Sacred Heart
Wofford
SHU Baseball Looks to Stay Hot for Four at Wofford
3/2/2023 2:46:00 PM | Baseball
Final non-conference weekend series ahead of NEC play
Sacred Heart at Wofford
March 3 - 5:30 p.m.
March 4 - 2 & 6 p.m.
March 5 - 1 p.m.
Russell C. King Field - Spartanburg, S.C.
The 2023 Sacred Heart University baseball team arrived on the scene last weekend, with a sweep of a three-game series on the road at defending Atlantic-10 champion Virginia Commonwealth. The Pios are back down south against a formidable opponent again this weekend, with a four-game series against Southern Conference member Wofford, which won 42 games a year ago.
Wofford College, which was the first private institution in South Carolina to desegregate, is located in downtown Spartanburg, S.C. Also known as the Hub City, Spartanburg takes its nickname from the railroad network which radiated out from the city in the pre-Civil War era. Spartanburg is home to the headquarters of the Denny's restaurant chain, among other companies.
First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m. on Friday, with a 2 p.m. doubleheader to follow on Saturday and a 1 p.m. contest on Sunday to close things out, all at Russell C. King Field on the Wofford campus. Friday's forecast features the possibility of thunderstorms through the afternoon and evening, but Saturday and Sunday both appear clear.
No video streaming will be available for the series, but live stats will be offered for all four games.
LAST TIME OUT
The bats were red-hot from the beginning on Sunday afternoon. In the end, the pitching did just enough to hang on. It all added up to a three-game weekend sweep of the defending Atlantic-10 champion for SHU, as the Pios held on for an 11-10 victory over Virginia Commonwealth in the weekend finale at The Diamond. Sam Mongelli went 4-for-6 with a double, drove in a run and scored three times, to cap a 12-for-17 series where he drove in six runs and scored five.
A LOOK AT THE PIOS
Sacred Heart (3-3) was swept on opening weekend at UNC Asheville but responded in a big way at VCU last weekend to get things back to .500 right away. Mongelli picked up Northeast Conference Player of the Week honors for his work at VCU, as mentioned above. Justin Jordan (.320/.379/.440) and Zack Kovalchik (.346/.346/.462) have also been hot out of the gate for the Pios, with OPS marks of .819 and .808, respectively, while starting in all six games. SHU will look for the arms to come around as well, as the pitching staff currently sports a 1.81 WHIP and a 7.10 ERA.
SCOUTING THE TERRIERS
Wofford (7-1) will feel it has some unfinished business from a year ago, when the Terriers won 42 games, including their first two at the SoCon Championship, before getting swept out on championship Sunday by UNC Greensboro. Wofford has picked right up to start 2023 though, with seven straight wins after dropping its opener. The Terriers took two out of three at home against Southern Illinois, won a midweek tilt against UNC Asheville, swept a three-game series from Kent State at home last weekend and outslugged Winthrop in an 18-10 adventure on Tuesday. Ryan Galanie has posted a video-game-esque slash line of .517/.622/.931, for a towering 1.553 OPS, to lead the way through eight games for an offense averaging north of nine runs per game.
ON THE MOUND
Sacred Heart projected starters:
Game 1: Jack Kramer (RHP)
Season stats: 7.1 IP, 10 H, 7 ER, 6 BB, 7 K, 8.59 ERA, 2.18 WHIP
Last start: Feb. 24 at VCU (ND), 3.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Game 2: TBD
Game 3: Jake Babuschak (RHP)
Season stats: 5.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R (4 ER), 4 BB, 3 K, 7.20 ERA, 2.60 WHIP
Last start: Feb. 25 at VCU (ND), 1.0 IP (rain), 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 1 K
Game 4: Cooper Thompson (RHP)
Season stats: 4.2 IP, 11 H, 9 R (8 ER), 2 BB, 3 K, 15.43 ERA, 2.79 WHIP
Last start: Feb. 26 at VCU (ND), 2.0 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Wofford projected starters:
Game 1: Matthew Marchal (RHP)
Season stats: 9.0 IP, 9 H, 9 R (7 ER), 1 BB, 12 K, 7.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP
Last start: Feb. 26 vs. Kent State (ND), 4.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 6 K
Game 2: Charlie Weber (RHP)
Season stats: 8.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R (4 ER), 0 BB, 10 K, 4.50 ERA, 0.88 WHIP
Last start: Feb. 25 vs. Kent State (ND), 4.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 7 K
Game 3: TBD
Game 4: Coulson Buchanan (RHP)
Season stats: 10.1 IP, 10 H, 7 ER, 5 BB, 15 K, 6.10 ERA, 1.45 WHIP
Last start: Feb. 28 vs. Winthrop (W), 3.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
NICE TO MEET YOU
This weekend's quartet of games will mark the first-ever meetings between SHU and Wofford on the baseball diamond.
NEXT UP
The Pios have a midweek date at USC Upstate at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7, before diving into NEC play next weekend. SHU will be back in the Commonwealth of Virginia for a three-game set against new NEC associate member Norfolk State on March 10-12. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday and noon on Sunday at Miller Field in Norfolk, Va.
