Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Baseball Looks to Secure Spot in the Postseason against Lehigh this Weekend
4/25/2008 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 25, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell baseball team will finish out the regular season this weekend as the squad plays host to Lehigh in a four-game Patriot League series this Saturday and Sunday, Apr. 26-27, on Depew Field with each doubleheader scheduled to begin at noon. The Bison are one game back of first in the Patriot League standings at 9-7 behind Army (10-6) and Holy Cross (10-6) and can clinch a postseason berth with a pair of victories.
BISON BASEBALL NOTEBOOK
About Lehigh
- Current record: 20-26 (4-12 PL)
- All-time series: Bucknell leads, 71-68
- Last season, the Bison took three-of-four from the Mountain Hawks in Bethlehem, Pa. Lehigh won the series, 3-1, in its last trip to Lewisburg (2006).
- Andy Russell leads Lehigh's offense with a .319 batting average and has contributed 25 RBI and scored 26 runs in 40 games thus far. Staff ace Joe Matteo is 5-3 on the year with a 4.14 ERA and 48 strikeouts.
Short Hops
- Prior to Sunday's games, Bucknell will honor the eight seniors from this year's squad: Mark Angelo (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown), Jason Buursma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School), Shawn Hirsch (Morristown, N.J./Morristown), Chris Pieper (Port Washington, N.Y./Schreiber), Ed Rubbo (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge), David Solan (Newark, Del./Newark), Austin Turban (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) and Mathew Wilson (Toronto, Ontario/Northern S.S.) with a special pregame ceremony.
- Now at 21-18-2 and 9-7 in league play, the Bison have surpassed both their overall and league wins totals from 2007. Bucknell has also secured the 11th 20-win season in program history.
- Bucknell is 10-3 on Depew Field thus far and has outscored its opponents 107-64 in Lewisburg, hitting .353 as a squad.
- Bucknell holds a team batting average .314 to lead the Patriot League and ranks in the top-50 nationally. The last time the Bison finished the season hitting over .300 was 2004 (.302).
- Ten different players have hit home runs for the Orange and Blue this season. In total, the Bison have combined for 31 homers, the most by a Bucknell team since the squad finished the season with 46 in 2000 (47 games).
The Bison Briefly
- Five members of the Orange and Blue are hitting over .300, paced by Buursma's league-leading .402 average. Sophomore John Avanzino (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset), Angelo and junior Dane Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) all began the week in the top-10 in the league in batting average, as well.
- Sophomore Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) is among the league leaders in runs scored with a team-best 35 and also ranks in the league's top-10 for walks (17). Allen made his first career appearance on the mound at St. Bonaventure and recorded a save with two strikeouts.
- Angelo has a team-high 51 hits and is the only Bison to have played in all 41 games. His 51 hits, which ranks among the league leaders is the highest total by a member of the Orange and Blue since Matt Capece and Kyle Walter finished with 59 and 58 in 2006, respectively.
- Buursma and Avanzino rank 1-2 in the league in home runs with 10 and nine, respectively and are also the top two in slugging percentage. In addition, the duo ranks in the league's top-10 for RBI and total bases, while Buursma began the week second in on base percentage (.472).
- Grandizio has stolen a squad-best 11 bases to earn a spot among the league leaders as he is 11-for-14 on the basepaths and began the week in the top-10 for hits (46), as well. Both totals are career highs for the Bison centerfielder.
- Freshman Dylan Seeley (Shavertown, Pa./Wyoming Seminary) ranks second in the Patriot League in earned-run average at 2.96. He is 3-1 with 18 strikeouts in 45.2 innings pitched.
- In addition to his stellar performance at the plate this season, Buursma leads the Patriot League in wins (5) and strikeouts with 62, averaging 9.10 per nine innings. He holds a 3.38 ERA and has walked just eight batters in 45.2 innings of work. His opponent batting average (.259) is among the league's best as well.
- In two Patriot League starts, Wilson is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA. He posted a career-high 11 strikeouts against Holy Cross on Apr. 13 in the seven-inning contest, the most by a Bison since Eric Junge fanned 11 in a game in 1999. Overall, Wilson is 3-1 with a 3.90 ERA and has struck out 40 batters in just 32.1 innings for an average of 11.13 per game.
- Freshman Eric Jarrett (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore Area) began the week in the top-10 in the league in ERA (4.34) and wins (4). He has 34 strikeouts through 58 innings on the mound.
Recapping the Past Week of Games
- With the help of 3-for-3 performances at the plate by Allen and Pieper, the Bucknell rolled to a 14-6 win over Penn State Behrend on Apr. 17 at Depew Field. Junior Jimmy Murphy (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) worked 2.1 innings and picked up the win (2-0) for the Orange and Blue. He allowed one run on four hits with no walks and two strikeouts.
- On Apr. 19, Buursma struck out seven batters in game one and went 2-for-5 at the plate in game two with two RBI, but it wasn't enough as the Bison dropped a pair to Navy at home falling 4-0 and 16-6. Buursma and Jarrett were the pitchers of record for the Orange and Blue.
- Behind 12 hits and yet another strong performance on the mound by Wilson, Bucknell downed Navy, 8-2, in the seven-inning game of Sunday's Patriot League doubleheader on Apr. 20. Game two was called due to rain and was played the following day.
- With the help of a historic home run by Buursma, the Bucknell baseball team finished off its Patriot League series against Navy with a dramatic 5-4 victory on Depew Field on Monday, Apr. 21. In the bottom of the fifth, Buursma blasted a two-out three-run homer over the left field fence. The home run was Buursma's 21st of his career, tying a school record that was previously set by Roger Ahrens and Tyler Prout. Clinging to a 5-4 lead with the bases loaded and no outs in the top of the ninth, freshman Trey Frahler (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) recorded the final three outs of the contest to log his first career save. Seeley registered the win for Bucknell as he worked six innings and allowed just two runs despite surrendering 10 hits, with two walks and no strikeouts.
- Eight players combined for 13 hits as Bucknell posted a 9-6 win over St. Bonaventure this past Wednesday afternoon. The Bison staved off a ninth-inning rally by the Bonnies with Allen fanning the final two batters of the contest to pick up his first career save. Freshman Daniel Hart (Levittown, N.Y./Island Trees) earned the victory (2-0) for the Orange and Blue. He did not allow a run or a hit with three walks and two strikeouts in three innings of work.
Entering the Bison Record Book
- Buursma is climbing the ranks in the Bucknell record book as he is tied for the program record in career home runs (21) (tied for seventh in PL history) and is also sixth in career RBI (107), sixth in hits (164), fifth in total bases (272), and ninth in triples (9). He holds the school record for saves (third in PL history) with 15, is second in appearances (64) and 10th in strikeouts (141). With 62 strikeouts on the year, Buursma is just the fourth player in program history to post 60-plus strikeouts in a season.
- With his shutout against Holy Cross, Wilson tied the program career record, four, held by Kurt Waldner (1990-93). He currently ranks in both Bucknell and the Patriot League's record books for career ERA.
- Buursma and Avanzino have both entered Bucknell's single season home run top-10 list as Buursma is tied for third with 10 and Avanzino is tied for fifth with nine.
- Sophomore Andrew Brouse (Kreamer, Pa./Midd-West) posted three doubles on Mar. 12 versus Illinois State to tie a school single game record set by Pete Gorski against William & Mary in 1996.
- Bucknell set a team record for doubles in a game with eight against IPFW on Mar. 9, surpassing the previous record of seven, which was set twice--versus Rochester in 1975 and against Lehigh in 1990.
Buursma Selected as Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Finalist
- Buursma has been selected as one of 10 national finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in the baseball division, it was announced recently. The honor will be presented in June to the top senior student-athlete in collegiate baseball who demonstrates the qualities both on and off the field of what it means to be a complete student-athlete, with specific attention paid to achievements in the classroom and community. Last month, Buursma and Wilson were originally selected as two of 30 candidates for the award. Buursma and the nine other finalists chosen from that group will now be placed on the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award ballot for a nationwide vote. From April 16-June 2, fans will be able to vote via the award's web site, www.seniorclassaward.com . Those results, combined with votes from coaches, media and sponsors, will determine the award recipient. Buursma becomes the second Bison student-athlete to be named a finalist for this honor as 2007 graduate Ryan Gryskevicz was a finalist for the inaugural award last spring and was named an All-Senior All-American. Bucknell and Oklahoma are the only two schools in the nation to have finalists on the ballot both years the award has been presented.
Another Honor for Buursma
- Buuursma was named one of 50 candidates for the Dick Howser Trophy, given to the top player in collegiate baseball, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) announced on Thursday. The Dick Howser Trophy, which is presented in memory of the former Florida State All-America shortstop and major league player and manager who died of brain cancer in 1987, is regarded by many as college baseball's most prestigious award. The criteria for consideration include performance on the field, leadership, moral character and courage.
Patriot League Tournament Format
- 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.
Bison Honors
- Patriot League Player of the Week: Dane Grandizio (3/4), John Avanzino (3/31)
- Patriot League Pitcher of the Week: Eric Jarrett (3/11), Jason Buursma (3/17), Mathew Wilson (4/14)
- College Baseball Foundation National All-Star Lineup: John Avanzino (4/2)
- ECAC Division I Player of the Week: John Avanzino (4/2)
- ECAC Division I Pitcher of the Week: Mathew Wilson (4/17)
- Damon's Bison Athlete of the Week: Jason Buursma (3/24), John Avanzino (3/31), Mathew Wilson (4/14)
