| Matchup |
Merrimack (26-18) vs.
SCSU (20-26) / Le Moyne (23-23) / Franklin Pierce (24-21) |
| Dates//Times |
Thursday, May 9 – Saturday, May 11 |
| Venue |
Onondaga Community College // Syracuse, N.Y. |
| Links |
Live Stats // Twitter // Instagram |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – After moving one step closer to defending its Northeast-10 Conference Championship, the Merrimack College baseball program prepares for its second straight NE10 Championship Weekend beginning this Thursday morning (10 a.m.) against fourth-seeded Southern Connecticut State University. Le Moyne College will host the double-elimination portion of the conference tournament at Onondaga Community College's Baseball Complex in Syracuse, N.Y.
The third-seeded Warriors defeated second-seeded Bentley University on Tuesday, 6-5, to reach their third championship weekend since 2013. Every lower seed won in the opening round, resulting in the third-seeded Dolphins hosting the remainder of the Championship. If Merrimack wins on Thursday morning, they will advance to the winner's bracket and not play again until at least Friday. If the Warriors lose, Merrimack will play either Le Moyne or Franklin Pierce in an elimination game at 5 p.m. Thursday evening.
2019 NE10 Championship Schedule
Tuesday, May 7th – First Round (single elimination)
Game 1: #4 SW Southern Connecticut def. #1 SW Adelphi, 9-6
Game 2: #3 SW Le Moyne def. #2 SW Pace, 2-1
Game 3: #4 NE Franklin Pierce def. #1 NE SNHU, 3-2
Game 4: #3 NE Merrimack def. #2 NE Bentley, 6-5
Thursday, May 9th – Championship Weekend (double elimination)
All Games to be played at Onondaga Community College's Baseball Complex
Game 5: #4 SW Southern Connecticut vs. #3 NE Merrimack (10:00 AM)
Game 6: #3 SW Le Moyne vs. #4 NE Franklin Pierce (1:30 PM)
Game 7: Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser (5:00 PM)
Friday, May 10th - Saturday, May 11th
All Games to be played at Onondaga Community College's Baseball Complex
Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner
Game 9: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 loser
Game 10: Game 9 winner vs. Game 8 winner
Game 11: If necessary
Five Things to Know:
- Making its 19th appearance in the NE10 Championship, the Warriors have won 31 conference tournament games entering Thursday, the second most among current NE10 members. Merrimack has been the title game eight times over its previous 18 attempts, and won four conference tournament titles overall (1990, 1995, 1996, 2018)
- On Wednesday, the NE10 revealed its all-conference teams and major award winners. Junior Joey Porricelli was named NE10 Co-Player of the Year, becoming the third Warrior since 2012 to receive POTY honors. Porricelli was an all-league first team selection at third base, and was joined on the top squad by senior Cam Monagle. Junior Nick Shumski and sophomore Timmy Kalanzakos landed on the second team while senior Matthew Ronai earned third-team recognition. Freshmen Michael Golankiewicz and Kurtis Stadnicki rounded out the honorees with spots on the all-rookie team
- As a team, the Warriors lead the NE10 in fielding percentage (.973), committing 46 errors over 44 games this season. Merrimacks boasts the 11th best defense nationwide. On the hill, the Warriors own the fourth best team ERA in the NE10 at 3.49. Offensively, the program's .263 average puts them right in the middle of the pack among NE10 teams, sitting in eighth in the conference
- Porricelli's Player of the Year campaign saw the third baseman lead the NE10 in steals (32) and rank second league wide in total bases (105), runs scored (48) and extra-base hits (24). His 32 thefts ranks in a tie for 10th nationwide while his eight home runs are the most for a Merrimack player since 2002. Other notable offensive figures include junior Thomas Joyce who is tied with Porricelli for the team lead in RBI (37) and Shumski, who joined Porricelli for the team and league lead in triples (5). Golankiewicz has continued to swing a hot bat, as well, entering Thursday on an 11-game hitting streak, equaling Porricelli's run earlier this year for the longest by a Warrior this season
- Monagle highlighted the staff during the season, and continued that effort with his fourth win of the season on Tuesday against Bentley. His 7-0 overall record gives him the most wins in the NE10, and the second most victories by a Merrimack pitcher ever. He ranks third in the NE10 and fourth nationally, respectively, in ERA (1.46). Kalantzakos ranks eighth league-wide in ERA (1.97) while owning the staff lead in quality starts (10). Sophomore Vin Zappulla has also been a pivotal member of the rotation, owning a 6-1 record with a 2.61 ERA
Scouting the Opposition:
NE10 Rank in ()
Up Next:
If Merrimack falters against Southern Connecticut, the Warriors will play an elimination game back at O.C.C. on Thursday evening at approximately 5 p.m. If Merrimack prevails, the Warriors will not play again until at least Friday. An updated schedule for the tournament beyond Thursday will unveiled as soon as it is available.
