University of Delaware Athletics
Hot-Hitting Blue Hens Open CAA Play this Weekend at College of Charleston
3/24/2016 5:00:00 PM | Baseball
Delaware (16-5, 0-0 CAA) vs. College of Charleston (14-7, 0-0 CAA)
DATES & TIMES:
Friday, March 25 at 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 26 at 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 27 at 1 p.m.
LOCATION: Patriot's Point Stadium, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
WATCH 🎥
Free live webstream available on Friday and Sunday. Click here to access
Live stat links for each game will be available via www.cofcsports.com
ONLINE 
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STORY LINE
The hot-hitting Blue Hens (16-5) open Colonial Athletic Association action this weekend and will square off against another red-hot team as they take on defending CAA regular season champion and 2015 NCAA Tournament participant College of Charleston (14-7). Delaware and Charleston own the two best non-league records among all CAA teams. Delaware has won four straight and 11 of 12 while the Cougars have won two of their last three, including a 4-2 victory over No. 23 Coastal Carolina on Tuesday.
LAST TIME OUT
Delaware put this one away early Tuesday afternoon as the Blue Hen bats struck for 22 runs and 24 hits and UD held La Salle scoreless for the first six innings on the way to a 22-1 non-league victory at Bob Hannah Stadium. The Blue Hens (16-5), who won their fourth straight game, jumped out to a commanding 16-0 lead after six innings as they opened with six runs in the first inning, put up four in the third, and scored twice in the second, fourth, and sixth inning. Delaware reached the 20-run mark for the third time this season and the second time in the last four games and reached the 20-hit plateau for the third time overall. The Blue Hens knocked out nine extra base hits, including four home runs, two by freshman 1B Nick Patten.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: Delaware: #31 RHP Ron Marinaccio (Soph., 5-0, 2.03 ERA, 31 IP, 33 K) vs. College of Charleston: #20 Nathan Helvey (Sr., 3-2, 1.65 ERA, 32.2 IP, 21 K)
Saturday: Delaware: #32 LHP Brandon Walter (Fr., 3-2, 3.72 ERA, 28.2 IP, 28 K) vs. College of Charleston: #19 Bailey Ober (Soph., 11-1, 3.81 ERA, 26 IP, 24 K)
Sunday: Delaware: #30 Burke FitzPatrick (Jr., 5.92 ERA, 0-1, 24.1 IP, 19 K) vs. College of Charleston: TBA
HEN SCRATCHINGS
• Delaware's 16-5 start is the team's best 21-game start since the 1998 NCAA Tournament team started out 17-4 on the way to a 43-11 record.
• The Hens' .762 winning percentage is tops among all Colonial Athletic Association teams
• Delaware has outscored opponents 59-16 over the last four games and have scored 10 or more runs seven times already
• Hens ranks in the NCAA I Top 25 in batting average (21st/.315/1st in CAA), runs scored (21st/8.0), home runs (20th/1.1), and slugging pct. (22nd/.480).
• Delaware CF Kevin Mohollen ranks fifth in the nation with four triples.
• RF Kyle Baker ranks No. 2 in the CAA in batting average (.411) and ranks No. 4 in the NCAA among freshmen nationally. He is 11 of his last 16 and 15 of his last 27 at the plate entering this weekend
• 1B Nick Patten was named this week's CAA Rookie of the Week as he batted .471 (8-17) with four doubles, a homer, eight runs scored, and six RBI in a 4-1 week. He then went 3 for 6 with two home runs and four RBI in the 22-1 win over La Salle Tuesday. Patten has now reached base in 17 straight games and is working on a team-best seven-game hitting streak.
• Hens have now had a different rookie when the league ROY award four straight weeks (Adam Rapp, Kevin Mohollen, Kyle Baker, and Nick Patten)
• Delaware ace RHP Ron Marinaccio is one of only nine pitchers in NCAA I with a 5-0 record to start the season. He is the first Delaware starter to open the year with a 5-0 mark since Matt Heppner achieved that in 2006. No UD starter has began the year 6-0 since Matt Phillips won his first 10 decisions during the 1998 season.
• 10 different Blue Hen players have hit home runs this season
SERIES INFORMATION
The College of Charleston leads the all-time series with Delaware, 7-2, and has won five of the six meetings since joining the CAA. Last season the Cougars took two of three contests against the Blue Hens at Bob Hannah Stadium.
THE COACHES
• Delaware: Jim Sherman (Delaware '82) is 458-377 in his 16th season at Delaware and 676-505 in his 23rd season overall. He is 1-6 all-time vs. the Cougars.
• College of Charleston: Matt Heath (LSU '02) is 14-7 in his first season as head coach at College of Charleston. He previously served as a CofC assistant coach for eight seasons.
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON NOTES
• Charleston's 14-7 non-league record is second best in the CAA behind Delaware and includes victories over Florida State, Nebraska, and Coastal Carolina
• The Cougars fell to UNCW in the CAA championship game in 2015 but advanced to the NCAA Tallahassee Regional and won two games before being eliminated. The Cougars won the CAA title in 2014 and also advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals
• The Cougars were ranked as high as No. 23 in the nation earlier this season and have been earning Top 20 votes in nearly every major poll
• The Cougars rank No. 8 in the CAA in team batting (.242) and No. 5 in runs scored (119) but lead the league in team ERA with a 3.79 mark).
• Eric Bauer (0.84), Nathan Helvey (1.65), and Bailey Ober (3.81) rank No. 1, 3, and 8 respectively in the CAA in earned run average
• Closer Carter Love ranks No. 6 in the NCAA with six saves this season
• Bradley Jones ranks No. 27 in the NCAA with six home runs
• Charleston's leading hitter is Jake Maziar (.339, 14 RBI)
