4/1/2010 12:00:00 AM

Baseball Set For Three-Game Series Against URI

April 1, 2010

Bronx, N.Y. - The Fordham baseball team hosts the University of Rhode Island for its second Atlantic 10 series in 2010, matching up the top two winningest teams in Atlantic 10 play since 2005. Rhode Island has 89 wins in Atlantic 10 play, while Fordham has 80.

Overall Fordham leads the all-time series, 23-19, with the first game between the two schools coming back in 1913, when Fordham defeated then-Rhode Island St., 6-4, on what is now Edwards' Parade (Fordham Field, back in 1913).

SCOUTING RHODE ISLAND: Rhode Island is 9-12 this season with a 2-1 mark in the Atlantic 10.

Rhode Island is batting .295 as a team, averaging 6.4 runs a contest. Tom Coulombe is the team's leading hitter at .432, posting 19 runs scored, seven doubles, six stolen bases and 20 RBI. Right behind hime is Mike LeBel at .366 with 24 runs scored, four doubles, four home runs, and 11 RBI.

On the hill, Rhode Island has a 6.75 ERA and a .316 opponent batting average. Starters Tim Boyce and Ken Graveline will get the call in the opening two games. Boyce is 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 34.0 innings pitched, while Graveline is 2-1 with a 5.96 ERA in 25.2 innings of work. Out of the bullpen, Gardner Leaver has two saves in eight appearances with a 6.91 ERA.

KRAKOWIAK & LEE EARN ATLANTIC 10 WEEKLY HONORS (3/29): Fordham University junior pitcher Max Krakowiak (Westport, Conn./Staples) and freshman outfielder Ryan Lee (Attleboro, Mass./Bishop Feehan) were named Atlantic 10 Co-Pitcher of the Week and Rookie of the Week, respectively, today by the conference office. It is the first career honor for both Krakowiak and Lee.

Krakowiak becomes the first Ram to earn Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week honors, since J.P. Mack did so on April 12th of last season. Krakowiak threw his first career complete game on Saturday in a 5-1 win over Richmond. He allowed just one unearned run on three hits with no walks. He also tied a career-high with eight strikeouts in the contest.

Krakowiak is now 1-3 on the season with a 4.46 ERA in 36.1 innings of work. He currently ranks tenth in the Atlantic 10 in ERA, fifth in innings pitched, and eighth in opponent batting average (.243).

On the strength of a four-game hit streak, Lee earned his first Atlantic 10 honor by hitting .462 (6-13) to go with three runs scored, two stolen bases, and three RBI. He had his first career three-hit game in the series opener against Richmond on Saturday, while recording the would be game-winning RBI-single in an 11-6 win on Sunday against Richmond.

For the season, Lee is batting .269 with six runs scored and four RBI.

COACHING MILESTONES: Fordham head coach Nick Restaino recorded his 150th coaching win on March 28th at Richmond. He is the seventh Fordham baseball coach to reach 150 wins. He also reached a milestone in the Fairfield game on March 31st, as he coached in his 300th game.

WE'RE GOIN' STREAKIN': Senior Ryan McCrann has on fire after a slow start, hitting .500 (17-34) over his last eight games with three doubles, nine runs scored, a home run, and seven RBI... Freshman Ryan Lee is batting .409 (9-22) over his last seven games and is on a five-game hit streak... Senior Mike Mobbs is hitting .357 (10-28) over his last eight contests adding 10 runs scored, four doubles and three RBI... Senior Angelo Ponte has seven RBI in his last seven games... Junior Chris Walker is batting .375 (12-32) with four doubles and six RBI during his current eight-game hitting streak...Sophomore Nick Martinez is batting .382 (13-34) in his last eight games... Senior Michael Taddei hit his first two career home runs this past weekend, driving in four runs at Richmond... Junior Max Krakowiak threw a complete game three-hitter agains Richmond, the first complete game of his career, while tying out a career-high with eight strikeouts.

HOT STARTS: No hitter in the Rams' line-up has been more consistent than junior Chris Walker to open the season. He leads the Rams' in batting (.372), hits (32), doubles (10), and RBI (19). He also set a career-best hitting streak this season at nine games from February 20th through March 10th.

Senior Mike Mobbs has also gotten out to a great start through 22 games, hitting .325 with a team-best 23 runs scored to go with eight doubles, two triples, and six RBI.

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, Ryan DeMartino, and Dan Sorine Anastasi and DeMartino have started off their Fordham careers well through the first portion of the season.

Anastasi has made eight appearances, seven out of the bullpen, posting a 4.82 ERA in 18.2 innings with 15 strikeouts, while DeMartino has recorded two wins and ten strikeouts in seven appearances.

So far, Sorine has appeared in two games as a pitcher, earning his first career save on March 31st against Fairfield with a season-high four strikeouts.

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 4-2 record at home.

UPCOMING GAMES: Following this series, Fordham begins a five game road trip, that starts on Wednesday, April 7th, at New York Tech with a 3:00 PM start. The Rams then travel to St. Bonaventure for a three-game series, April 9-11, before ending the road trip at Rutgers on April 13th.

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