Bronx, N.Y. – (March 17, 2025) – After winning its opening conference series at George Washington, the Fordham baseball team has a busy week on deck with five games this week, beginning with two mid-week contests. The Rams host the Maine Black Bears on Tuesday for a 1:00 PM start at Houlihan Park, while traveling to Hofstra on Wednesday for a 3:00 PM game.
SCOUTING REPORT: Maine is 4-13 overall, having played all 17 games on the road this season. The team has lost its last five contests and were swept by St. John's over the weekend. The Black Bears are hitting .232 as a team with a 6.54 team ERA. Myles Sargent is the team's leading hitter at .281 with six runs scored, two home runs and six RBI, while Dean O'Neill is batting .274 with four doubles, two home runs, and seven RBI. Brody Rasmussen is at .264 on the season with a team-best 10 RBI and five stolen bases. On the mound, Gabe Gifford is scheduled to make his fourth start. He is 0-1 with an 8.71 ERA and seven strikeouts in 10.1 innings pitched.
Hofstra is 7-12 on the year, coming off a three-game series at Kent State, where the Pride lost two of three games. The team is averaging 6.3 runs per game, while hitting .270 as a group. The Pride boast four players who have double-digit RBI, led by Luke Masiuk with 22, while having six home runs and six doubles. Dylan Palmer is hitting a team-high .365 with 12 RBI and nine stolen bases with Tyler Castrataro at .344 with nine extra-base hits and 15 RBI.
PROBABLE STARTERS:
Tuesday - Fordham – RHP
Jordan Rodarte (0-2, 13.03 ERA) vs. Maine – LHP Gabe Gifford (0-1, 8.71 ERA)
Wednesday – Fordham – LHP
Ameer Hasan (0-0, 2.25 ERA) vs. Hofstra - RHP Michael Heyman (0-0, 3.12 ERA)
SERIES HISTORY: Tuesday will be the 18
th meeting between Fordham and Maine with the Black Bears holding a 9-8 edge in the all-time series. The teams met last season in a neutral site match-up in Deland, Florida, where Maine took a 16-2 decision in seven innings. Prior to that, the teams had not met since 2012. The most memorable Fordham-Maine game came in the 1990 ECAC Championship, as the Rams won 9-7 in 10 innings to earn a berth in the NCAA Championship.
The Fordham-Hofstra series dates back to 1942, as the Rams and Pride have met 77 times since then. Fordham holds a 52-25 series lead, having won the last seven meetings, which includes a 10-8 win at Houlihan Park last year. The Pride's last win in the series came in 2014.
WEEKEND RECAP (3/14-15): Fordham took two of three games from George Washington to open Atlantic 10 play over the weekend. The Rams won on Friday, 3-2, and split a doubleheader on Saturday with a 7-3 win in game one and a 3-2 loss in game two.
Fordham's pitching duo of
Aidan Dowd and
Robbie Stewart held George Washington to just four total hits in Friday's Atlantic 10 opener, leading the Rams to a 3-2 victory. Stewart (1-1) was outstanding in relief of Dowd, allowing just a solo home run in four innings of relief with three strikeouts to earn the win. Dowd went the first five innings, giving up just one run.
Taylor Kirk finished 2-for-4 with a run scored, while
Andrew Kanellis was 1-for-2 with a stolen base and a sacrifice fly.
Matt Dieguez also had a hit and an RBI in the game.
On Saturday, Fordham's
Beau Elson tossed four scoreless innings of relief, while Bucciero and Dieguez each had three hits as the Rams took game one of the doubleheader, 7-3. Elson (2-1) was brilliant in relief of starter
Mike Rabayda, throwing four scoreless innings of two-hit ball with three strikeouts. Rabayda pitched the first five innings, allowing three runs on four hits with three strikeouts. At the plate, Bucciero went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, and a career-high three stolen bases, while Dieguez was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
In game two, Conlon Walker's single with the bases loaded in the ninth proved to be the difference in a 3-2 win by George Washington.
Koen Smith (0-1) took the hard luck loss, allowing one earned run over three innings in relief of
Chase Hanawalt, who went the first five innings, giving up one run on two hits with four strikeouts. The Rams managed just four hits in the game, two of which came from Dieguez.
GOIN' STREAKIN': Outfielder
Andrew Kanellis is swinging a hot bat and is currently on an eight-game hit streak, tying his career-best mark. Over those eight games, he is hitting .533 (16-30) with two doubles, a home run, four stolen bases, and eight RBI…
Matt Dieguez is hitting .394 (13-33) in his last eight contests with three doubles and five RBI…
Daniel Bucciero has 10 runs scored to go with six stolen bases, three RBI, and a .359 average (14-39) in his last 11 games…
Aidan Dowd is 1-1 in his last three starts with a 1.69 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 16 innings…
Mike Rabayda also has 14 strikeouts over his last three starts, allowing a .196 batting average….
Chase Hanawalt has a 0.93 ERA in his last four appearances (9.2 innings) with eight strikeouts and a .129 opponent batting average.
MILESTONE WATCH: On Friday, senior
Cian Sahler recorded his 150
th career hit against George Washington. Sahler will have company in the 150 club soon with junior
Daniel Bucciero currently at 148 hits.
WHO'S NEXT: Following the mid-week games, Fordham hosts Massachusetts for a three-game Atlantic 10 series at Houlihan Park, March 21-23.
