University of Delaware Athletics
Delaware Baseball Battles Temple in Second Round of Liberty Bell Classic at Bob Hannah Stadium
4/1/2013 3:57:00 PM | Baseball
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware baseball team continues its quest for a Liberty Bell Classic championship on Tuesday, April 2, at 3:00 p.m. as the Blue Hens host Temple University in a LBC Second Round contest at Bob Hannah Stadium.
Delaware (18-8) looks to extend its longest winning streak since 2006 to nine games while Temple (10-13) has lost two of its last three games.
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.
The Blue Hens have won the Liberty Bell Classic seven times, most recently in 2010 when Delaware defeated Lehigh, 10-7.
There will be a new champion this season as Delaware knocked out last year's winner, Saint Joseph's, in the first round last week with a 17-3 victory.
Delaware and Temple began competing against each other baseball in 1909 and in 106 games, the Blue Hens own a 56-50 advantage over the Owls. Last season the Hens and Owls split the two games played.
Starting pitchers for the game will be Delaware right-hander Dan Gatto (1-1, 5.14 earned-run average) against Temple right-hander Adam Dian (0-0, 3.68 ERA).
Delaware's offense ranks second in the Colonial Athletic Association with a .333 team batting average. The Blue Hens have tallied 10-plus hits in seven of last eight games.
Jimmy Yezzo has 38-game on-base streak and nine-game active hitting streak. He also ranks first in the CAA in RBI (37) and total bases (83) in addition to the second-highest batting average (.459). Brock Niggebrugge owns a seven-game hitting streak and ranks 10th in the conference with 25 runs scored. Nick Ferdinand collected his first five-hit game of his career over the weekend and owns a .389 batting average that is seventh in the CAA.
The Blue Hen pitching staff has thrown two complete games in last three games and lowered the team-ERA to 4.46 that ranks sixth in the CAA. Chad Kuhl sits second in the CAA in wins (5) and innings pitched (51.2) in addition to 38 strikeouts that is sixth in the conference. Stephen Richter is fourth in the CAA with four wins. Matt Soren has the third-lowest opponent batting average at .206.
Temple's offense ranks eighth in the Atlantic 10 conference with a .271 batting average. Henry Knabe leads TU and sits sixth in the A-10 with a .378 batting average while second on the team with 21 RBI. Derek Peterson leads the team with 33 hits and 22 RBI. Jordan Queja is second in the A-10 with 13 stolen bases.
The Owls pitching staff is ninth in the A-10 with a 4.45 ERA. Eric Peterson has a team-high three wins and 32 strikeouts in seven games for Temple. Peterson also has the lowest opponent batting average (.190) on the staff.
Delaware returns to CAA competition on Friday, April 5, at 3 p.m., as the Blue Hens host the George Mason University Patriots in a three-game weekend series at Bob Hannah Stadium.
Delaware (18-8) looks to extend its longest winning streak since 2006 to nine games while Temple (10-13) has lost two of its last three games.
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.
The Blue Hens have won the Liberty Bell Classic seven times, most recently in 2010 when Delaware defeated Lehigh, 10-7.
There will be a new champion this season as Delaware knocked out last year's winner, Saint Joseph's, in the first round last week with a 17-3 victory.
Delaware and Temple began competing against each other baseball in 1909 and in 106 games, the Blue Hens own a 56-50 advantage over the Owls. Last season the Hens and Owls split the two games played.
Starting pitchers for the game will be Delaware right-hander Dan Gatto (1-1, 5.14 earned-run average) against Temple right-hander Adam Dian (0-0, 3.68 ERA).
Delaware's offense ranks second in the Colonial Athletic Association with a .333 team batting average. The Blue Hens have tallied 10-plus hits in seven of last eight games.
Jimmy Yezzo has 38-game on-base streak and nine-game active hitting streak. He also ranks first in the CAA in RBI (37) and total bases (83) in addition to the second-highest batting average (.459). Brock Niggebrugge owns a seven-game hitting streak and ranks 10th in the conference with 25 runs scored. Nick Ferdinand collected his first five-hit game of his career over the weekend and owns a .389 batting average that is seventh in the CAA.
The Blue Hen pitching staff has thrown two complete games in last three games and lowered the team-ERA to 4.46 that ranks sixth in the CAA. Chad Kuhl sits second in the CAA in wins (5) and innings pitched (51.2) in addition to 38 strikeouts that is sixth in the conference. Stephen Richter is fourth in the CAA with four wins. Matt Soren has the third-lowest opponent batting average at .206.
Temple's offense ranks eighth in the Atlantic 10 conference with a .271 batting average. Henry Knabe leads TU and sits sixth in the A-10 with a .378 batting average while second on the team with 21 RBI. Derek Peterson leads the team with 33 hits and 22 RBI. Jordan Queja is second in the A-10 with 13 stolen bases.
The Owls pitching staff is ninth in the A-10 with a 4.45 ERA. Eric Peterson has a team-high three wins and 32 strikeouts in seven games for Temple. Peterson also has the lowest opponent batting average (.190) on the staff.
Delaware returns to CAA competition on Friday, April 5, at 3 p.m., as the Blue Hens host the George Mason University Patriots in a three-game weekend series at Bob Hannah Stadium.
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