| Matchup |
Merrimack (6-6, 0-0 NE10) at
SCSU (12-6, 0-0 NE10) / #7 New Haven (15-0, 0-0 NE10) |
| Date//Time |
Saturday-Sunday, March 24-25, 2018 (12 p.m. | 12 p.m.) |
| Venue |
The Ball Park at SCSU (Saturday) // Viera Field (Sunday) |
| Multimedia |
Live Stats (Sat.) / Live Stats (Sun.) / Video (Sun.) |
| Social Media |
Twitter // Instagram |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College baseball team opens Northeast-10 Conference play this weekend with a pair of doubleheaders in Connecticut. The Warriors first pair of tilts is against Southern Connecticut on Saturday at noon followed by a twinbill against No. 7 New Haven on Sunday, which also will be a 12 p.m. first pitch. The Chargers enter the weekend as the last remaining undefeated team in the nation at 15-0.
Last Time Out:
- The Warriors suffered a pair of close defeats to Franklin Pierce in single games over the weekend. Both Friday's (2-1) and Saturday's (6-4) contests were decided in the top of the ninth, with the Ravens scoring go-ahead runs in both games
- Senior PJ Browne worked another solid outing on Friday, lasting into the eighth inning against the Ravens. Browne threw 7.1 innings scattering eight hits while striking out two batters
- Offensively, graduate student Tyler Lyne led the Navy and Gold over the weekend. The fifth-year center fielder extended his hitting streak to six games, hitting .500 (4-8) during the two games.
'Mack Facts:
- Five of Merrimack's regulars are currently hitting .300 or better, led by a .400 batting average for junior Matthew Ronai. As a team, the Navy and Gold are batting at a .303 clip, which is the best among Northeast Division teams
- In the power department, senior Matt Nicholson continues to lead the way with four homers, 14 RBI and a .717 slugging percentage. He ranks third in the NE10 in both round-trippers and slugging
- Browne has established himself as the staff ace, posting a 2.05 ERA over a team-best four starts and 26.1 innings of work. His 23 strikeouts also lead the staff
- Classmate Joe Westerman has also come on strong, allowing three earned runs or less over his last three outings, including zero earned runs allow in 5.1 innings of relief against Franklin Pierce
Scouting the Owls:
- Southern Connecticut has won five of its last seven games while boasting a 12-6 overall record. The Owls advanced to the NCAA East Regional last season, winning 27 games
- Junior Tyler Criscuolo ranks third in the NE10 with 24 RBI, while leading the Owls in average (.435), hits (30) and extra-base hits (8)
- Senior Griffin Bremer has been the team's top starter, throwing 26.1 innings over four starts and recording a 3-0 record. He has recorded a 1.37 ERA, the best in Southern's rotation
- As a staff, the Owls' 2.89 ERA ranks second in the conference
Scouting the Chargers:
- New Haven is off to its best start in over 20 years, rising to No. 7 in the national polls and receiving one vote for the top spot in the most recent NCBWA poll
- The Chargers have outscored their opponents, 122-29, through 15 games
- Senior Joe Caico's .531 batting average is fourth nationwide, while classmate David Palmer has emerged as one of the top arms in the country. Palmer has yet to allow an earned run over 28.0 innings of work, winning all four of his starts
- The Chargers play a doubleheader against Assumption on Saturday before playing the Warriors on Sunday
Recent Series:
- Merrimack play Southern Connecticut twice in Florida last season, dropping both contests. In the programs' most recent NE10 meetings, the Warriors swept the Owls in a twinbill two years ago
- The Warriors have not faced the Chargers since 2016, which saw Merrimack and New Haven split a doubleheader.
Up Next:
Merrimack is set to play at Assumption on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. in the Warriors' first divisional game of the season. The Warriors will be the "home" team and bat second when the face the Greyhounds.
