University of Delaware Athletics
Blue Hens Complete Regular Season Honoring Senior Class with CAA Weekend Series Versus Northeastern
5/18/2012 11:52:00 AM | Baseball
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware baseball team will complete its regular season schedule against the Northeastern University Huskies, in a three-game, Colonial Athletic Association weekend series. Coinciding with Senior Weekend, the action begins on Friday, May 18, with first pitch set for 3 p.m. at Bob Hannah Stadium. Saturday's contest will begin at 1 p.m. while Sunday's finale has a 1 p.m.
With last weekend's series victory over Georgia State, Delaware baseball secured its first trip to the CAA Baseball Tournament since 2009 and the Blue Hens sit third in the CAA standings with a 16-11 record. Northeastern is fighting for its playoff lives as the Huskes are one-game out of the final playoff spot and sit tied for eighth with William & Mary with a 11-16 conference record. In a twist of records, the Blue Hens have a 4-8 home CAA record while the Huskies are 4-8 on the road in conference play.
Scouting Northeastern
The Huskies (21-27, 11-15 CAA), who were ranked 11th in the Colonial Athletic Association's preseason coaches poll, enters the weekend series after a 8-3 defeat to the University of Rhode Island. UNC-Asheville on Tuesday and have posted a 3-5 record over the last two weeks. During the month of May, NU has a 4-6 record.
Northeastern's pitching staff sits seventh in the CAA with a 5.53 team earned-run average and are tied for second with four complete games on the season. The Huskies' pitchers have allowed on average, 1.7 base runners per inning this season. NU has four pitchers, Kevin Ferguson, Nick Berger, Matt Cook and Dylan Maki that have 10-plus hit by pitches on the season, for a total of 58 this spring.
The Huskies offense has a .290 (486-1676) team batting average. Northeastern has the reigning CAA Player of the Week in Jon Leroux, he is tied for second in the CAA with 11 home runs this season. Additionally, Leroux is third in the conference with 47 RBI; second in the CAA with a .654 slugging percentage in addition to his a conference top 10 with 102 total bases. Aaron Barbosa leads the team and is seventh in the CAA with 71 hits and sits fourth in the circuit with four triples. Jason Vosler has a team-high 15 doubles this spring.
Behind the Blue Hen Numbers
The Blue Hens (26-23, 16-11 CAA) tackle their final CAA weekend series of the season after securing a CAA Tournament berth by defeating Georgia State twice last weekend. UD enters this weekend's series with a 6-1 record during the month of May after riding a four-game winning streak and enjoyed a four-day break while having both mid-week games against Rutgers and St. Joseph's cancelled due to weather and scheduling.
Delaware's pitching staff has the reigning CAA Co-Pitcher of the Week after the league honored starter Corey Crispell on Monday and the pitchers own a 4.27 (224 ER/425.2 IP) team earned run average, which puts the Blue Hens fifth in the CAA. Crispell ranks in the association's top five with six wins and 80.1 innings pitched. Devon Pearson (S, 6) and Stephen Richter (S, 8) both sit in the CAA top five in saves. Starter Eric Young also is in the CAA Top 10 with 76.1 innings on the mound.
The Blue Hens bats have tallied a .271 (447-1651) batting average, which puts Delaware in the CAA. Sophomore Jimmy Yezzo leads the team with a .333 (48-144) batting average and ranks eighth in the CAA with a .521 slugging percentage. Alex Maruri leads the club with a .432 on-base percentage, which puts him in the top 10 of the conference. DJ Long has the third-most doubles in the conference and leads the squad with 18 and leads the team with 24 extra-base hits.
This weekend will be the final home series for six University of Delaware Blue Hens senior baseball players. Over the weekend the Blue Hens will honor Dave Angebranndt, Corey Crispell, Ian Hoff, Jeff Murray, Devon Pearson, Nick Stampone and Eric Young for their contributions over their careers as a UD baseball player.
Delaware vs. Northeastern Series History
The Blue Hens and Huskies series began in 1992 and enter this weekend's series having played 52 times. Delaware has a 34-18 record against Northeastern and lost two-of-three games to NU last season in Boston.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Game One – Friday, 3:00 p.m. (Live Stats)
UD – Corey Crispell, Sr.(R), RHP [6-3, 3.47 ERA (31 ER/80.1 IP), 48 SO]
Crispell, the reigning CAA Pitcher of the Week, earned his second-straight victory on May 14 during a 4-1 victory over Georgia State during the first game of May 12th's doubleheader in Atlanta. In eight innings on the mound, he held the Panthers to one earned run on three hits and four strikeouts. The senior leads the team and sits in the CAA top five with six victories. Additionally he has a team-high 80.1 innings pitched that puts him seventh in the conference. In his last two stats, Crispell is 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA.
NU – Andrew Leenhouts, Sr., LHP [6-3, 4.14 ERA (38 ER/82.2 IP), 79 SO]
Leenhouts won his last start on May 11 against Old Dominion as the right-hander held the Monarchs to three runs (two earned) on eight hits and one walk. He leads the team with six victories and sits sixth in the CAA with 82.2 innings pitched. The southpaw is one of four pitchers in the CAA with multiple complete games; which included a complete-game, shutout victory.
Game Two – Saturday, 1:00 p.m. (Live Stats)
UD – Eric Young, Sr., RHP [5-4, 5.07 ERA (43 ER/76.1 IP), 51 SO]
Young was handed a no-decision in his last start on May 11 at Georgia State. The Panthers tallied two earned runs on four hits, five walks and two strikeouts in UD's 4-3 defeat to GSU. Young sits second on the squad with five victories and 76.1 innings pitched.
NU – Kevin Ferguson, Jr., LHP [6-3, 3.20 ERA (27 ER/76.0 IP), 66 SO]
Ferguson struck out nine in eight innings on the mound for his sixth victory in his last start on May 13 against Old Dominion. The lefty scattered one earned run on four hits without yielding a walk in the win. He leads the team with 66 strikeouts and held the opposition to a .253 batting average.
Game Three – Sunday, 1:00 p.m. (Live Stats)
UD – Dan Gatto, So., RHP [4-2, 4.61 ERA (21 ER/41.0 IP), 35 SO]
Gatto makes his first weekend start of the season in the regular-season finale for the Blue Hens. The sophomore last pitched on May 1 as the right-hander earned a victory over cross-town rival, Wilmington University. He held the Wildcats to two unearned runs on three hits, three walks and three strikeouts in five innings on the mound, en route to the victory.
NU – Nick Berger, Fr., RHP [4-4, 5.14 ERA (28 ER/49.0 IP), 30 SO]
Berger makes his eighth start of the season (14th appearance overall) in the series finale. In his last start he earned a victory on May 12 against ODU after the righty threw seven innings on the mound. He held the Monarchs to two earned runs on five hits and five strikeouts. Berger ranks third on the squad with four victories.
