Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Baseball Set to Play Host to Navy This Weekend in Pivotal Four-Game Series
4/28/2006 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 28, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. - With the Patriot League standings still too close to determine who is in and who is out of the league tournament and what the seeding will be, the Bucknell baseball team will close out the regular season with a pivotal four-game PL series against Navy at home on Depew field this Saturday and Sunday, April 29-30. Each doubleheader will begin at noon and all four games will be broadcast live on the internet at www.sportsjuice.com.
The Bison currently sit second in the league standings with a record of 10-6 (20-21 overall) and are one game back of first-place Lehigh. Bucknell can secure a spot in the postseason tournament with two victories on the weekend and is still in the running for the regular season title. However, to finish first, the Orange and Blue must make up two games on the Mountain Hawks in the standings since Bucknell loses the tie-breaker with Lehigh by virtue of a 1-3 head-to-head record. Navy is currently fifth in the standings at 7-9 (29-18-1), one game out of the third and final playoff spot.
In league games only, the Bison rank first in the Patriot League in both team batting average at .319 (.298 overall, second) and in pitching with a 3.60 ERA (3.91 overall, second). The Midshipmen have a PL batting average of .272, good for fourth (.287 overall, fourth) and a staff ERA of 4.18 (4.09 overall, third), which ranks fifth.
Bucknell has a 36-51-1 record against Navy all-time. Last season, the teams split the four-game set with the Bison coming away with victories in the final two, 8-1 and 18-7.
Game one's pitching matchup is expected to be junior Matt Curry (Towanda, Pa./Towanda) for the Orange and Blue and Mitch Harris for the Mids. Curry holds a 2-6 record with a 3.27 ERA, while Harris has a league-best record of 9-2 with a league-leading 1.94 ERA. In game two, lefthander Jacob Moss (Fresno, Calif./San Joaquin Memorial) is the probable starter for Bucknell. He has a record of 4-2 and ranks third in the league with a 2.11 ERA. In his last start against Holy Cross, Moss hurled the first complete-game shutout of his career. Mark McCoy is slated to throw for Navy in game two. McCoy is 5-2 on the season with a 3.50 ERA.
After a stellar week at the plate that earned him Patriot League Player of the Week honors, senior Kyle Walter (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg Area) now leads the Bison hitters with a .353 average, which ranks sixth in the league. In addition to batting average, Walter ranks among the PL leaders in hits (53), doubles (17), triples (3), RBI (34), total bases (85) and slugging percentage (.567). His current season totals in doubles, RBI and stolen bases are all career highs.
Behind Walter, senior Chris Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) is second on the squad hitting .346 and classmate Matt Capece (Bowie, Md./DeMatha Catholic) is third, hitting .340. In 16 league games, Capece is batting .459, which leads all PL players. Harris paces the offense for the Midshipmen with a .336 average. Ryan McGinn has a squad-best 32 RBI and Jonathan Johnston leads the team in runs scored with 43 and in stolen bases with 35.
Prior to game one on Sunday, Bucknell will honor the eight seniors on this year's squad: Chris Brannan (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison), Capece, Brad Duvall (Hampstead, Md./Hereford), Phil Futrick (Schillington, Pa./Governor Mifflin), Grandizio, Moss, Ian Rainey (Littleton, Colo./Littleton) and Walter.
Elsewhere around the league this weekend, Army plays host to Lehigh and Holy Cross will play its four at home against Lafayette.
