Games 7, 8 & 9
Central Virginia Classic
Non-Conference

Friday, March 1 - 3 p.m.
Sacred Heart at Virginia Commonwealth
The Diamond - Richmond, Va.
LIVE on ESPN+

Saturday, March 2 - Noon
Sacred Heart at Richmond
Pitt Field - Richmond, Va.
LIVE on ESPN+

Sunday, March 3 - 1 p.m.
Sacred Heart at William & Mary
Plumeri Park - Williamsburg, Va.

It's one more venture into the south for the Sacred Heart University baseball team in 2024. The team's final non-conference weekend of the season sees the Pioneers head into The Old Dominion for three games at the Central Virginia Classic. SHU will visit Virginia Commonwealth on Friday (3 p.m.), Richmond on Saturday (noon) and William & Mary on Sunday (1 p.m.).
 
Live stats will be available for all three games, while both VCU and Richmond will provide live video via ESPN+ as well.
 
LAST WEEKEND
Sacred Heart was swept down south for the second straight weekend, as it dropped all three games at Tennessee Tech. The first two games were more tightly contested, at 4-1 on Friday and 7-4 on Saturday, before the Golden Eagles ran away with a 21-8 win in Sunday's finale. Michael Simonelli slashed .500/.615/.500 over the weekend.
 
A LOOK AT THE PIOS
Sacred Heart (0-6) is still looking to get into the win column for the first time in 2024 and has struggled to put together a complete game so far. In games where the pitching has been sufficient, the run support has dried up, but when the lineup has provided offense, the arms have struggled to keep the opposition off the board.
 
As a team, SHU is currently slashing .186/.304/.247, with only Simonelli (.458) and Tim McGuire (.421) posting OBPs north of .325, among qualified batters. Meanwhile, the pitching will need to reel in the free bases, as 37 walks in 48 innings (6.9 BB/9 IP) are contributing significantly to an unsightly 2.21 team WHIP.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Virginia Commonwealth (5-4) has faced some Northeast Conference competition already this year, as it took two out of three from Merrimack last weekend. The Rams then dropped a Tuesday game at North Carolina, 8-2, before defeating Maryland at home on Wednesday, 15-7. Brandon Elke leads the offense with a .364/.522/.818 slash line, a 1.340 OPS and four home runs.
 
Richmond (3-5) dropped its first five games of the season, but then swept away Mount St. Mary's at home last weekend, including one-run victories both Saturday and Sunday. Jake Elbeery boasts an .874 OPS despite hitting just .208, as he owns a .457 on-base percentage and a .417 slugging percentage. As a team, the Spiders are hitting just .210, but have a .353 on-base percentage, thanks to 45 walks and 10 hit batters through eight games.
 
William & Mary (7-1) dropped its opener, but has won seven straight since, including a sweep of UMass Lowell at home last weekend, ahead of a Tuesday victory over NEC member Norfolk State. Joe Delossantos has posted video-game numbers through the first eight games, with a .485/.585/.939 slash line and a gaudy, 1.524 OPS.
 
ON THE MOUND
Sacred Heart projected starters:
Friday: Jake Babuschak (RHP)
            2024 stats: 7.1 IP, 11 H, 11 R (10 ER), 3 BB, 4 K, 12.27 ERA, 1.91 WHIP
            Last start: Feb. 23 at TTU (L), 5.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Saturday: Elijah Foster (RHP)
            2024 stats: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 7 BB, 9 K, 5.40 ERA, 1.80 WHIP
            Last start: Feb. 24 at TTU (L), 3.0 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Sunday: Joe Trombley (RHP)
            2024 stats: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 0 K, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP
            Last start: N/A
 
Opposition projected starters:
Friday (VCU): Campbell Ellis (RHP)
            2024 stats: 2.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, 15.43 ERA
            Last start: 5/14/23 vs. Richmond (ND): 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 0 K
Saturday (Richmond): Brian Reinke (LHP)
            2024 stats: 9.0 IP, 14 H, 8 R (7 ER), 0 BB, 9 K, 7.00 ERA, 1.56 WHIP
            Last start: Feb. 24 vs. MSM (ND): 4.0 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Sunday (William & Mary): Nate Knowles (RHP)
            2024 stats: 10.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 18 K, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP
            Last start: Feb. 25 vs. UML (W), 4.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K
 
PREVIOUSLY AGAINST THE OPPONENTS
SHU swept away VCU in a three-game set at The Diamond last February to tighten up the all-time series. The Rams hold a 5-4 edge across nine meetings.
 
The Pios last met Richmond for a pair on the road in 2022, with the Spiders winnings both games. Richmond holds a 3-2 edge across five all-time contests, as Sacred Heart took two out of three in 2015, which was the only other meetings between the two.
 
SHU has also played five games against William & Mary, all on the road, with the Tribe holding a 3-2 edge. William & Mary took two out of three in a 2006 series and the two split a pair of games in 2019.
 
NEXT UP
SHU plays its first midweek game of the season after returning from Virginia, as the Pios travel to Rhode Island on Tuesday. The red and white then open NEC play next weekend, with a three-game series at Fairleigh Dickinson on March 8-10.