University of Delaware Athletics
Blue Hens Begin Weekend CAA Series at Hofstra with Twinbill Friday
4/8/2016 12:31:00 PM | Baseball
Delaware (18-11, 1-5 CAA) at Hofstra (8-21, 1-4 CAA)
DATES & TIMES:
Friday, April 8, 2016 - Doubleheader at 12 noon / TBA
Sunday, April 10, 2016 - Single Game at 1 p.m.
LOCATION: University Field, Hempstead, N.Y.
WATCH 🎥
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LISTEN 📻
Listen live to WRHU (Hofstra) broadcast here
Live stat links for each game will be available via www.gohofstra.com
ONLINE 
Follow Delaware baseball online at facebook.com/DelawareBaseball on Twitter at @DelawareBase and on Instagram at DelawareBase.
STORY LINE
Delaware will be looking to move up in the Colonial Athletic Association standings this weekend as the Blue Hens travel north to take on longtime foe Hofstra for a three-game set. The teams will play a doubleheader Friday beginning at 12 noon and a single game Sunday at 1 p.m. The original schedule was altered due to the threat of inclement weather in the Hempstead area on Saturday. The Hens enter the game ninth in the league standings with a 1-5 mark in league play, just behind the Pride, who enter with a 1-4 mark. Delaware overall record of 18-11 (.621) is third best among all CAA teams while Hofstra's overall record of 8-21 (.276) is last.
LAST TIME OUT
The score was much different from two weeks ago, but the result was just what the University of Delaware baseball squad needed Tuesday afternoon as the Blue Hens defeated La Salle 4-2 in a Liberty Bell Classic consolation game at Hank DeVincent Field.
A two-run inside-the-park home run from freshman Nick Patten highlighted a three-run first inning and that was all the Blue Hens needed to defeat the Explorers for the second time in 15 days and improve to 18-11 overall. Delaware had downed the Explorers by a 22-1 score back on Mar. 22 at Bob Hannah Stadium as the Hens banged out 24 hits and scored in all but one inning.
Delaware got an impressive pitching efforts from starter Matt Hornich and Dan Belfer and Burk FitzPatrick closed things out as he struck out five of the eight batters he faced to earn his first career save. Hornich went four scoreless innings and Belfer picked up his first career win by allowing just two hits over the next two frames.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday / Game #1: Delaware: #30 Ron Marinaccio (So., RHP, 5-1, 3.95 ERA) vs. Hofstra: #12 Chris Weiss (So., RHP, 1-2, 6.48)
Friday / Game #2: Delaware: #32 Brandon Walter (Fr., LHP, 3-3, 3.46 ERA) vs. Hofstra: #29 Bowie Matteson (Sr., RHP, 2-2, 2.56)
Sunday / Game #3: Delaware: TBA vs. Hofstra: #45 John Rooney (Fr., LHP, 1-4, 4.78)
HEN SCRATCHINGS
• Delaware is coming off a 4-2 win at La Salle in the Liberty Bell Classic consolation game on Tuesday
• In CAA play this season, Hens have gone 0-3 on the road at College of Charleston (Mar. 25-26) and 1-2 at home vs. James Madison (Apr. 1-3)
• Hens are looking to win their first road CAA series since taking 2 of 3 at Elon last May 8-10 and will be looking for their first CAA road series sweep since 2012 (3-0 vs. George Mason on May 4-6)
• Delaware ranks No. 3 in the CAA in team batting (.302), No. 1 in runs scored (219), No. 6 in team pitching (5.88 ERA), and No. 7 in team fielding (.955).
• Freshman RF Kyle Baker ranks No. 2 in the CAA in batting (.400), tops among all CAA freshmen and No. 3 among all NCAA I freshmen
• CF Kevin Mohollen ranks No. 12 in the NCAA in triples (4) while LF Jordan Glover ranks No. 13 in doubles (13)
• Glover is tied for No. 2 in the CAA in RBI with 31
• Freshman 1B Nick Patten ranks No. 3 in the CAA in home runs (7) and No. 3 in slugging pct. (.593)
• Delaware freshman LHP Brandon Walter leads all CAA freshmen pitchers in ERA (3.46), innings pitched (41.2), and strikeouts (41)
SERIES INFORMATION
Delaware and Hofstra have met 93 times since the first matchup in 1951 and the Blue Hens lead by a 67-26 margin. The two teams, longtime foes in the East Coast Conference and America East Conference, have met every season since 1995 and in all but three seasons (1992-94) since 1985. Delaware took 2 of 3 last year in Newark with wins of 9-2 and 14-1 and a loss of 12-7. Delaware has won the series each of the last two series with Hofstra winning in 2012 and 2013. The last team to sweep the season series was Delaware in 2006. The Hens have won at least two games in the series six of the last eight meetings.
• Hofstra: John Russo (West Alabama '00) is in his fifth season as head coach at Hofstra (107-123)
HOFSTRA NOTES
• The Pride are looking to advance to the CAA Tournament for the first time since 2012 after suffering through losing seasons each of the past three campaigns
• Hofstra opened CAA play Mar. 25-26 at William & Mary and lost games by scores of 14-6 and 15-10. The Pride followed by going 1-2 vs. Towson Apr. 1-3 with a 7-3 win sandwiched around a 15-4 loss and a 4-2 setback
• Pride is coming off an 11-4 win at St. Peter's on Wednesday
• Hofstra is led offensively by Kevin O'Connor (.317, 7 RBI), Mat Annunziata (.287, 4 HR, 28 RBI), and Nick Bottari (.267, 5 HR, 20 RBI)
• Hofstra ranks No. 8 in the CAA in team batting (.254), No. 8 in runs scored (151), No. 5 in team pitching (5.57 ERA), and No. 2 in team fielding (.964).
