POMONA, N.Y. – The Sacred Heart University baseball team is set to open postseason play against No. 7 Marist in the first round of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship on Wednesday, May 21, at 10 a.m. at Clover Stadium in Pomona, N.Y.
 
THE MATCHUP
This will be the first meeting of the season between Sacred Heart and Marist. The Red Foxes earned their way into the first round with a dominant 12-2 win over No. 5 Mount St. Mary's on Tuesday.
 
SHU and Marist last faced off in March 2024, with the Pioneers earning a 6-3 win.
 
PIOS IN THE POSTSEASON
In their first season in the MAAC, the Pioneers are making their inaugural appearance in the MAAC Baseball Championship Tournament.
 
The program is coming off a strong 2023-24 campaign that included winning the Northeast Conference (NEC) regular season title. SHU reached the NEC Tournament Championship game last May before falling to LIU.
 
TEAM NOTABLES

• SHU finished third in the MAAC standings with a 17-15 conference record and a 27-24 overall mark, securing a second straight winning season.
• The Pioneers opened conference play with four straight series wins following a competitive non-conference schedule.
• After a midseason skid with losses to Fairfield, Rider, and Niagara, SHU bounced back by taking two of three from Quinnipiac last weekend to climb into the No. 3 seed.
• On the mound, SHU ranks third in the MAAC in team ERA (5.72).
• Offensively, the Pioneers are:
  • 4th in doubles (103)
  • Tied for 1st in triples (17)
  • 3rd in RBIs (349)

 
TOP PIOS
Alex Ungar – The senior right fielder is having a standout season, leading the team with a .363 batting average. He tops the MAAC in doubles (23) and stolen bases (31), while adding 65 hits, 11 home runs, 44 RBIs, and a .698 slugging percentage.
 
Gavin Donohue – The sophomore shortstop is batting .332 with 70 hits, 12 doubles, 3 triples, 7 home runs, and 40 RBIs, boasting a .536 slugging percentage.
 
Joey Trombley – The reliable starter has posted a 4.92 ERA across 78.2 innings, striking out 48 batters and limiting opponents to a .281 average.
 
Elijah Foster – A key arm for the Pios, Foster owns a 4.97 ERA with 75 strikeouts over 70.2 innings.
 
Ryan Parker – Another dependable starter, Parker has struck out 33 batters over 57.2 innings this season.
 
SCOUTING MARIST
Jason Claiborn leads the Red Foxes with a .328 average, tallying 61 hits, 9 doubles, 2 triples, and a home run.
 
On the mound, Will Taylor is Marist's top pitcher with a 3.36 ERA and 60 strikeouts over 77.2 innings. He started in Tuesday's win over Mount, throwing 5.1 innings with 3 strikeouts, allowing 5 hits and 2 earned runs.
 
Tyler Hartley is another regular in the Marist rotation, pitching 54.1 innings with 48 strikeouts and a 7.62 ERA.