April 24, 2008

Emmitsburg, MD - After rolling to an easy 11-4 win over Iona, the Green & White return to Northeast Conference (NEC) action with a big four-game series at Mount St. Mary's this weekend (4/25-4/27). Wagner (16-19; 7-5 NEC) and the Mount (10-23; 6-5 NEC) are the third and fourth place teams in the league and have developed a nice rivalry over the last three years, with nine of the last 10 meetings being decided by three runs or less.

If there has been one team that has had the Seahawks number over the past two years, a case could be that Mount was that team. The Mountaineers swept four games from Wagner a year ago, using the series as a springboard to their first-ever NEC Tournament berth while the Seahawks were never able to fully recover and missed out on the playoffs for the first time since 2003. Despite getting swept, the Seahawks were ultra-competitive, losing the four games by a combined eight runs, including two by just one run.

Sophomore Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA) continues to lead the Wagner offense, hitting a team-best .311 with team-highs in hits (38), doubles (7), home runs (7), RBI (23), slugging percentage (.541) and OBP (.372). During NEC Play, he has been even better, hitting a league-best .436 with 17 hits, three doubles, four home runs, 11 RBI, and a whopping .821 slugging percentage in just 12 games.

Creeping up behind Avella is classmate Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms), who is second on the squad in batting (.282), hits (31), doubles (5), walks (13) and OBP (.362). The Nutmeg State native's bat has been heating up of late as McDonnell has hit safely in four of his last five games, including a career-high four-hit game against Iona.

Joe Testa (Brick, NJ / Brick) is putting together another monster season in his final campaign on Grymes Hill. The senior lefty recorded a 2-1 game-two victory at FDU (4/19), fanning nine while yielding just a single unearned run on two hits and two walks over 7.0 innings of work. It marked the second-straight start that Testa had not allowed a earned run while extending his scoreless streak to 17.2 innings. He leads the Green & White in wins (4), strikeouts (50), innings pitched (55.1), complete games (2) and opposing batting average (.195) with a NEC-best 1.95 ERA.

As good as Testa has been he has been even better during NEC play, going 2-1 with a sparkling 0.90 ERA and 18 strikeouts over 20.0 innings. His 2-1 win over FDU also moved him to 3-0 all-time vs. the Knights with 29 strikeouts, against just five walks, three complete games and a miniscule 0.43 ERA over 21.0 innings.

Kyle Morrison (Middlesex, NJ / Immaculata) has been equally solid during NEC play, turning in a perfect 3-0 record with a 2.50 ERA and 14 strikeouts, against just six walks, over 18.0 innings while limiting hitters to just a .227 average. The sophomore righty has gone 6.0 innings in each start while yielding zero, three and two runs, respectively, in his three NEC starts.

The Mount enters today's game winners of six of its last 10 games after starting off the year 4-17. Freshman Kyle Kane paces the Moutaineers with a .373 average while senior Drew Counselman checks in next at .352 with 15 doubles and a .582 slugging percentage. Senior Josh Vittek is the Mount's biggest power source, with a league-best 11 home runs and 36 RBI with a .341 average. As a team, the Mount is hitting .269 while posting a league-best .967 fielding percentage.

Mount lost three of its weekend starters to the professional ranks a year ago and their lone returning starter Andrew Germuth has been sidelined by an injury. Sophomore RHP Max Brittenham is the squad's top starter going 2-4 with a 4.62 ERA with 27 strikeouts over a team-best 48.2 innings. Sophomore relievers Mike Matta and Kent Worthington have helped bring along the Mountaineers' young pitching rotation. Matta, has posted a team-high three wins and a 3.81 ERA with 19 strikeouts over 28.1 innings out of the bullpen. Worthington has struck out 27 over 24.1 innings.

The teams will play a single nine-inning game on Friday at 3:00 pm before playing a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 12 pm. A single nine-inning game on Sunday at 1 pm will conclude the four-game set. Live stats for Friday and Sunday's games will be available via the GameWatcher feature on the Mount website. Live stats for Saturday's doubleheader can be accessed through the GameTracker feature on the Wagner website.

Probable Pitching Match-Ups
Game 1 - So. RHP Max Brittenham (2-4; 4.62 ERA; 27 K; 48.2 IP) vs. Fr. LHP Jack Rice (4-2; 3.05 ERA; 17 K; 41.1 IP)
Game 2 - Fr. RHP Marshall Thomason (2-3; 5.68 ERA; 19 K; 31.2 IP) vs. Sr. LHP Joe Testa (4-4; 1.95 ERA; 50 K; 55.1 IP)
Game 3 - So. RHP Brett Moore (1-5; 6.95 ERA; 21 K; 33.2 IP) vs. So. RHP Kyle Morrison (3-2; 5.31 ERA; 37 K; 40.2 IP)
Game 4 - TBA vs. So. RHP Matt Watson (3-5; 4.70 ERA; 17 K; 38.1 IP)

Notes
• Head coach Joe Litterio is 14-11 against Mount St. Mary's, but has lost six-of-seven to the Mountaineers spanning the last two years. Additionally, Litterio is just 4-5 at the Mount.

• The Seahawks hold a 30-21 advantage in the all-time series but are just 10-13, all-time in Emmitsburg.

• Freshman second baseman Seth Boyd (Perth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) is hitting .364 over his last six games with five runs, three doubles and four multi-hit games.

• Junior catcher Chris Drechsel (Cranford, NJ / Cranford) is just three hits away for 100 for his career. • Sophomore leftfielder Joe Conforti (Staten Island, NY / Farrell) blasted his first collegiate home run vs. Iona.

• Classmate centerfielder Damian Csakai (Freehold, NJ / Freehold) continues to lead the NEC with 18 stolen bases and ranks 55th nationally. In his two years he is 39-40 (97.5 %), ranking fifth in the all-time Wagner annals.

• Testa is 21st nationally with a 1.95 ERA and is 22nd in hits allowed per nine innings (6.35).

• The Seahawks have posted a 4.47 team ERA, ranking second in the NEC and 58th nationally.

• Wagner is also 44th in hits allowed, scattering just 9.04 per nine innings.

• Junior RHP Andrew Huebner (Hatfield, PA / North Penn) is second in the NEC and 44th nationally with six saves.

• Wagner is 11-5 in games decided by three runs or less, including 5-1 during NEC play. The Mount is just 5-11 in games decided by three runs or less, but 4-3 during NEC play.

• During NEC play, the bullpen has been lights out posting a 1.74 ERA over 20.2 innings while striking out 20.

• These two teams combined to have six former student-athletes sign contracts with Major League organizations over the last two years. Andrew Bailey (Oakland A's) and Joey DiGeronimo (Baltimore Orioles) were drafted while Mike McTamney (Philadelphia Phillies) inked a free agent contract. From the Mount, Ivor Hodgson (Kansas City Royals) and Mike Gioioso (Baltimore Orioles) were drafted while Dustin Pease (Kansas City Royals) signed a free agent contract.

• Drechsel hit a team-best .455 with a home run against the Mount a year ago.

• Vittek has owned Wagner pitching over his three years, batting an even .400 (14-35) with six doubles, four home runs and 16 RBI in 10 games against Wagner.

• Fellow seniors Matt Eiden (.458) and Ryan Murray (.368) also have lifetime averages above .300 against Wagner.

• Only three current Mount hurlers have pitched against the Green & White. In three games, Matta logged two saves and a win over 3.2 innings of one-hit relief against Wagner a year ago. Jimmy Mudgett (1.2 innings) and Costa Kapothanasis (0.2 innings) are the others.