Feb. 16, 2012

Cullowhee, N.C. - The Fordham baseball team begins its 152nd season this weekend, as the Rams head south to Cullowhee, North Carolina for a three-game series against the Western Carolina Catamounts. It will be the first ever series between the two schools. NOTE: Due to incoming weather, the Rams and Catamounts will play a doubleheader on Friday, beginning at 3:00 PM, and a single game on Saturday.

PROBABLE STARTERS:
Friday - Game 1 - Fordham - RHP Chris Pike vs. WCU - RHP - Jordan Smith |
Friday - Game 2 - Fordham - RHP Joseph Charest vs. WCU - LHP Morgan McKinney |
Saturday - Fordham - RHP Jordan Grangard vs. WCU - RHP Jeremy Null |

SCOUTING WESTERN CAROLINA: Western Carolina finished 23-31-1 last year, the program's first non-winning season since finishing 28-31 back in 2004. Moranda and the Catamounts return six of its eight position players from a season ago, but just one weekend pitching starter from the close of the year.

The Catamounts will start last year's leader in wins in sophomore Jordan Smith, who compiled six victories including a pair of complete games. Game two will most likely fall to junior Morgan McKinney, who was used in a limited role a season ago, accounting for only 9.1 innings with 14 strikeouts. The series finale will belong to freshman Jeremy Null, who was selected in the 37th round of last year's Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Seattle Mariners.

2012 CAPTAINS: The senior trio of Jordan Grangard, Brian Kownacki, and Ryan Maghini will serve as the team's captains this season.

SEASON PREVIEW: The Fordham baseball team had a big change over the summer as Kevin Leighton was hired as the new head coach of the storied program. Leighton comes to Rose Hill after six seasons as the head coach at Manhattan College, where he guided the Jaspers to two NCAA tournament appearances.

Leighton inherits a team that won 31games a year ago, but failed to make the conference tournament by half a game. This season, the Rams look to return to the Atlantic 10 Championship tournament, which will be hosted at Fordham's Houlihan Park.

The Rams bring back senior infielders Ryan Maghini and Brian Kownacki and junior outfielder Ryan Lee to lead the offense, while three sophomores, Chris Pike, Tim Swatek, and Jonathan Reich, look to improve on a 2011 season, where all three were named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Team.

Maghini is coming off a career-best season (.277, 14 doubles, 4 home runs, 24 RBI), while Kownacki led the Rams in triples (3) and stolen bases (23), while hitting .286. The Rams are hoping for Lee to continue his development as a junior, after hitting over .300 as a sophomore with 10 doubles and 26 RBI in 2011.

Pike will be at the top of the rotation after an 8-1 campaign in 2011, while Swatek earned Second Team All-Atlantic 10 as a reliever, posting six saves and a sub-2.00 ERA. Reich was also a top reliever, registering a 2.10 ERA in 15 appearances last season.

UPCOMING GAMES: The Rams will be back in North Carolina next weekend, February 24-25, when the team begins a three-game series against Campbell University.