May 19, 2011

Fordham Baseball Game Notes | WFUV Audio | Watch

Bronx, N.Y. - The Fordham baseball team heads into the final weekend of the Atlantic 10 season just a half game out of the final playoff spot for the 2011 Atlantic 10 Championship, which will be held at Campbell's Field in Camden, New Jersey from May 25th-28th.

One of the teams Fordham is chasing is this week's opponent, the Xavier Musketeers, who with La Salle and Richmond, lead Fordham by that half game at 12-9. Besides Charlotte and Rhode Island, who have locked up playoff spots, a total of seven teams are vying for four spots, heading into the final weekend of play.

PROBABLE STARTERS:
Friday - Fordham - RHP Brian Pendergast (2-6) vs. Xavier - LHP - Jon Richard (4-4) |
Saturday - Fordham - RHP Chris Pike (5-1) vs. Xavier RHP Tyler Koors (5-4) |
Sunday - Fordham - RHP Max Krakowiak (5-6) vs. Xavier - RHP Vinny Nittoli (7-1) |

SCOUTING XAVIER: The Musketeers are 28-24 overall, 12-9 in the Atlantic 10, just a half a game ahead of the Fordham Rams.

The Musketeers boast a .299 batting average, which includes five regulars batting .329 or better. John McCambridge leads the way with a .372 mark, 54 runs scored, 12 doubles, five triples, four home runs, 33 RBI, and 27 stolen bases. Ben Thomas brings the power to the line-up with a team-high 14 home runs and 53 RBI to go with 15 doubles and a .359 batting average.

On the hill, the Musketeers will throw LHP Jon Richard, RHP Tyler Koors, and RHP Vinny Nittoli against the Rams. Richard is 4-4 with a 3.73 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 82.0 innings pitched, while Koors is 5-4 with a 4.65 ERA in 12 starts. Nittoli has been very strong in the #3 pitcher role, going 7-1 with a 3.64 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 64.1 innings pitched.

WE'RE GOIN' STREAKIN': Brian Kownacki is batting .324 (12-37) over his last 11 games with six runs scored, four RBI, and three stolen bases... Ryan David is batting .308 in his last 10 games (12-39) with three runs scored and five RBI... Since becoming a starter at the beginning of Atlantic 10 play, Chris Pike is 5-0 with a 2.48 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 54.1 innings pitched... Max Krakowiak has a 3.44 ERA with one complete game in his last three starts, while holding opponents to a .200 batting average... Rich Anastasi is 5-0 in 20 appearances, posting a 2.17 ERA and 35 strikeouts... Tim Swatek has 26 strikeouts, six saves, and a 2.05 ERA in 30.2 innings of work, while hitting .303 (10-33) over his last 11 games... Jonathan Reich gave up his first earned run of the season on April 30th, in 24.1 innings of relief, giving him a 0.37 ERA, while posting a 3-0 record.

THE HITS KEEP ON COMING: One of the keys to the Rams' hitting has been the consistent play of a certain players during extended hit streaks. The Rams lead the Atlantic 10 with five players having double-digit hit streaks this season.

Chris Walker had the longest hit streak at a career-high 15 games, while Ryan David had a career-high 13-game stretch this season. The 15-game streak by Walker was the longest since Eric Reese had a 15-game hit streak in 2008.

Both Ryan Maghini and Nick Martinez each had an 11-game hit streak with Tim Swatek just ending a 12-game hitting streak last weekend. His 12-game hit streak is the second-longest by an A-10 freshman this season, and the longest by a Fordham freshman since Jeremy Bourgeois had a 13-game hit streak in 2002.

Last year, Fordham had only four players have a 10-game streak, while the previous season.

MOVING UP THE RANKS: With 30 wins for the Rams in 2011, head coach Nick Restaino has moved into fifth on the Fordham baseball coaching wins list. He now has 195, passing Dan Rinaldo for fifth all-time.

On top of Restaino, Fordham seniors Chris Walker and Max Krakowiak are working their way into the Fordham all-time leaders.

Walker is currently eighth all-time with 41 career doubles, while tied for eighth with Jerry Curley (1984-87) in runs batted in with 125.

Krakowiak ranks tied for fourth in games started (42), 11th in innings pitched (235.2), and tied for 12th in strikeouts (163).

UPCOMING GAMES: If the Rams qualifying for the Atlantic 10 Championship tournament, Fordham's next game would be on Wednesday, May 25th, as the Rams have been eliminated from contention for either of the first round byes.