University of Delaware Athletics
Wintery Conditions Forces Delaware Baseball?s Liberty Bell Classic First-Round Contest Versus Saint Joseph?s to Wednesday
3/26/2013 3:44:00 PM | Baseball
The game was originally scheduled to play on Tuesday, March 26, at 2:00 p.m., but conditions forced the game back one-day.
Delaware (14-8) is riding a four-game winning streak entering Wednesday's contest against Saint Joseph's (10-12), which are 4-11 in road games this season.
Beginning in 1992, The Liberty Bell Classic was created for local NCAA Division I colleges to compete against each other for the opportunity to play in a big-league ballpark. Eight schools; Delaware, Pennsylvania, Villanova, Saint Joseph's, Temple, La Salle, Lehigh and Lafayette will compete for the right to play at Citizen Bank Park on Tuesday, April 16. Saint Joseph's is the defending Liberty Bell Classic champion.
The Blue Hens have won the Liberty Bell Classic seven times, most recently in 2010 when Delaware defeated Lehigh, 10-7.
Delaware and Saint Joseph's have played 66 times since 1923, with the Hens owning a 45-21 record over the Hawks. UD has dropped three of the last four games against SJU that included a 3-2 loss to the Hawks last season in the semi-finals of the Liberty Bell Classic.
Starting pitchers for the game will be Delaware right-hander Dan Gatto (0-1, 6.60 earned-run average) against Saint Joseph's left-hander Jack Stover (0-2, 5.29 ERA).
The Blue Hens offense is second in the Colonial Athletic Association with a .328 team-batting average and in hits (225). Jimmy Yezzo, reigning CAA Co-Player of the Week, leads the CAA in doubles (14), RBI (32) and total bases (72). He is second with 42 hits, third with tied for third with four home runs. DJ Long (above right) and Nick Ferdinand are also tied for third in the conference with four home runs apiece. Entering Wednesday's game, Yezzo has a five-game hitting streak while Alex Mottle's hitting streak has reached six games.
UD's pitching staff sits sixth in the conference with a 4.71 team-ERA (102 ER/195.0 IP). Right-hander Matt Soren ranks third in the CAA with a 2.03 ERA (6 ER/26.2 IP) and 26 strikeouts. Starter Chad Kuhl is ninth in the conference with a 2.95 ERA (14 ER/42.2 IP) and 28 strikeouts.
Saints Joseph's offense ranks 10th in the Atlantic 10 conference with a .253 (189-for- 747) team-batting average. Anthony Cirillo is ninth in the A-10 with a .371 (23-for-62) batting average in addition to leading the team with six doubles and 15 RBI. Brian O'Keefe is second on the team with a .306 batting average and leads the team with 26 base knocks.
Hawks pitching sits fifth in the A-10 with a team-ERA of 3.82 (80 ER/188.1 IP). SJU reliever Jimmy Yacabonis is sixth in the conference with a 0.71 ERA (2 ER/12.1IP) with five hits, nine walks and 19 strikeouts.
The Blue Hens will return to CAA competition on Friday, March 29, at 3:00 p.m. at Bob Hannah Stadium, as the University of Delaware will host Georgia State University in a three-game weekend series.
