It's the final Northeast Conference homestand of 2023 for the Sacred Heart University baseball team this weekend, as Delaware State comes calling at Veterans Park. With just six NEC games to go, the Pios are currently fifth in the league, but are one game behind sixth-place Maryland Eastern Shore in the loss column, and the Hawks have three games in hand.

With six teams qualifying for the NEC Championship, SHU is still 4.5 games clear of seventh-place Merrimack, though the Warriors have three games in hand as well. SHU and Merrimack will square off in the final week of the regular season, and the Pios could eliminate some of the drama with a strong weekend against Delaware State.

First pitch is set for 3 p.m. on Friday, 1 p.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday at Veterans Park. Live stats will be available for all three game. 

LAST TIME OUT
SHU used single runs in the sixth, seventh and ninth innings to force extra innings on Wednesday afternoon at Veterans Park. From there though, the story was missed opportunities. The Pios left the winning run at third in the ninth, then left the bases loaded in the 10^th, before dropping a 6-5 non-conference decision to Fairfield in 12 innings. 

A LOOK AT THE PIOS
Sacred Heart (18-25, 13-11 NEC) is looking for a return to the postseason after a one-year hiatus, and has the magic number down to any combination of six Pio wins or Merrimack losses, which means a pair of sweeps could wrap things up as early as this weekend, though with Merrimack at home against Norfolk State, that seems an unlikely outcome. SHU is coming off a series win on the road at Coppin State last weekend, and will be looking to do the same at home against Delaware State this weekend.

SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Delaware State (10-28, 6-15 NEC) has its season very much hanging in the balance this weekend, after getting swept off its home field by LIU in ugly fashion last weekend, as the Sharks outscored the Hornets 40-16 over three games, including a 23-8 shellacking in the middle contest. The Hornets are near the middle of the pack in NEC play in batting average (.275) and slugging percentage (.425), but have really struggled on the mound, with an 8.98 ERA that is the league's worst by more than two runs. DSU pitching has issued an alarming 154 walks in 189.1 innings. 

ON THE MOUND
Sacred Heart projected starters:
Friday: Jake Babuschak (RHP)
            Season stats: 61.0 IP, 65 H, 35 R (28 ER), 20 BB, 51 K, 4.13 ERA, 1.39 WHIP
            Last start: April 27 at CSU (W): 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K
Saturday: Jack Kramer (RHP)
            Season stats: 47.0 IP, 52 H, 37 R (34 ER), 24 BB, 50 K, 6.51 ERA, 1.62 WHIP
            Last start: April 27 at CSU (ND): 4.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
Sunday: Nick Kane (RHP)
            Season stats: 30.2 IP, 41 H, 28 R (25 ER), 17 BB, 28 K, 7.34 ERA, 1.89 WHIP
            Last start: April 29 at CSU (L): 1.2 IP, 4 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K 

Delaware State projected starters:
Friday: Jordan Haddaway (RHP)
            Season stats: 42.1 IP, 40 H, 31 R (22 ER), 25 BB, 38 K, 4.68 ERA, 1.54 WHIP
            Last start: April 21 at CCSU (W), 8.0 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Saturday: Evan Bouldin (RHP)
            Season stats: 28.2 IP, 30 H, 31 ER, 31 BB, 35 K, 9.73 ERA, 2.13 WHIP
            Last start: April 22 at CCSU (L), 4.2 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 6 BB, 2 K
Sunday: Nathan Vidmar (RHP)
            Season stats: 51.0 IP, 66 H, 48 R (41 ER), 29 BB, 31 K, 7.24 ERA, 1.86 WHIP
            Last start: April 22 at CCSU (ND), 4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K 

LAST TIME AGAINST THE HORNETS
This weekend will mark the first ever meetings on the baseball diamond between SHU and Delaware State 

NEXT UP
SHU heads to Stony Brook for a non-conference game next Wednesday, and has an NEC bye next weekend. The Pios will host Dartmouth in a non-conference doubleheader at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 13.