2008 Southern Connecticut
State University Baseball
SCSU (0-3) vs.
Games 4-5 • C.W. Post • March 1
Fort Myers, Fla. • 4/6 p.m.
Games 6-7 • Assumption • March 2
Fort Myers, Fla. • 10 a.m./12 p.m.
Game 8 • St. Anselm • March 3
St. Leo, Fla. • 10 a.m.


View full game notes (.pdf).


BACK AT IT
After nearly two weeks off, the Southern Connecticut State University baseball team returns to action this weekend as they head to Fort Myers, Fla. for a quintet of games against teams from the Northeast. On Saturday, the Owls will play a doubleheader against C.W. Post. On Sunday, SCSU will battle Assumption in a doubleheader. On Monday, the club will conclude the trip with a single game against St. Anselm.

LAST TIME OUT
Brendan Twomey knocked a single through the right side in the bottom of the ninth inning, scoring Nick Brennan from third base to give Florida Institute of Technology a walk-off, 10-9 victory over SCSU on Feb. 17 at Seminick-Hall Field. Junior second baseman Kevin Bowerman went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs for the Owls in defeat.

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Picked to finish second in the East Coast Conference (ECC), C.W. Post opens its season with a game in Florida against Mercyhurst on Friday before taking on the Owls in a doubleheader on Saturday. The Pioneers are led by senior infielder Joe Mare, who hit .402 while leading last year's club to a 30-19 record and a third place finish in the ECC. Senior pitcher Keith Karlsen was a First-Team All-ECC selection a year ago and is a Preseason All-Conference selection this season. Karlsen posted a 6-1 record with a 2.14 earned-run average last season.

PREVIOUSLY AGAINST C.W. POST
Michael Diaz and Kevin Bowerman each went 3-for-5 and combined to drive in three runs to lead SCSU to a 10-2 victory over C.W. Post in the back end of a doubleheader at Santaluces Complex in Lantana, Fla. C.W. Post's Kyle Walker went 4-for-4, drove in three runs and scored four times in the first game to lead the Pioneers to a 14-4 victory.

SCOUTING THE GREYHOUNDS
Picked to finish ninth in the Northeast-10, Assumption opens its season in Florida on Saturday with a doubleheader against Saginaw Valley before squaring off with SCSU for a twin bill on Sunday. The Greyhounds return a trio of All-Conference selections in pitcher Jeff Barbale (Second-Team), outfielder Derek Migrants (Third-Team) and utility player Mike Baillargeon (Third-Team). Barbale threw a pair of shutouts, posted a 1.61 ERA and held opponents to a .244 batting average over 72.2 innings last season.

PREVIOUSLY AGAINST ASSUMPTION
Michael Diaz and Chris Barile each went 2-for-4 with an RBI and SCSU used a four-run, four-hit eighth inning to break a 1-1 tie and go on to a 5-2 victory at Assumption's Rocheleau Field. Mike Baillargeon went 2-for-4 with an RBI for Assumption. Nick Carlucci started and threw eight innings, surrendered two runs (one earned) on five hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out a career-high 11 to earn the victory.

SCOUTING THE HAWKS
Picked to finish 12th in the Northeast-10, St. Anselm opens their season with a doubleheader at St. Leo on Saturday and a single game at Eckerd on Sunday before taking on the Owls on Monday. The Hawks went 9-29 (8-22 NE-10) a year ago.

PREVIOUSLY AGAINST ST. ANSLEM
Mike Diaz went 2-for-4, including a two-run double which keyed a five-run fifth inning as SCSU defeated St. Anselm 7-4 at Sullivan Park in Manchester, N.H. Mike Craig went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI for St. Anselm. Will Hill pitched six innings and gave up three runs to earn the victory for the Owls.

ENJOYING THE WARM WEATHER
Junior second baseman Kevin Bowerman saw success as the Owls opened their season with three games at Florida Tech on Feb. 16 and 17. The West Haven, Conn. native hit 8-for-13 (.615) with five RBI, a double, a run scored and a stolen base on the trip.

OWLS ON THE HONOR ROLL
Junior second baseman Kevin Bowerman and junior centerfielder Karl Derbacher were named to the Northeast-10 Conference Honor Roll for the week ending on Feb. 17. The Owls have had two honor roll selections so far this season.

DIAZ EARNS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA HONORS
Junior shortstop Mike Diaz has been named a Preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball Magazine. He garnered All-Northeast Region and First-Team All-Northeast-10 Conference honors a year ago after batting .360.

STRONG ARMS AT THE TOP
The Owls return a bevy of experienced pitchers this spring. Seniors Toby Nylin and Nick Carlucci both have logged significant time as starters, while junior Justin Cox is back on the hill after missing all of last year with an injury. He was an All-Conference pick two years ago after going 7-0 for the Owls. Also back in sophomore lefty Ed Bethke, who led the staff in innings pitched last year en route to a five-win season. The bullpen will be anchored by junior Mike Connors, who was second on the club in appearances last season.

FLIRTING WITH A FINE FIGURE
In addition to Mike Diaz, who hit .360 last year, the Owls have two other returnees who have posted single-season efforts above .300. Joe Kahlden batted .315 in 2006, while Chris Barile batted .312 last year. In addition, Billy Hite batted .294 last season, while Kevin Bowerman hit .296 in 2006.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB
Fifteen of the 29 players on the SCSU roster are new to the club this season. The newcomers are comprised of three juniors, four sophomores and eight freshmen.

THE CAPTAINS
Seniors Joe Kahlden and junior Kevin Bowerman will serve as team captains for the Owls this spring.

IN THE NE-10 PRESEASON POLL
The Owls were tabbed for fifth in this year's Northeast-10 Preseason Coaches Poll. Franklin Pierce was selected as the preseason favorite.

HEAD COACH TIM SHEA
Affiliated with Southern Connecticut State University as a student-athlete, instructor and coach for two decades, Tim Shea's long-standing relationship with the university has been a tremendously successful one. He took over as head baseball coach prior to the 2002 season after serving 11 years as an Owls assistant to Joe Bandiera. Now in his seventh season, Shea has compiled a 167-121 (.580) record. He guided the Owls to the NCAA Division II World Series in 2005.

ON DECK
The Owls return to the field on March 5 when they open the home portion of their schedule against Post. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at The Ballpark at Southern Connecticut in New Haven, Conn.