Feb. 18, 2011
Fordham Baseball Game Notes - VCU Series
Richmond, Va. - The Fordham baseball team opens its 151st season this weekend, as the team travels to Richmond, Virginia, for a three-game series against the Virginia Commonwealth Rams.
This is the second time in three seasons, that Fordham has met VCU. VCU swept the 2009 series with Fordham in early March, but every game between the two sets of Rams has been very tight. In seven all-time meetings with VCU, there have been three one-run games, three two-run games, and one three-run decision.
This series also marks the second straight season that Fordham has opened with a CAA opponent. Last year, Fordham faced off against Old Dominion.
Fordham is looking for its first season opening win since 2005, when the Rams opened the year with a three-game sweep of Delaware State.
Probable Starters:
Friday - RHP Brian Pendergast vs. RHP Seth Cutler-Voltz | Live Stats
Saturday - RHP Max Krakowiak vs. LHP Ryan Farrar | Live Stats | VCU Radio
Sunday - TBD vs. RHP Kyle Haynes | Live Stats | VCU Radio
Links To Atlantic 10 Preview:
College Baseball Insider
Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll
Atlantic 10 Prospectus
SCOUTING VCU: VCU was 34-26-1 a year ago with a 17-7-1 mark in the Colonial Athletic Associaton.
VCU has a number of returnees from 2010, including Brent Mikionis, who led VCU with 11 home runs a year a go to go with a .343 batting average and 54 RBI. VCU also welcomes back their starting catcher, Taylor Perkins, who hit .295 with 31 RBI a year ago.
On the hill, VCU will send the trio of RHP Seth Cutler-Voltz, LHP Ryan Farrar, and RHP Kyle Haynes to face the Rams.
SNEAK PEEK AT FORDHAM: The Fordham Rams return a healthy portion of its 2010 squad, which qualified for the Atlantic 10 Championship for the fifth time in the last seven years. Among the returnees, include First Team All-Atlantic 10 catcher Chris Walker and Second Team All-Atlantic 10 pitcher Max Krakowiak.
Walker was the breakout hitter in 2010, hitting .370 with 81 hits, 25 doubles, six home runs, and 61 RBI. His 25 doubles set the single season school record, while his 81 hits and 61 RBI tied for the second-highest totals in school history. In addition to being First Team All-Atlantic 10 last season, Walker was also selected to the ECAC All-Star Team and to the ABCA All-Region Second Team.
Krakowiak will once again head up the Rams' starting rotation after setting career-highs in wins (7), appearances (15), starts (15), complete games (3), ERA (4.10), innings pitched (98.2), and strikeouts (69). However, he really made his in name in conference play, posting a 7-0 record with a 2.63 ERA in 68.1 innings.
On top of Walker and Krakowiak, the Rams return starting infielders
Nick Martinez,
Brian Kownacki, and
Ryan Maghini, outfielder
Ryan Lee, and #2 starting pitcher
Brian Pendergast.
DO YOU REMEMBER THE "FORDHAM FLIP"?: Even with another Atlantic 10 tournament berth and a win over nationally-ranked Miami (Fla.), the 2010 Fordham baseball season will forever be remembered for "The Fordham Flip," when Fordham shortstop Brian Kownacki leaped over Iona's catcher to score a run, capping a 12-9 come from behind win for Fordham.
The highlight exploded across the internet and television, earning Kownacki a trip to the 2010 ESPY Awards, where he finished as runner-up in the popular vote for the "Best Play of the Year" category.
The highlight still has some legs in 2011, as it is a finalist for the Hall of Game Awards, sponsored by Cartoon Network, under the "Most Viral Player" category. That award show is set for Friday, February 25th.
PRESEASON RECOGNITION: In the Atlantic 10 preview on CollegeBaseballInsider.com, Fordham seniors Max Krakowiak and Chris Walker goes some early season recognition from a survey of Atlantic 10 coaches.
Krakowiak was ranked as one of the top three starting pitchers in the conference, while also being the starting pitcher a coach would least want to face.
Walker was acknowledged for both his offensive and defensive prowess behind the plate. He was voted by coaches as the best defensive catcher, as well as having the best catcher arm. Offensively, he was voted as one of the best pure hitters in the league, one of the hitters a coach least wants to face, the most underrated hitter, and the toughest hitter to strike out.
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 61-39 over that span. Fordham continued that winning in 2010, opening with a 12-8 record at home.
ACADEMIC RECOGNITION: On a day when the NFL crowned a champion, Fordham University recognized 319 student-athletes as champions, including 12 baseball student-athletes. The Rams in attendance were honored for compiling a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher at the Eighth Annual Breakfast for Champions in the McGinley Center on February 6th. The event was sponsored by the Fordham Athletic Department with assistance from the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) and the Office of Academic Advising.
The 319 in attendance represented over 57% of the student-athletes at Fordham and is the largest number of student-athletes to attend a Breakfast for Champions. Below is a list of the recognized baseball players, with four-year honorees listed with an asterisk (*):
Dan Camano
Ryan David *
Ryan DeMartino
Matthew DeSilva
Jordan Grangard
Max Krakowiak
Rob McCunney
Stephen McSherry
Joe Russo *
Tim Swatek
Brian Thompson *
UPCOMING GAMES: Following this weekend's series, the Rams will travel to Asheboro, North Carolina, to face the Iona College Gaels in a three-game series on February 26th & 27th. The first day will feature a noon doubleheader, with a single game at noon on Sunday.
After that series, Fordham will open its 2011 home season on Wednesday, March 2nd, when the Rams host crosstown rival, Manhattan College, at 3:00 PM.
