Friday, April 19
Dover, Del. / Bob Reed Field
3 p.m.
Sacred Heart University Department of Athletics
at
Delaware State
Photo by: Maddie McCall
Baseball Set for Weekend Showdown at Delaware State
4/18/2024 1:48:00 PM | Baseball
Pios put first place on line in Diamond State
Games 35, 36 & 37
Sacred Heart at Delaware State
Northeast Conference
Friday, April 19 - 3 p.m.
Saturday, April 20 - 1 p.m.
Sunday, April 21 - 1 p.m.
Dover, Del. - Bob Reed Field
LIVE on NEC Front Row
A year ago, Delaware State was an also-ran, as the Hornets finished 10th in their debut season in the 11-team Northeast Conference. This year, the team is resurgent, which means the Sacred Heart University baseball team has a challenge on its hands for its first road trip in a month. It's a matchup of the first-place Pioneers and fourth-place Delaware State as SHU rolls into Dover for an important three-game weekend series.
First pitch is set for 3 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday at Delaware State's Bob Reed Field.
Live video will be available all weekend long on NEC Front Row and live stats will be available as well.
THE LAST WEEK
SHU made it six straight NEC series victories last weekend, taking two out of three at Veterans Memorial Park against a competitive Le Moyne team. The Pios took the opener, 12-6, behind a 5-for-5 day and a cycle from Zack Kovalchik. Missed opportunities hurt SHU on Saturday, as Le Moyne was able to squeak out a 4-3 win in 11 innings. Sacred Heart answered the call on Sunday though, as a six-run sixth keyed a 10-3 win in the series finale.
The Pioneers dropped a pair of midweek contests to Atlantic-10 schools, as they fell at Fordham on Tuesday, 2-1, and at Massachusetts on Wednesday, 12-3.
A LOOK AT THE PIOS
Sacred Heart (18-16, 14-4 NEC) leads LIU by a game at the top of the NEC standings and has not lost a league series all season. The team's magic number for locking up its postseason berth is down to 11, with 15 NEC games still to play. The Pios will be looking to use this weekend to shore up their candidacy for one of the top two seeds, which will receive byes at the start of the NEC Championship.
Ronan Donohue now ranks fifth in the league in OPS (1.026) and sixth in slugging percentage (.593), while Kovalchik is tied-sixth in both hits (41) and RBI (30).
SHU continues to lead the NEC in ERA (5.27) and is eighth in on-base percentage (.364).
SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Delaware State (12-17, 11-7 NEC) has turned things around after a 13-35 campaign in 2023, which saw the team finish in 10th place in the NEC, with an 8-22 league record. The Hornets have won eight of their last nine NEC contests, as they swept Norfolk State on the road at the end of March, took two out of three from Fairleigh Dickinson to open April and swept Merrimack on the road last weekend.
Chris Amparo is all over the NEC leaderboard, as the senior left fielder ranks second in the league in both slugging (.628) and OPS (1.054), as well as third in RBI (37), tied-third in home runs (9) and tied-sixth in doubles (9).
Delaware State is getting it done with power at the plate, as the Hornets rank third in the NEC in slugging (.410), buoying an offense which is middle of the pack in on-base percentage, at seventh (.368). The team has struggled with run prevention and ranks 10th in the NEC in ERA (7.67).
ON THE MOUND
Sacred Heart projected starters:
Friday: Jake Babuschak (RHP)
2024 stats: 53.2 IP, 56 H, 31 R (30 ER), 17 BB, 45 K, 5.03 ERA, 1.36 WHIP
Last start: 4/12 vs. LEM (W), 5.0 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Saturday: Joe Trombley (RHP)
2024 stats: 31.2 IP, 30 H, 16 R (15 ER), 11 BB, 21 K, 4.26 ERA, 1.29 WHIP
Last start: 4/13 vs. LEM (ND), 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Sunday: Elijah Foster (RHP)
2024 stats: 31.1 IP, 20 H, 18 R (17 ER), 34 BB, 47 K, 4.88 ERA, 1.72 WHIP
Last start: 4/14 vs. LEM (ND), 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Delaware State projected starters:
Friday: Jack Messmore (RHP)
2024 stats: 42.2 IP, 43 H, 37 R (35 ER), 28 BB, 42 K, 7.38 ERA, 1.56 WHIP
Last start: 4/12 at MER (ND), 3.2 IP, 10 H, 12 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Saturday: Kieran Etwaru (LHP)
2024 stats: 47.0 IP, 31 H, 13 R (12 ER), 18 BB, 52 K, 2.30 ERA, 1.04 WHIP
Last start: 4/13 at MER (W), 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Sunday: Ricardo Gonzalez (RHP)
2024 stats: 28.0 IP, 44 H, 33 R (26 ER), 17 BB, 21 K, 8.36 ERA, 2.18 WHIP
Last start: 4/14 at MER (ND), 3.1 IP, 10 H, 6 R (5 ER), 2 BB, 1 K
PREVIOUSLY AGAINST DELAWARE STATE
The only previous meetings between the two teams were a three-game series at Sacred Heart last season, on the first weekend in May. SHU took two out of three, with 8-5 and 9-4 wins on Friday and Saturday, respectively, before Delaware State answered with a 13-7 victory in the series finale.
NEXT UP
SHU has a home-and-home with the other school in Fairfield for its midweek non-conference action next week and is home at the Vet next weekend for three against Norfolk State on April 26-28.
Sacred Heart at Delaware State
Northeast Conference
Friday, April 19 - 3 p.m.
Saturday, April 20 - 1 p.m.
Sunday, April 21 - 1 p.m.
Dover, Del. - Bob Reed Field
LIVE on NEC Front Row
A year ago, Delaware State was an also-ran, as the Hornets finished 10th in their debut season in the 11-team Northeast Conference. This year, the team is resurgent, which means the Sacred Heart University baseball team has a challenge on its hands for its first road trip in a month. It's a matchup of the first-place Pioneers and fourth-place Delaware State as SHU rolls into Dover for an important three-game weekend series.
First pitch is set for 3 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday at Delaware State's Bob Reed Field.
Live video will be available all weekend long on NEC Front Row and live stats will be available as well.
THE LAST WEEK
SHU made it six straight NEC series victories last weekend, taking two out of three at Veterans Memorial Park against a competitive Le Moyne team. The Pios took the opener, 12-6, behind a 5-for-5 day and a cycle from Zack Kovalchik. Missed opportunities hurt SHU on Saturday, as Le Moyne was able to squeak out a 4-3 win in 11 innings. Sacred Heart answered the call on Sunday though, as a six-run sixth keyed a 10-3 win in the series finale.
The Pioneers dropped a pair of midweek contests to Atlantic-10 schools, as they fell at Fordham on Tuesday, 2-1, and at Massachusetts on Wednesday, 12-3.
A LOOK AT THE PIOS
Sacred Heart (18-16, 14-4 NEC) leads LIU by a game at the top of the NEC standings and has not lost a league series all season. The team's magic number for locking up its postseason berth is down to 11, with 15 NEC games still to play. The Pios will be looking to use this weekend to shore up their candidacy for one of the top two seeds, which will receive byes at the start of the NEC Championship.
Ronan Donohue now ranks fifth in the league in OPS (1.026) and sixth in slugging percentage (.593), while Kovalchik is tied-sixth in both hits (41) and RBI (30).
SHU continues to lead the NEC in ERA (5.27) and is eighth in on-base percentage (.364).
SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Delaware State (12-17, 11-7 NEC) has turned things around after a 13-35 campaign in 2023, which saw the team finish in 10th place in the NEC, with an 8-22 league record. The Hornets have won eight of their last nine NEC contests, as they swept Norfolk State on the road at the end of March, took two out of three from Fairleigh Dickinson to open April and swept Merrimack on the road last weekend.
Chris Amparo is all over the NEC leaderboard, as the senior left fielder ranks second in the league in both slugging (.628) and OPS (1.054), as well as third in RBI (37), tied-third in home runs (9) and tied-sixth in doubles (9).
Delaware State is getting it done with power at the plate, as the Hornets rank third in the NEC in slugging (.410), buoying an offense which is middle of the pack in on-base percentage, at seventh (.368). The team has struggled with run prevention and ranks 10th in the NEC in ERA (7.67).
ON THE MOUND
Sacred Heart projected starters:
Friday: Jake Babuschak (RHP)
2024 stats: 53.2 IP, 56 H, 31 R (30 ER), 17 BB, 45 K, 5.03 ERA, 1.36 WHIP
Last start: 4/12 vs. LEM (W), 5.0 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Saturday: Joe Trombley (RHP)
2024 stats: 31.2 IP, 30 H, 16 R (15 ER), 11 BB, 21 K, 4.26 ERA, 1.29 WHIP
Last start: 4/13 vs. LEM (ND), 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Sunday: Elijah Foster (RHP)
2024 stats: 31.1 IP, 20 H, 18 R (17 ER), 34 BB, 47 K, 4.88 ERA, 1.72 WHIP
Last start: 4/14 vs. LEM (ND), 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Delaware State projected starters:
Friday: Jack Messmore (RHP)
2024 stats: 42.2 IP, 43 H, 37 R (35 ER), 28 BB, 42 K, 7.38 ERA, 1.56 WHIP
Last start: 4/12 at MER (ND), 3.2 IP, 10 H, 12 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Saturday: Kieran Etwaru (LHP)
2024 stats: 47.0 IP, 31 H, 13 R (12 ER), 18 BB, 52 K, 2.30 ERA, 1.04 WHIP
Last start: 4/13 at MER (W), 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Sunday: Ricardo Gonzalez (RHP)
2024 stats: 28.0 IP, 44 H, 33 R (26 ER), 17 BB, 21 K, 8.36 ERA, 2.18 WHIP
Last start: 4/14 at MER (ND), 3.1 IP, 10 H, 6 R (5 ER), 2 BB, 1 K
PREVIOUSLY AGAINST DELAWARE STATE
The only previous meetings between the two teams were a three-game series at Sacred Heart last season, on the first weekend in May. SHU took two out of three, with 8-5 and 9-4 wins on Friday and Saturday, respectively, before Delaware State answered with a 13-7 victory in the series finale.
NEXT UP
SHU has a home-and-home with the other school in Fairfield for its midweek non-conference action next week and is home at the Vet next weekend for three against Norfolk State on April 26-28.
Players Mentioned
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