Southern Connecticut State University Owls (0-0, 0-0 NE10) at
Adelphi University Panthers (2-5, 0-0 NE10)
Saturday, Mar. 27, 2021 (12 p.m. (9 Inn.), 3 p.m. (7 Inn.)
Sunday, Mar. 28, 2021 (12 p.m. (9 Inn.), 3 p.m. (7 Inn.)
The Ballpark at SCSU (New Haven, Conn.)
Live Stats | Live Video

Southern Connecticut baseball kicks off the 2021 season with a four-game series at Adelphi on Mar. 27-28 in Garden City, N.Y.  With inclement weather possible for Sunday, Mar. 28, Owls fans should refer to SCSUOwls.com for up-to-the-minute schedule changes.

The Owls will be seeing live action for the first time over a year while Adelphi is 2-5. The Owls were set to open the season at home on Mar. 20-21 against Saint Anselm but were forced to postpone the series due to health protocols set forth by the Northeast 10 and SCSU. 

Spectator Policy
Under the direction of the Northeast 10 Conference and adhering to the COVID-10 pandemic protocols adopted by the membership of the NE10, spectators will not be allowed at The Ballpark at SCSU for this weekend's series. The spectator attendance policy will be reviewed throughout the remainder of the season.

Follow The Action
This weekend's series, and all of the Owls' games this year, will be available on The Owl Network on the NE10Now.tv platform. In addition, live statistics will also be available for each game this season.

The Last Time They Met
The last time Southern and Adelphi squared off was in the 2019 Northeast 10 Conference tournament when the Owls upset the bracket's top-seed Panthers in the first round in Garden City. Jim Palmer (Milford, Conn.) was 5-for-6 with two runs scored while Mac Finnegan (Old Saybrook, Conn.) drove-in the go-ahead run in the top of the 9th to lead the Owls. Tyler Criscuolo(Branford, Conn.) was 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI while Mike DeMartino (New Haven, Conn.) and Nolan Cloutier(Wallingford, Conn.) also homered for the Owls. DeMartino drove in three runs on the day. 

Scouting The Panthers

• Adelphi is currently 2-5 on the year. The Panthers opened the year with a 15-0 win against Felician before splitting a non-conference doubleheader against Pace. Adelphi enters the weekend with four-straight losses. 
• Jose Matos leads the Panthers with a .571 (4-7) average with two RBI in five appearances. Matt Alifano checks-in with a .435 (10-23) average with five doubles, a team-leading seven RBI and four runs scored. 
• On the mound, Michael Storms leads Adelphi in appearances (4) and has yet to allow a run in 3 1/3 innings pitched out of the pen. Storms has one save and six strikeouts on the year. 

Welcome Back

• All-NE10 pick Mike DeMartino returns for his fifth year to backstop the Owls and will look to pick up where he left off in 2020 after hitting .375 with 11 RBI in 10 games last season.
• All-conference pick Mike Ferrett hit .400 in 10 games last year and also drove in a team-high 12 RBI and will start at the hot corner for the Owls. 
• Jack Drewry and Zach Bedryczyk jumped into the fire for their freshman campaigns and will look to build off their early-season success for their second freshman year after being granted another year of eligibility. Drewry hit .355 with two home runs and 11 RBI while Bedryczyk hit a gaudy .526 with five doubles and seven runs batted in. 
• Tyshaun Diaz will be at short for the Owls and will also be a freshman on the field. 
• With Diaz entrenched at short and Bedryczuk taking over the duties at second base, returning infielder Tony Zambito has been converted to an outfielder. Shea envisions the Owls' speedster jumping into full-time left fielder duties and being a table-setter at the top of the Owls lineup. Zambito had 11 stole bases and scored nine runs last year in the short season, both of which led the Owls.
• Division I transfer Andrew Eng joins the Owls from Binghamton University and will immediately be inserted into the middle of the Owls' lineup as the team's starting center fielder.
• Freshman Peyton Farina has the inside track on starting in right field, with plenty of competition from a host of returning players. 
• On the mound, Shea and pitching coach Ed Bethke have a trio of arms set to attack the weekend in Brandon White, Joe Nemchek and Zach Rodgers.
• White was tabbed as the NE10 Rookie PItcher of the Year in 2019 and followed with a 2-0 record in his two starts in 2020 with 24 strikeouts in 16 innings.
• Nemchek, the Southpaw of the Owls' rotation, was 1-1 with 21 K's in 15 innings worked, while also recording a save.
• Rodgers, who came to the Owls from Saint Michael's, was 2-1 with 26 strikeouts in 22 innings.
• Ferrett, Tom Hughes and first-year Owl Mike Szturma will be looked on to come out of the pen for Southern.