April 1, 2011

Bronx, N.Y. - For the third time this season, the Rams will play multiple opponents over the weekend, as Fordham hosts Massachusetts and Albany for a total of three games. The Rams will meet Massachusetts on Saturday in a non-league game at noon, while playing a doubleheader against Albany on Sunday. Fordham looks to improve on a three-game win streak and a 15-9 overall record.

PROBABLE STARTERS:
Saturday - RHP Brian Pendergast (1-4) vs. RHP Glen Misho (3-1) |
Sunday - RHP Max Krakowiak (3-2)/RHP Chris Pike (3-0) vs. RHP Zach Kraham (0-3)/TBA |
Game 1 | Game 2

SCOUTING MASSACHUSETTS: The Minutemen are 7-10 this season with a 2-1 mark in the Atlantic 10 after the first weekend of conference play. This is the first of four meetings between the Minutemen and the Rams, as the two teams will play a three-game series later in the year up in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Hitting .266 as a team, the Minutemen are led by Matt Gedman, who has been on fire, hitting .448 with 14 runs scored and 14 RBI, while Peter Copa leads UMass with five home runs and 15 RBI to go with a .305 batting average.

The Minutemen will send Glen Misho to the hill on Saturday against Fordham. Misho is 3-1 with a 4.28 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 27.1 innings pitched.

SCOUTING ALBANY: The Great Danes are 5-13 this season, posting a .251 team batting average and a 5.30 ERA.

Offensively, Pete DiResta has been the most consistent hitter, batting .348 with 15 runs scored, five doubles, six triples, and 14 RBI, while Nolan Gaige is hitting .316 with 17 runs scored and nine RBI.

On the hill, Zach Kraham will most likely get one of the two starts for Albany on Sunday. In five starts this season, he is 0-3 with a 5.11 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 24.2 innings pitched. The other starter on Sunday could be Ryan White, who has made four starts for Albany this season.

WE'RE GOIN' STREAKIN': Ryan Lee was hitting .400 (12-30) over his seven-game hit streak (which was snapped on Tuesday) with five runs scored and three stolen bases... Prior to the Fairfield game, Joe Russo was batting .346 (9-26) his last seven games with two double, a home run, and seven RBI, while Ryan David was hitting .333 (7-21) in his last seven games with a pair of doubles... On the hill, Chris Pike has three saves and a 3-0 record in eight appearances to go with a 1.91 ERA, 36 strikeouts, and .207 opponent batting average... Max Krakowiak threw his fourth career complete game on Sunday in a win over La Salle, allowing just one unearned run on three hits... Brian Pendergast threw his first career complete game at Fordham on Friday in a 2-1 lost to La Salle... Rich Anastasi is 4-0 in 10 appearances, posting a 1.98 ERA and 17 strikeouts... Tim Swatek has 15 strikeouts, three saves, and a 3.29 ERA in 13.2 innings of work to open the year... Jonathan Reich has still yet to allow a run in 13.2 innings of relief.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: For a quartet of veteran Rams this season, new opportunities have emerged, and each has taken a stronghold of that chance and aren't letting go.

Senior Joe Russo tops this list, as he's been an every day player for Fordham this season for the first time in his career. He has responded phenomenally, already setting career-highs in hits (30), runs (16), doubles (6), and RBI (13). Russo carries a .345 batting average into this week's action, and has a team-best 11 multi-hit games, while posting the Rams longest hit streak of the season at eight games.

Another senior that has come up big is Ryan David. David was named a tri-captain prior to the season and has led by example and performance. Just 24 games into the schedule, he is closing in on career-highs in hits, runs, and doubles, while being second on third on the Rams with nine multi-hit games this season.

Junior Ryan Maghini was already a Rams' starter last season, but has found a comfortable home in his move from third base to shortstop. He has already set career-highs with seven doubles and three home runs, and is quickly closing in on his personal-highs for hits, runs, and RBI in a season.

The final member of this "carpe diem" club is junior Stephen McSherry. Hobbled by nagging injuries as a sophomore which limited him to 33 games played, he has already matched his production of 17 hits and 12 RBI this season in only 20 games.

FINISHING WHAT THEY STARTED: In the Rams' Atlantic 10 opening series against La Salle, the Fordham starting pitching staff of Brian Pendergast, Chris Pike, and Max Krakowiak pulled off a rare "hat trick", as each pitched a complete game with the Rams going 2-1 in the series.

The last time Fordham had at least three consecutive complete games was in April 2003, when the team had four straight pitched by Andrew Paolillo, Craig Tscherednikov, Bryan Kelly, and John Baco in doubleheaders against Columbia and Rhode Island.

UPCOMING GAMES: Following this weekend, the Rams return to the road for a game at New York Tech on April 6th, before an eight-game homestand, which begins with a three-game Atlantic 10 series against the St. Bonaventure Bonnies, April 8-10.