March 23, 2010

Fordham-Stony Brook Game Notes | Listen | GameTracker | Watch Live

Bronx, N.Y. - The Fordham baseball team returns home following an eight-game swing in Florida to take on the Stony Brook Seawolves at Houlihan Park at 3:30 PM on Wednesday.

After defeating then #11 Miami on Tuesday, the Rams are on a four-game slide, and look to snap it against the Seawolves, who have won three of their last four games.

Fordham will also look to get on the winning track against Stony Brook. The Rams have beaten Stony Brook only once in six all-time meetings.

SCOUTING STONY BROOK: The Seawolves are 5-8 on the season, having won three of their last four games after a seven-game losing streak.

The Seawolves are batting .288 on the season, averaging five runs a contest. Individually, William Carmona and Robert Dyer have been the top bats in the line-up. Carmona is hitting .379 on the season, while Dyer is hitting .370 with two home runs and 12 RBI.

On the hill, Stony Brook has a 6.15 ERA and a .260 opponent batting average. The Seawolves' best hurler is Nick Tropeano, who is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 23.1 innings pitched. From the bullpen, Carmona had made three relief appearances with one save, posting a 1.69 ERA in 5.1 innings.

FORDHAM'S PONTE NAMED TO COLLEGEBASEBALL360.COM'S PRIMETIME PERFORMERS (3/23): Fordham fifth-year senior Angelo Ponte was one of three Atlantic 10 players named to CollegeBaseball360.com's Primetime Performers for the week ending March 21st.

Ponte was a part of all four runs in Fordham's upset win over then #11 Miami on March 16th. He drove in three runs and scored the game-winning run. The following day, he continued to be a thorn in Miami's side, driving in two more runs in a 9-8 loss.

KNOCKIN' OFF THE `CANES: On March 16th, Fordham pulled off their first upset of a ranked opponent since 2005, when the Rams defeated the then-#11 Miami Hurricanes, 4-3, at Alex Rodriguez Park. The last ranked team Fordham knocked off was Winthrop in 2005.

In the game, Angelo Ponte drove in three runs, while Brian Pendergast recorded his first win as a Ram with five strong innings, while Jordan Grangard, Rich Anastasi, Daniel Munday, and Brando Casalicchio combined for four scoreless innings of relief.

WE'RE GOIN' STREAKIN': Senior Ryan McCrann has picked up the pace after a slow start, hitting .444 (12-27) in his current seven-game hitting streak... Junior Chris Walker and senior Mike Mobbs are both hitting .304 (7-23) over their last seven contests with Mobbs adding four doubles and three RBI... Senior Angelo Ponte drove in five runs in Fordham's two-game set against then-#11 Miami (Fla.)... Junior Brian Pendergast has been strong in his last three starts, posting a 1.42 ERA and a win over #11 Miami, allowing a total of three earned runs in 19.0 innings to go with 17 strikeouts... Senior Brando Casalicchio has relished his new role in the Fordham bullpen, posting a 1.04 ERA and two saves in six appearances, while holding opponents to a .138 batting average.

RAMS AMONG A-10 LEADERS (3/22): Through the first month of the season, six Rams currently find themselves among the Atlantic 10 leaders:

Category - Name - Total - Rank
Doubles - Chris Walker - 7 - T7th
Triples - Mike Mobbs - 2 - T2nd
ERA - Brian Pendergast - 4.91 - 10th
Wins - Daniel Munday - 2 - T12th
Strikeouts - Brian Pendergast - 21 - T9th
Opponent BA - Brian Pendergast - .205 - 1st
Inning Pitched - Max Krakoiwak - 27.1 - 10th
Saves - Brando Casalicchio - 2 - T2nd

CALLING FOR LEFTY: Over the past two seasons, the Rams have had a short list of left-handed pitchers to call upon, namely J.P. Mack, who was the only left-handed pitcher on the roster.

In 2010, Mack has finally gotten some help with the additions of freshmen lefties Rich Anastasi and Ryan DeMartino. Both pitchers have started off their Fordham careers well through the first portion of the season.

Anastasi has made seven appearances, six out of the bullpen, posting a 4.76 ERA in 17.0 innings with 14 strikeouts, while DeMartino has recorded a win and seven strikeouts in five appearances.

BACK FOR ONE MORE ROUND: Fifth-year senior P.J. Como, Angelo Ponte, Ryan McCrann, and J.P. Mack are all back for one year in the Fordham maroon & white.

Mack was Fordham's top pitcher in 2009, posting a 6-3 record in a team-high 97.0 innings pitched. He has gotten out to a slow beginning in 2010, but had a quality start against Michigan, throwing 6.1 innings.

Ponte and McCrann have both come on as of late to lead the Fordham offense. McCrann has a seven-game hitting streak to date, hitting .444 in that stretch, bringing his season numbers to .286 with five RBI. Ponte hit .318 over his last five games, driving in five runs in Fordham's two-game set against Miami (Fla.), as he is now batting .280 on the year with eight RBI.

Como, who missed most of last season due to injury, has come back strong with 10 runs scored, good for second on the team to go with a team-best five stolen bases.

NOT THE WHO... THE HOU!: After a major reconstruction project that lasted close to a year, the Fordham baseball team has called Houlihan Park home for the last four seasons.

Houlihan Park has been very friendly to the Rams, winning over 60% of the games at 59-38 over that span. Fordham has continued that winning in 2010, opening with a 3-1 record at home.

UPCOMING GAMES: The Rams open Atlantic 10 Conference play this weekend at Richmond on March 26th-28th. Game times are set for 3:00 PM (Friday), 2:00 PM (Saturday), and 1:00 PM (Sunday).

Following that series, Fordham will play at Fairfield on Tuesday, March 30th, and they open a three-game home series against Atlantic 10 opponent, Rhode Island, April 1st-3rd. Game times are set for 2:00 PM (Thursday), 11:00 AM (Friday), and 1:00 PM (Saturday).