FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart baseball team is back at Veterans Park this weekend as it hosts the Quinnipiac Bobcats in a pivotal Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) series beginning Thursday.
The three-game set opens with a 1 p.m. first pitch on Thursday, followed by 1 p.m. games on Friday and Saturday. Seniors will be celebrated on Saturday pregame.
LAST TIME OUT
The Pioneers are coming off a non-conference doubleheader sweep against the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The Pioneers took game one 19-12 and game two 6-5.
SHU bounced back in midweek action, edging Fordham 5-4 in a thrilling comeback win on Tuesday. After being down two runs, SHU added five runs across five innings for the win.
Tim McGuire led the offensive charge with an impressive .751 average, collecting five hits, three runs and three RBIs.
Peter Link was also impressive at the plate after missing four games for the Pios. The sophomore outfielder averaged .429, collecting three hits, two of them being home runs and one double.
On the mound,
Elijah Foster tossed five innings, giving up just one hit and tallied eight strikeouts.
SCOUTING QUINNIPIAC
Quinnipiac enters the weekend tied for third in the MAAC standings with an 16-11 conference record. The Bobcats are coming off a series loss to Siena after securing game one 13-7.
Offensively, CJ Willis leads the way with a .344 average, 10 doubles, four triples,12 home runs and 59 RBIs. Willis is one of four Bobcats who have 12 or more home runs.
On the mound, Andrew Rubayo is just one of two pitchers who meet the inning per game requirement with a 5.75 ERA in 19 appearances with 21 strikeouts over 51.2 innings.
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Pios lead the series 19-13 since first facing the Bobcats in 2006. SHU defeated QU in two games last year but most recently at home on May 14, 2024, 18-17.
POSTSEASON
The Pioneers clinched a spot in the MAAC Championship Tournament. SHU sits fifth in the 13-team standings, with the top eight teams advancing to the postseason, which takes place at Clover Stadium in Pomona, NY, on May 20-24.
