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THE WEEK AHEAD
The No. 21 nationally ranked Southern Connecticut State University baseball team will play five games this week. The Owls will host Adelphi on Wednesday and Post on Thursday. Game times are set for 3:30 p.m. for both of those home games. The team will then travel to American International for three games. There will be a doubleheader on Saturday with the first game starting at 12 p.m. and then a single game on Sunday starting at 1 p.m.

IN THIS WEEK'S REGIONAL POLL
The Owls are now No. 4 in this week's NCBWA regional poll after previously being ranked fifth.

IN THE NEW ENGLAND POLL
The Owls are ranked fourth in the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association poll.

IN THE NATIONAL POLLS
The Owls moved up four spots to No. 21 in this week's College Baseball Lineup poll. Southern Connecticut was previously ranked No. 25 last week.

ALL-TIME AGAINST ADELPHI
The Owls leads the all-time series against Adelphi, 14-11-2.  

ALL-TIME AGAINST POST
Southern Connecticut leads the all-time series against Post by a 17-2 margin.

ALL-TIME AGAINST AIC
The Owls lead the all-time series against AIC, 44-27. Southern Connecticut has won 14 straight games against AIC.

LAST TIME OUT VERSUS POST
The Owls defeated Post 24-7 on April 10. Bryan Dorsey led the way with a team-high six RBI. Greg Pacelli and Peter Testa added four RBI of their own. Ryan Geffert, Dorsey, Pacelli and Testa each had a home run in the contest.

STRONG TWO WEEKS
The Owls have been on a roll the past two weeks, winning seven of their last nine contests.

WALK THIS WAY
The Owls recently had two games that were won on a bases loaded walk. In the game versus New Haven, the bases loaded walk by Nick Baviello resulted in a walk off 6-5 victory. Against Assumption, Ryan Geffert drew a bases loaded walk in the seventh inning to give the Owls a 7-6 lead and the eventual win.

GEFFERT CONTINUES TO BREAK RECORDS
Ryan Geffert moved into first place all-time with 232 career hits with the six hits he had in the week against New Haven, Assumption and Le Moyne. He passed Craig Prasauckas. Geffert is also on the verge of setting two other other school records. He currently has 184 games played, five behind Karl Derbacher. Geffert needs just one more at-bat to move ahead Henry Lee all-time. They are tied with 718 career at-bats.

TESTA GETTING IT DONE
No Owl has more RBI in April then Peter Testa. He has an impressive 22 RBI, nine more then the next best on the team. Testa is hitting .277 with four doubles, three triples and one home run in April.

ZBIN IS TOPS IN INNINGS PITCHED
Chris Zbin's 5.1 innings pitched against Le Moyne moved him into first place all-time in Southern Connecticut history. He now has 297.1 innings pitched in his career, moving him past former Owl Brian Forgione who had 293.1 innings pitched.

SLAMMING THE DOOR
A.J. Turnier has a team-high eight saves this season. He also leads the team with a 1.54 ERA. Turnier has allowed just two earned runs in 11.2 innings pitched with 13 strikeouts so far, as well as a 1-0 record.

GEFFERT CLIMBING UP LONGBALL LIST
With nine home runs thus far on the year, senior first baseman Ryan Geffert is now the Owls all-time leader at SCSU in home runs with 38. Geffert is also enjoying a year where he has moved into first place all-time in three other categories; RBI, walks and putouts.

STRONG HITTING BY THE OWLS
The Owls went 3-1 in the week against New Haven, Assumption and Le Moyne. The team was led by strong performances at the plate from Kyle Cummings, Ryan Geffert and Greg Pacelli. Cummings lead the team with a .500 batting average going 8-for-16 with three RBI. Geffert hit .429 with six hits. Three of those hits were doubles. Pacelli hit .357 with four RBI on a triple and three doubles. Michael Cleary also chimed in with four RBI and one home run.

TESTA HITTING HARD
Peter Testa had a team-high .429 batting average in the four games against New Haven and Saint Rose. He also lead the team in slugging-percentage (.857), RBI (8) and triples (2) during that stretch.

GEFFERT MAKES HISTORY
With his two home runs in the four games against New Haven and Saint Rose, Ryan Geffert is the Owls all-time leader in home runs. He also contributed four RBI in that span.

CUNDARI STRONG PITCHING
Rocco Cundari allowed just one run in seven innings with six strikeouts against Saint Rose on April 15.

TEEING OFF
The Owls had four players - Bryan Dorsey, Ryan Geffert, Greg Pacelli and Peter Testa - with at least a home run in a win at Post.

WELCOME ABOARD    
Bryan Dorsey hit his first home run of the season as a part of his six-RBI day in a win at Post.

IN THE NCAA STATS
The Owls are ranked within the top 10 in two statistical categories in division II baseball during the week of April 15.
• The Owls are ranked No. 12 in the country in earned run average. The Owls are also No. 10 in hits allowed per nine innings. The team is eighth in the nation in sacrifice bunts.
• Several individuals on the team are also ranked in division II. Chris Zbin is ranked No. 19 in the country in overall strikeouts and fifth strikeouts per nine innings. T.K. Kiernan is ranked first in sacrifice bunts per nine innings and No. 3 in total number of sacrifice bunts. Michael Cleary is ranked No. 17 in total number of triples and 20th in triples per game.

IN THE NE-10 CONFERENCE RANKINGS
The Owls also rank among the conference leaders. Kyle Cummings is third with a .384 batting average. Pat Egan ranked No. 12 with a 1.95 ERA while Steve Landell is No. 16 in the conference with a 2.17 ERA. Ryan Geffert is third with nine home runs. Chris Zbin is second with 77 strikeouts. A.J. Turnier leads the conference with eight saves.

ZBIN'S IMPRESSIVE OUTING
Chris Zbin pitched eight innings of shutout baseball with 10 strikeouts in the second game against Assumption on April 1. Zbin allowed just four hits on the afternoon.

CUMMINGS HOT STRETCH
Kyle Cummings went 6-for-11 at the plate in the three game stretch against Adelphi and Assumption. Cummings had four RBI and two runs scored with an .818 slugging percentage and a .643 on-base percentage. Three of his six hits were doubles.

TWO OWLS WITH TRIPLES
Michael Cleary and Sam Greenberg both had a triple in the three-game stretch against Adelphi and Assumption. Both players collected four hits while Greenberg had a slugging percentage of .909 which included a home run.

SAVING THE DAY
The Owls have 13 saves as a team this season. A.J. Turnier leads the team with eight saves so far.

STRONG AT THE PLATE
Eight players had three or more hits in the four-game stretch against Saint Michael's and Saint Anselm. Ryan Geffert and Nick Baviello led with seven hits each. Michael Cleary had six hits and led the team with four RBI while T.J. Shea and T.K. Kiernan chimed in with five hits apiece. Sam Greenberg and Bryan Dorsey each had four hits while Dorsey knocked in three runs. Kyle Cummings went 3-for-5 at the plate as well.

ZBIN MOVES INTO THE TOP SPOT
With a win over Caldwell, senior left-handed pitcher Chris Zbin moved into first place on the all-time list for victories. Zbin passed Brian Forgione's 23 career victories. Zbin already holds school records with 337 strikeouts and 27 victories.

THREE REGULARS HIT OVER .300 IN FLORIDA
The Owls were led by veterans Bryan Dorsey, T.J. Shea, and Ryan Geffert in the team's eight-game Florida road trip. Dorsey posted a .321 batting average while collecting nine hits, five RBI and two runs scored. Shea batted .308 with eight hits, four RBI and four runs scored. Geffert led the team with two home runs on the trip along with 10 hits and a .323 average.

WINS ALL AROUND
Six different Owls left Florida with a win. Steve Landell, Pat Egan, Cole Bryant, Rocco Cundari, Chris Zbin and Ryan Yerina all led the Owls to victory. Zbin led the way with an outstanding 20 strikeouts in just 13 innings pitched.

SAVING THE GAME
There were four saves in the Owls six wins in Florida. A.J. Turnier led the way with three, while Steve Landell picked up one save as well.

TWO OWLS EARN NE-10 WEEKLY HONORS
Bryan Dorsey was named to the NE-10 weekly honor roll for his performance March 13-19. Dorsey hit a .444 with six RBI and two runs scored during the team's 5-0 win streak in Florida. Chris Zbin was named NE-10 Pitcher of the Week for his performance over Caldwell. Zbin allowed just two hits in eight innings with 12 strikeouts in that outing.

ZBIN EARNS NCBWA HONORS
On the heels of being named the NE-10 Pitcher of the Week, Chris Zbin was also named as both the NCBWA National and Regional Pitcher of the Week.

CUMMINGS SWINGING A HOT BAT
Senior shortstop Kyle Cummings had a fine weekend in the three-game set against Queens. He batted .571 (8-for-14) with four runs scored. Cummings leads the Owls with a .384 batting average.

CLEARY PICKING UP STEAM
Junior outfielder Michael Cleary batted .429 (12-for-28) over a seven game stretch and had six hits in 12 at-bats in the three game series against Queens. He's second among starters with a .300 batting average this year.

YERINA CONTINUES HIS STRONG START
Senior right-handed pitcher Ryan Yerina is 4-1 with a 2.76 earned run average. He had allowed just one earned run in his first four starts.

THREE OWLS EARN NE-10 WEEKLY HONORS
Three Owls were recognized by the Northeast-10 for their play in the weekend series against Philadelphia. Ryan Yerina was named the NE-10 Pitcher of the Week, while Cole Bryant was tabbed as the Rookie of the Week. In addition, Kyle Cummings was named to the weekly honor roll.

FIRST AS AN OWL
Peter Testa chimed in with his first career home run in the third game against Philadelphia.

DOMINANT ARMS
Rocco Cundari pitched six innings of shutout baseball while striking out three in the first game against Philadelphia. Cole Bryant went eight innings, allowing just one run, in the third game against Philadelphia.

YERINA'S BIG GAME
Ryan Yerina pitched a complete game in the final contest against Philadelphia. He allowed just three hits while striking out six. The nine innings pitched was the second longest outing of his career as he went nine and two thirds innings on 3/27/10 against Merrimack. The three hits allowed matched the fewest he allowed in a start. He also tossed a three-hitter against Stonehill on 4/17/10.

TWO OWLS EARN WEEKLY HONORS
Chris Zbin and T.J. Shea were named to the Northeast-10 Conference Weekly Honor Roll for their play against Felician.

SHEA JUMPS OFF TO A HOT START
Sophomore catcher T.J. Shea led the team with a .375 batting average and three doubles through the first four games of the year.

PICKING UP WIN NUMBER ONE
Two Owls notched their first wins in a SCSU uniform during the opening weeks. Daniel Murdoch collected a victory over Felician, while Kevin Madera matched the feat against Merrimack.

SPREADING THE WEALTH
In all, 12 different Owls have seen time on the mound thus far, with none tossing more then 64 innings.
 
WELCOME TO THE CLUB
The Owls welcome 10 new players to the team this year - Brandon Docimo, Peter Testa, Rocco Cundari, Matt Burns, Nick Baviello, Dan Murdoch, Pat Egan, Joe Breen, Kevin Madera and Cole Bryant.

IN THE NATIONAL PRESEASON POLLS
• Coming off a trip to the national semifinals last spring, the Southern Connecticut State University baseball team was selected No. 3 in the 2012 College Baseball Lineup preseason Division II rankings.
• The Owls were ranked tied for sixth in the country in the National College Baseball Writers Association preseason poll. SCSU is also ranked first in the East Region. The Owls received all nine first place votes for the East Region.
• The Owls were ranked first in the Northeast-10 Conference preseason poll. The Owls were ranked first in the Southwest Division.

TWO ON PRESEASON TINO AWARD LIST
Seniors Chris Zbin and Ryan Geffert were placed on the Tino Martinez Award preseason watch list. The Tino Martinez Award is given out to the Division II Player of the Year. Zbin was a semifinalist for the award last season.

PRESEASON INDIVIDUAL HONORS
Three student-athletes received National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association preseason honors. Chris Zbin was named to the NCBWA All-American First-Team. Zbin and Ryan Geffert were named to the NCBWA East Region First-Team, while third baseman A.J. Rouleau was named to the NCBWA East Region Second-Team.

THE CAPTAINS
Seniors Ryan Yerina and Chris Zbin will serve as team captains for the Owls in 2012.

SUCCESS CONTINUES IN SEASON OPENERS IN-REGION
Since 2002, the Owls have played five season openers against teams from within the East Region and are 5-0 in those games. The Owls defeated Felician in each of the last two years, UMass-Lowell in 2010, Bridgeport in 2003 and Queens in 2002. The other six openers over that stretch were against schools from either Florida or Georgia.

ONE FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS
It was a record-setting season for the Southern Connecticut State University baseball team in 2011. The Owls set a new school high water mark with 45 victories, reached the College World Series for the second time in school history, and reached the NCAA National Semifinals. SCSU finished the year with a final No. 4 national ranking, also the highest in school history.

ZBIN NAMED DAKTRONICS ALL-AMERICAN
Junior pitcher Chris Zbin was named a Daktronics First-Team All-American for his play in 2011. He closed the year with a 10-2 mark to go along with one save and a 1.25 earned run average. His 10 wins tied for the most in a season in school history, while his 112 strikeouts were the second-highest single-season mark. Zbin was an Honorable Mention All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and the American Baseball Coaches Association as a sophomore.

MAINTAINING A TRADITION
The 2011 appearance marked the eighth all-time NCAA appearance for the Owls. They also qualified in 1966, 1967, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010 and reached the College World Series in 2005 and 2011.

SHATTERING THE RECORD BOOK
Thanks to their run through the NCAA Regional, the Owls shattered the old single-season win mark of 38 victories that was attained by the 2001 and 2010 squads.

GIVE THE SKIPPER AN ANTACID
The Owls haven't made it easy on head coach Tim Shea in both of their regional final wins that led to the College World Series. In 2005, Southern Connecticut edged Franklin Pierce, 1-0. This time around, SCSU also triumphed by a single run, 2-1 over Adelphi.
 
REGULAR SEASON REPEAT
For the second straight year, SCSU won the Northeast-10 Conference regular season crown.

ON DECK
The Owls will host the last regular season home game on May 2 against Adelphi. This will also be Senior Day. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m.