Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Baseball Heads to Richmond and VCU This Weekend
2/28/2008 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 28, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell baseball team will head south this weekend as the squad will travel to Richmond, Va., for four games against Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth. The Bison, who are currently 0-2-1 on the year, will play single games at Richmond on Friday and Sunday, at 2:30 and 1 p.m., respectively, with a doubleheader against VCU on Saturday starting at 1 p.m.
BISON BASEBALL NOTEBOOK
Probable Pitching Match-Ups
- Friday at Richmond: RHP Jason Buursma (0-0, 8.53 ERA) vs. LHP Matt Zielinski (0-0, 18.00 ERA)
- Saturday at Virginia Commonwealth (GM 1): RHP Mathew Wilson (0-0, 1.29 ERA) vs. LHP Michael Graham (0-0, 2.25 ERA)
- Saturday at Virginia Commonwealth (GM 2): RHP Andy Campbell (0-0, 3.60 ERA) vs. RHP Howie Deemer (first appearance)
- Sunday at Richmond: LHP Eric Jarrett (0-1, 0.00 ERA) vs. TBA
Against Richmond and VCU
- The Bison are 0-4 all-time against Richmond, having last played in 1988 in a series that began in 1925.
- Saturday's doubleheader against Virginia Commonwealth will mark Bucknell's first contests against the Rams in program history.
The Bison Briefly
- Bucknell's 14-inning 7-7 tie against Eastern Kentucky was the longest game in the tenure of head coach Gene Depew. The last time the Bison played a contest that lasted longer than 14 innings was a 15 inning marathon on May 16, 1975, which Bucknell won over Temple, 5-4. The Orange and Blue last recorded a tie in 1997 (8-8 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson).
- After one weekend of play, sophomore John Avanzino (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset) leads the Bison in batting average at .375 (3-for-8). He hit his first collegiate home run against Toledo in the season opener and is one of three members of the Orange and Blue who have two RBI thus far.
- Sophomore Andrew Brouse (Kreamer, Pa./Midd-West) has a team-high five hits on the year and is 5-for-15 at the plate (.333). Brouse went a career-best 3-for-7 in game one against Eastern Kentucky and was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.
- Sophomore B.J. LaRosa (Jacksonville, Fla./Episcopal) started behind the plate against Toledo and hit 2-for-3 with two doubles. As a team, the Bison have seven doubles in three games, two home runs and one triple.
- Mathew Wilson (Toronto, Ontario/Northern S.S.) had a solid first outing of the season, but did not earn a decision in the 7-7 tie against Eastern Kentucky last Saturday. The senior logged a career-high 10 strikeouts and allowed two runs, one earned, on seven hits with no walks.
Weekend Roundup
- The Bison traveled to Richmond, Ky., for Eastern Kentucky's Early Bird Tournament last weekend and came away with one tie and two losses to begin the season with a 0-2-1 record. Bucknell dropped the opener to Toledo, 9-7, after the Rockets managed to come back from a 6-3 deficit with a six-run seventh inning. In their second game of the day last Saturday, the Bison tied the host Colonels, 7-7, in a contest that was called after 14 innings due to darkness. Bucknell, which had its originally scheduled Friday games postponed due to rain, battled the elements once more on Sunday, dropping a snow-shortened contest that was called in the middle of the seventh, 3-2, to EKU.
Patriot League Preseason Poll
- Bucknell was tabbed fourth in the Patriot League Preseason poll, which was announced on Feb. 20. The Bison, who finished with a record of 16-24 last season (8-12 PL) picked up 29 points and two first-place votes, while Navy was first (43 points, four first-place votes), Lafayette second (42 points, four first-place votes) and Army third (37 points, two first-place votes).
- The Patriot League tournament has a new format beginning in 2008 as it will move from a three-team one weekend event to a four-team field with best-of-three semifinals and championship series played on back-to-back weekends, May 10-11 and May 16-17, at the home fields of the higher seeds.
Watch Lists
- Two of Bucknell's three senior co-captains have earned national preseason recognition. Jason Buursma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School) was named to the National Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Award watch list for a second consecutive year. The award, which was first presented in 2005, is given annually to the top relief pitcher in Division I baseball.
- Wilson was one of three Patriot League players to make the preseason cut for the Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Watch List. Buursma and Wilson finished one-two in the Patriot League in ERA in 2007 at 1.65 and 1.78, respectively. Wilson's innings qualified him for the national leaders, where he finished ranked eighth in Division I in ERA.
Buursma Featured in Ping!Baseball Spotlight Interview
- Buursma is currently featured in Ping!Baseball's Spotlight Interview. To view the Q&A, click here.
Next Up
- The Bison will travel to Bradenton, Fla., for its annual spring break trip which will begin with a game against IPFW on Sunday, Mar. 9, at 10:30 a.m. Bucknell will also face Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, Vermont and Akron during the trip.
