May 3, 2011

Bronx, N.Y. - The Fordham baseball team returns to local action on Tuesday, when the Rams take on the Manhattan Jaspers for the second time this season. Fordham won the opening match up back on March 2nd by an 8-6 score.

This is the 105th all-time meeting between the Rams and the Jaspers since 1923 with the Rams holding a 77-23-3 series advantage.

PROBABLE STARTERS:
Fordham - RHP Brian Thompson (2-0) vs. Manhattan - RHP - Scott McClennan (1-1)

SCOUTING MANHATTAN: The Jaspers are 23-15 on the season, hitting just a shade under .300 as a team at .299, while the pitching staff is giving up a 4.39 ERA.

Offensively, Mike McCann and Chad Salem have been a dynamic duo for the green and white. McCann is batting a team-best .390 to go with nine doubles, five home runs, and 33 RBI, while Salem has a team-best 43 RBI to go with a .359 batting average, 28 runs scored, 14 doubles, and eight home runs.

On the hill, Manhattan is leaning toward RHP Scott McClennan for Tuesday's start. McClennan is 1-1 in eight appearances with a 3.44 ERA and eight strikeouts in 18.1 innings of work. He has two starts and one complete game shutout to his credit.

WE'RE GOIN' STREAKIN': Nick Martinez is hitting .367 (11-30) over his last eight games, posting eight runs scored, four RBI and two steals... Chris Walker is batting .310 (9-29) in his last eight games with five RBI... On the hill, Chris Pike has three saves and a 5-1 record in 13 appearances to go with a 2.22 ERA, 56 strikeouts, and .230 opponent batting average... Rich Anastasi is 5-0 in 18 appearances, posting a 1.78 ERA and 30 strikeouts... Tim Swatek has 23 strikeouts, four saves, and a 2.28 ERA in 27.2 innings of work to open the year, and is currently on an eight-game hitting streak, in which he is batting .292 in that stretch... 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... Joseph Charest is 1-0 with a save and a 1.38 ERA in 10 appearances and 13.0 innings pitched.

Chris Pike NAMED ATLANTIC 10 ROOKIE OF THE WEEK (5/2): Fordham University freshman pitcher Chris Pike (Watermill, N.Y./Southampton) was named Atlantic 10 Baseball Rookie of the Week on May 2nd by the conference office. It is his second weekly honor of the year.

Pike threw his first career shutout on Saturday in Fordham's 4-0 victory at Saint Louis. The Watermill, N.Y., native scattered six hits and four walks to go with one strikeout in his second complete game of the season. He allowed only two Billiken base runners to reach third in his nine innings of work.

SHUTTING THE DOOR: One of the biggest reason for the Rams success this season has been the development of the Fordham bullpen into one of the best in the Atlantic 10.

In 2010, the Rams' bullpen sat with a 7-11 record and six saves at this point in the season with a 5.57 ERA and a .288 opponent batting average.

This season has been a much different story with the bullpen having a 15-2 record and 11 saves with a 2.82 ERA and opponent batting average of .238, a difference of close to three runs less per game and 50 points less in batting average.

In addition, the Rams had just one relief pitcher, Jordan Grangard, end the season with an ERA of 2.45 of less with at least five relief appearances. This season, Fordham has an amazing seven pitchers, Jonathan Reich, Joseph Charest, Nick Martinez, Chris Pike, Dan Sorine, Rich Anastasi, and Tim Swatek, that fit those standards.

UPCOMING GAMES: Following today's game, the Rams return home on Friday, May 6th to begin a three-game series against the Saint Joseph's Hawks at Houlihan Park. Fordham then gets back to the road after exams with a three-game set at Massachusetts from May 13-15.