Merrimack and Assumption Game Notes (.pdf)

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Southern Connecticut State University baseball team, fresh off facing some of the nation's top teams in Florida last week, returns to the Northeast for doubleheaders against Merrimack and Assumption this weekend.

ALL-TIME AGAINST MERRIMACK
The Owls are 29-14 all-time against Merrimack.

ALL-TIME AGAINST ASSUMPTION
SCSU leads the all-time series against the Greyhounds by a 31-17 margin.

LAST WEEK
The Owls went 3-3 in their season opening trip to Florida.
• In the first game of the trip, Southern Connecticut fell 7-5 to Pittsburgh-Johnstown on March 14. Nick Baviello went 3-for-5 win a run scored and a RBI, while T.K. Kiernan went 2-for-4 and drove in two.
• Strong pitching performances from Rocco Cundari and A.J. Turnier as part of a doubleheader sweep against Mercy on March 15. The Owls won the twinbill by scores of 8-1 and 2-0.Cundari won game one by meriting just one unearned run on three hits in seven innings. In the nightcap, Turnier went the distance and allowed just five hits with seven strikeouts.
• The team pounded out 18 hits in its 13-5 victory at Florida Tech on March 17. Nick Baviello and Joe Breen each had three RBIs, while Julian Sobin and Matt Burns scored three runs each.
• The trip ended with setbacks to Top Ten teams No. 1 Tampa, 18-5, on March 18 and No. 9 Franklin Pierce, 4-3, on March 19.

NE-10 HONORS
The following Owls have been honored by the Northeast-10 Conference this season:
• In game two of a doubleheader against Mercy on March 15, A.J. Turnier went all seven innings in a 2-0 win. He allowed five hits and had seven strikeouts (March 17 honor roll).
• Matt Burns went 4-for-8 for two triples in the doubleheader against Mercy. The Owls centerfielder scored two runs and drove in three (March 17 honor roll).
• Jordan Hamler spun eight shutout innings in his first collegiate game, a 2-0 win over Molloy on March 9, allowing six hits and striking out six (March 10 honor roll).
• T.K. Kiernan went 8-for-15 in the Owls' five-game opening week trip to Florida (March 10 honor roll).

FAST START
Jordan Hamler spun eight shutout innings in his first collegiate game as the Owls defeated Molloy, 2-0 on March 9. The freshman allowed six hits and struck out six to earn his first NCAA win.

LIU-POST DH POSTPONED
SCSU was originally scheduled to open its campaign with a pair of doubleheaders against LIU-Post on March 1-2.
However, the contests were postponed with no makeup date yet announced.

IN THE PRESEASON NE-10 COACHES POLL
The Southern Connecticut State University baseball team was picked fourth in the Preseason Northeast-10 Conference
Coaches' Poll.
• The Owls, earned 50 points and one first place vote for the southwest division.
• New Haven was predicted to win the division, with Franklin Pierce and Southern New Hampshire to be at the top of the northeast division.

IN THE PRESEASON REGIONAL RANKINGS
The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) picked the Southern Connecticut State University baseball team eighth in its preseason regional rankings.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB
The Owls welcome five newcomers to the squad for the 2014 season - Ethan Joyce, Jordan Hambler, Greg Zullo, Kyle Holland and Julian Sobin.

THE CAPTAINS
Redshirt senior Tyler Albrecht and senior T.K. Kiernan will serve as team captains for the Owls this spring.

OWLS' 2013 LEADERS
• A.J. Rouleau led the Owls in average and in RBI, batting .318, while driving in 24 on the season.
• Michael Cleary topped the team with 29 runs scored.
• Mike Yerina led the staff in earned run average with a 2.12 ERA.
• Pat Egan, who topped the Owls with 18 appearances, closed out five SCSU victories in 2013.
• Rocco Cundari led the team in innings pitched (83), strikeouts (78) and wins (6).

OWLS RAKE IN YEAR END HONORS
Three members of the Southern Connecticut State University baseball team were honored by the Northeast-10 Conference for their play during the 2013 season.
• Junior starting pitcher Rocco Cundari was named to the All-Northeast-10 Third Team. Cundari was the top pitcher on the Owls staff last year, starting in 11 games and appearing in six others. He finished the season with a 6-3 record and 2.60 ERA in 83.0 innings pitched. Cundari ranked in the top 10 in three different categories in the Northeast-10. His 78 strikeouts tied for third in the conference, while his 83.0 innings was fourth and his six wins tied for sixth.
• Two freshmen were also recognized by the conference. Outfielder Matt Burns and pitcher Mike Yerina were both named to the All-Rookie Team.
• Burns started 34 games in right field for the Owls, posting a .276 average from the leadoff spot. Burns drove in 14 runs and stole 10 bases, which was second the club.
• Yerina posted the top ERA on the Owls this season with a stout 2.12 mark in 13 appearances out of the bullpen. He struck out 22 batters in 29.2 innings of work only surrendering seven earned runs on the season.

THE CLASS OF 2013
This year's squad will need to fill the shoes of five graduating seniors: All-Conference centerfielder Michael Cleary, infielder A.J. Rouleau, outfielder Colin Dickinson and pitchers Ryan Yerina and Steve Landell.
• Rouleau led the team with a .318 average while Cleary did not make an error in centerfield and was a Rawlings' Glove Glove Award winner.
• On the mound, Yerina and Landell combined to give SCSU over 105 innings and 17 starts.

UP NEXT
The Owls visit Adelphi on March 26 before hosting Le Moyne for a three-game weekend series March 29 and 30.