Bronx, N.Y. – (April 28, 2022) – Fresh off back-to-back wins, the Fordham baseball team return to Houlihan Park this weekend for a three-game Atlantic 10 series against the Saint Joseph's Hawks. The three-game series starts on Friday at 3:00 PM with Saturday's game at 1:00 PM and Sunday at 12:00 PM.
Additionally on Saturday, Fordham baseball will have Alumni Day and honor long-time coach, the late-Dan Gallagher, with a pre-game ceremony.
Fordham (11-27, 4-8 A10) looks to extend its win streak against a very tough Saint Joseph's squad that is tied for third in the conference standings. The Hawks (22-16, 7-5 A10) have also won their last two games and have won five of their last seven league games.
PROBABLE STARTERS/GAME COVERAGE:
Friday: Fordham – RHP
Cory Wall (0-1) vs. Saint Joseph's – RHP Ian McCole (1-4) //
Live Video (ESPN+) |
Live Stats |
Twitter - @FordhamBaseball
Saturday: Fordham – RHP
Cameron Knox (3-2) vs. Saint Joseph's – RHP Luke Smith (4-3) //
Live Video (ESPN+) |
Live Stats |
Twitter - @FordhamBaseball
Sunday: Fordham – RHP
Brooks Ey (2-6) vs. Saint Joseph's – TBA // Live Video (ESPN+) |
Live Stats |
Twitter - @FordhamBaseball
OPPONENT OUTLOOK: Saint Joseph's enters the weekend leading the league in batting average (.311), runs scored (320), hits (427), triples (13), and RBI (292), while being second in doubles (89) and home runs (51). The Hawks' offense is led by Andrew Cossetti, who is one of the front runners for Player of the Year. Cossetti is batting .336 with 45 runs scored, 12 doubles, 15 home runs, and 55 RBI. His 55 RBI is just one shy of the Hawks' single season record, set by Jason Hamilton in 1991, while his home run total is three short of Deon Stafford, Jr. (18 – 2016) for the single season record. Nate Thomas is also having a big year with a .327 average, 11 home runs, and 39 RBI, while Brett Callahan has a team-best .371 average with 47 runs scored, seven home runs, and 23 RBI. On the mound, Ian McCole (1-4, 5.68 ERA) and Luke Smith (4-3, 6.70 ERA) have each started 10 games as the top two pitchers for the Hawks, while Ryan Devine has been the go-to pitcher in the bullpen, making 18 appearances and recording two wins and four saves.
SERIES HISTORY: The two Jesuit schools have met a total of 66 times since the first game in 1996. The Rams have the slimmest of edges at 33-32-1, as the two teams split a four-game series last season at Saint Joseph's. Prior to that split, Fordham won the previous nine meetings.
LAST TIME OUT: A sequence of seven straight run-scoring hits highlighted a big day for the Fordham baseball team, as the Rams posted a 9-4 road win at Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday afternoon.
The Knights opened the scoring in the second inning, as Luke Cantwell connected on a two-run home run to right, his sixth of the season. Fordham closed the gap to 2-1 in the third, picking up a run on a sacrifice fly by
Sebastian Mexico.
The Rams then exploded in the fourth inning, scoring eight times on seven hits to take a 9-2 lead. Fordham got a string of five straight RBI-singles from
Chris Genaro,
Ryan Thiesse,
David Kale,
Cian Sahler, and Mexico to go up 6-2.
Andy Semo then connected on a two-run double followed by an RBI-single by
Will Findlay for the 9-2 advantage.
Fairleigh Dickinson would score single runs in the fifth and eighth innings, but the bullpen trio of
Joseph Quintal,
Beau Rottmann, and
Ben Kovel were able to keep the Knights in check. Quintal (1-2) earned the win, allowing one run over three innings with five strikeouts, while Rottmann also allowed just one run over three innings with three strikeouts. Kovel then pitched a scoreless ninth with a strikeout, as Fordham pitching totaled 13 strikeouts on the day.
At the plate, Thiesse and Findlay were both 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, while Genaro was 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Mexico and Semo each finished with two RBI as well.
HEATING UP: Ryan Thiesse has heated up over his last three games, going 8-for-10 with six runs scored three RBI, and three stolen bases… After missing the first 29 games of the year,
David Kale has fit right into the leadoff spot the last nine games, batting .406 (13-32) with 11 runs scored, six stolen bases, two home runs, and nine RBI…
Will Findlay is hitting .355 (11-31) over his last eight games with five runs scored, two doubles, two home runs, and 10 RBI…
Ben Kovel is 1-0 with four saves and a 1.65 ERA in his last 10 appearances out of the bullpen…
Joseph Quintal is also 1-0 with a save and a 3.05 ERA in his last 10 relief appearances.
WHO'S NEXT: Following this series, Fordham host NJIT on Tuesday, May 3
rd, at Houlihan Park before traveling to Rhode Island for a three-game series, May 6-8.
