NE-10 First Rd Game Notes (.pdf)

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Southern Connecticut State University baseball team, your 2014 Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division Champions, host Adelphi in the first round of the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament on May 7.

ALL-TIME AGAINST ADELPHI
SCSU leads the all-time series against Adelphi by a 19-14-2 margin. The Owls lost to Adelphi 4-3 on March 27 and won 6-0 on April 9 and 6-4 on April 23.

CONFERENCE RANKINGS
Where the Owls' rank in among the NE-10 stats leaders
(as of May 3):

• ERA -
Rocco Cundari: 1st - 0.74
Mike Yerina: 2nd - 0.85

• Strikeouts -
Pat Egan: 1st - 83

• Batting Average -
Matt Burns: 6th - .368
T.K. Kiernan: 7th - .361
Kyle Holland: 11th- .330

LAST WEEK
The Southern Connecticut State University baseball team swept a three-game weekend series at Pace to win the Southwest Division title.
• The Owls, 3-1 on the week, fell to New Haven 5-4 on April 29 on Senior Day. Before the game the program honored: Kyle Holland, Will Meade, Will Hindinger, Rocco Cundari, T.J. Shea, Tyler Albrecht and T.K. Kiernan for their contributions to the program. Shea and Baviello led the team with three hits with Breen adding two hits.
• On May 2, Brandon Docimo singled home Kiernan with two outs in the top of the 10th inning as SCSU prevailed 3-2 over Pace.
• The Owls got on the board first when Sobin led off the fourth with a home run to center. The junior went 4-for-4 on the afternoon.
• For the second time in as many games the Owls and Setters went into extra innings. In game one of a DH, Julian Sobin and Joe Breen had back-to-back RBI doubles in the eleventh inning to take the opener 2-0.
• Starters A.J. Turnier and Jonathan Chudy each threw over nine scoreless innings. Turnier gave up five hits and struck out nine over 9.1 innings.
• The Owls scored seven unanswered runs in the nightcap, defeating Pace 7-1 to clinch the division crown.
• Albrecht threw a complete game six hitter in the regular season finale.

COMPLETE GAME CUNDARI
Rocco Cundari had two complete game victories last week, April 21 versus Le Moyne and April 26 at Saint Rose. The right-hander struck out 16 batters and did not allow an earned run. For his outings, the senior earned Pitcher of the Week honors from the Northeast-10 Conference and the NCBWA.

ON A RUN
Southern Connecticut won eight of its first nine games played in April. The Owls outscored their opponents by a 49-29 margin during the stretch.

NE-10 HONORS
The following Owls have been honored by the Northeast-10 Conference this season:
• Tyler Albrecht threw 7.1 no-hit innings against Saint Rose on April 27 and ultimately allowed just two hits and zero runs.  The redshirt-senior went the distance and struck out 12 Golden Knights in his only start of the week (April 28 honor roll).
• Joe Breen, who hit the game-winning double with two outs in the eighth of the Owls' 6-4 win versus Adelphi on April 23, hit .345 (10-for-29) and led the team with 10 RBI in its 6-1 week (April 28 honor roll).  
• Brandon Docimo went 11-for-26 (.423) over the seven games (April 28 honor roll).
• Nick Baviello led the Owls in batting average (6-for-13, .462) and runs scored (five) last week (April 21 honor roll).
• Versus Le Moyne on April 17, Pat Egan threw seven shutout innings to pick up the win. The lefty allowed three hits and struck out seven(April 21 honor roll).
• Nick Baviello led SCSU in average (.438, 7-for-16) and runs scored (five) (April 14 honor roll).
• Matt Burns, the Owls' centerfielder, hit a team-best .500 (12-for-24), scored four runs and drove in three while posting a .480 OBP (April 8 honor roll).
• Kyle Holland hit .588 (10-for-17) in a pair of weekend doubleheader sweep with three runs scored and two RBI (April 8 honor roll).
• Rocco Cundari threw nine shutout innings against New Haven on April 2, scattering six hits with seven strikeouts in the 1-0 win. He also had a save against Saint Michael's on April 6, struck out 10 in 11 innings of work on the week (April 8 honor roll).
• Appearing in both ends of a doubleheader against Saint Anselm on April 5,  Mike Yerina had a win and a save, striking out nine while allowing no runs on three hits over 7.2 innings (April 8 honor roll).
• T.K. Kiernan went 2-for-3 and scored two runs for the Owls in their lone game of the week, a 4-3 loss to Adelphi on March 27 (March 31 honor roll).
• Julian Sobin led the Owls in their 2-5 week in batting average (11-for-24 .458), and RBI (eight). The junior also scored seven runs (March 24 honor roll).
• Nick Baviello went 15-for-33 (.455) to finish second in the club in hitting over the seven games. The Owls' second baseman had a team-high 15 hits and five doubles during the stretch (March 24 honor roll).
• 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).

CUNDARI NAMED NE-10 PITCHER OF THE WEEK
On April 14, Rocco Cundari was named the Northeast-10 Pitcher of the Week. Against Adelphi on April 9, the right-hander threw a complete game shutout, striking out seven. The senior closed out the Owls' 4-1 victory over AIC on April 13, striking out three in 1.1 innings. Over his two appearances (10.1 innings), the-then Northeast-10 Conference ERA leader (0.65) allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out 10.

FULLER IN NEW BRITAIN
Former Southern Connecticut State University All-American Jim Fuller '08 will return back to Connecticut to start the 2014 professional baseball season as a member of the New Britain Rock Cats, the AA Eastern League affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.
•Fuller, who spent the last six seasons as a member of the New York Mets organization, was selected by the Twins in the minor league portion of Major League Baseball's Rule V draft back in December.

OWLS DEFEAT NEW HAVEN, 1-0, IN 10 INNINGS
Brandon Docimo threw out the game-tying run at the plate as Southern Connecticut defeated New Haven 1-0 in 10 innings on April 2.
•Matt Burns, who had three hits on the day, singled home the Owls' left fielder in the top of the 10th for the lone run of the Northeast-10 Conference game.
•The New Haven-area rivals sent their aces to the mound on the sunny afternoon, and Rocco Cundari and Pat Simone did not disappoint.
•Cundari went the first nine for the Owls. The senior scattered six hits and struck out seven to earn the win (2-1).

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.

UP NEXT
The Northeast-10 Conference Tournament Semifinals and Championship are this weekend.