boyce, #19 Matthew Bruderek, #9 Jamie Degidio, #15 Mark Fraser, #18 Nick Greenwood, #21 Matt Miranda, #5 James Norcott, #13 Brett Palanski, #24 Adam Perkins, #11 Dan Rossignol, #23 Eric Smith. Boyce (1-0, 3 SV, 24.0 IP, 4.88 ERA), Bruderek (0-0, 0 SV, 2.0 IP, 4.50 ERA), Degidio (2-2, 2 SV, 33.1 IP, 2.70 ERA), Fraser (0-1, 0 SV, 6.2 IP, 5.40 ERA), Greenwood (1-3, 0 SV, 28.1 IP, 7.94 ERA), Miranda (1-0, 0 SV, 18.1 IP, 3.93 ERA), Norcott (2-6, 0 SV, 48.2 IP, 5.73 ERA), Palanski (2-6, 0 SV, 51.2 IP, 6.79 ERA), Perkins (2-6, 0 SV, 54.1 IP, 6.29 ERA), Rossignol (1-0, 0 SV, 23.0 IP, 4.30 ERA), Smith (0-0, 0 SV, 19.1 IP, 9.78 ERA).
XAVIER (21-21 OVERALL / 12-3 Atlantic 10): Xavier enters this weekend's series after defeating Ohio Stata, 4-3, on Wednesday, April 25. Freshman starting pitcher Zac Richard threw four innings in the victory over the Buckeyes while seniors Chris Lozan and Matt Waskerwitz had two hits apiece. The Musketeers also defeated Cincinnati, 9-5, on Tuesday afternoon. In the win, Sean Farrell went 2-for-5 with a game-high four RBI while Richard and Tyler Aholt chipped in two RBI each. To date, Xavier has been out-hit (437-388) and outscored (243-215) by its opponents. The Musketeers also have combined for a .970 fielding percentage this season.
MUSKETEERS vs. RAMS: Xavier leads all-time series with URI, 8-7. The two teams met three times last season in Cincinnati. The Musketeers won the first game (1-0) before Rhody took game two (7-4) and game three (7-1). In the series, Ryan Cunningham was 7-for-14 with three runs, two doubles and a homerun. Adam Perkins picked up the win in the second game, striking out seven batters in six-and-a-third innings while James Norcott earned a "W" in game three after throwing seven scoreless innings.
OFFENSIVE LEADERS: #19 Jordan Wolf, #24 Sean Farrell, #16 Adam Lipski, #2 Matt Waskerwitz. Wolf leads the team with a .354 batting average with a team leading 29 RBI and 57 hits six homeruns. Farrell leads the team with a .450 on-base percentage and second on the team with a .339 batting average. Waskerwitz leads the Musketeers with 16 doubles and is second on the team with 22 RBI.
PITCHERS: #36 David Hartman, #14 Bill Konecny, #11 Mark Janszen, #17 Charlie Leesman, #21 Zac Richard, #29 Joe Kohler, # 33 Michael Lucas, #25 Kyle Cowden, #23 Trey Archer, #38 John Iborg, #37 Mike Creevy, #6 Dan Graham, #20 Brett Greenwell. Hartman (1-0, 3 SV, 14.2 IP, 1.84 ERA), Konecy (3-3, 0 SV, 57.1 IP, 3.14 ERA), Janszen (3-2, 1 SV, 37.2 IP, 4.30 ERA), Leesman (4-2, 0 SV, 51.2 IP, 4.35 ERA), Richard (4-2, 5 SV, 45.2 IP, 5.12 ERA), Kohler (0-0, 0 SV, 16.2 IP, 5.40 ERA), Lucas (2-5, 0 SV, 61.0 IP, 5.75 ERA), Cowden (1-2, 0 SV, 28.2 IP, 6.35 ERA), Archer (0-0, 0 SV, 1.0 IP, 9.00 ERA), Iborg (0-0, 0 SV, 1.0 IP, 9.00 ERA), Creevy (1-2, 0 SV, 12.1 IP, 9.49 ERA), Graham (1-1, 0 SV, 15.0 IP, 9.60 ERA), Greenwell (1-2, 1 SV, 16.2 IP, 10.26 ERA).
