Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Baseball to Face Holy Cross for Patriot League Title this Friday and Saturday
5/19/2010 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 19, 2010
What: Bucknell at Holy Cross (best of three series)
Where: Fitton Field, Worcester, Mass.
When: Friday, May 21 - Saturday, May 22
Radio: SportsJuice.com (Holy Cross broadcast - free)
Game Notes
Patriot League Baseball Championship Series Preview
About the Patriot League Championship Series
Bucknell and Holy Cross will meet in a best-of-three series this Friday and Saturday at Fitton Field. Game one will be played Friday at 6 p.m. Games two and three (if necessary) will be played Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. The Bison are in their second championship series in three years and will be aiming for their fifth Patriot League Tournament crown. Holy Cross is in the championship series for the first time in the three years of the current tournament format. The Crusaders have never won a Patriot League title.
Patriot League Tournament Format
In 2008, the Patriot League Tournament expanded to include the top four teams in the six-team league. Previously, only the first three squads in the final standings advanced to the postseason. The tournament, which was previously conducted on one weekend, also expanded to take up two weekends in May. The winner of the tournament earns the Patriot League's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Patriot League Titles
Bucknell will be going after its fifth Patriot League Tournament title. The Bison won the postseason tournament in 1996, 2001, 2003 and 2008, advancing to the NCAA Tournament each time.
No. 4 Seed Success
Bucknell will look to continue the success of the No. 4 seeds in the Patriot League Tournament this weekend. Since the new postseason format was adopted in 2008, No. 4 seeds have claimed four of five series. The Bison went 2-0 in 2008, Lafayette went 1-1 last year and Bucknell is now 1-0 this year for a combined 4-1 series record.
Series Records by Seed (since 2008)
No. 1 Seed: 0-3
No. 2 Seed: 3-2
No. 3 Seed: 1-2
No. 4 Seed: 4-1
Bucknell vs. Holy Cross
• Bucknell leads the all-time series 44-31
• Bucknell and Holy Cross have split eight meetings over the last two years
• Bucknell won three of four at Fitton Field in 2009, the last time it played at the facility
• All 75 games in the series have come since both teams joined the Patriot League in 1991
• The road team is 6-2 in the last eight meetings
No. 3 vs. No. 4 in Championship
Both the Patriot League Baseball and Softball Championships pitted the No. 3 seed vs. the No. 4 seed this year. The third-seeded Bison softball team won its title vs. No. 4 Colgate.
Deja Vu
Two years ago Bucknell traveled to Army for a first-round Patriot League Tournament matchup. The fourth-seeded Bison upset the No. 1 seed Black Knights in a three-game series. This past weekend Bucknell repeated that feat.
Familiar Teams
Bucknell and Holy Cross are two of the three teams that have qualified for the Patriot League Tournament in all three years of its current format. Army has also played in the postseason each of the last three years. Lafayette, Lehigh and Navy have each qualified for the tournament once each during that span.
Record Number of Games
The 2008 Bucknell team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament played a school-record 56 games. This year's Bison squad will surpass that total this weekend. Bucknell has had just one game cancelled all year, and that came the opening weekend of the season when a four-game series at VMI was shortened to three.
Most Games in a Season
1. 2008 (56)
2. 2010 (55)
3. 1999 (53)
Championship Game Record
Bucknell is 4-4 all-time in Patriot League championship games. The Bison were on the winning side in 1996, 2001, 2003 and 2008. They lost championship contests in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2006.
Powerful Team
Bucknell hit eight home runs in its semifinal series at Army, boosting its season total to 63. That figure is a new Patriot League record, eclipsing the 57 the 2009 Army squad hit last spring. Bucknell's previous record for home runs in a season was 50 in 1997. Multiple Bison (Doug Shribman - 17, Andrew Brouse - 15, Ben Yoder - 10) have reached double figures in home runs for the first time in program history.
Patriot League Tournament History
Bucknell is competing in the Patriot League Tournament for the fifth time in the last six years. Over that span the Bison have posted an 8-7 record. Overall, Bucknell is 19-16 in 11 all-time Patriot League Tournament appearances.
Home Run Records
Andrew Brouse is second on the Bison and in the Patriot League to teammate Doug Shribman in home runs this season with 15. However, his career home run total of 28 tops the Bucknell career list and is tied for first on the Patriot League all-time ledger.
Patriot League Career Home Runs
1. Cole White, Army (2005-08) - 28
Jesse Novalis, Lehigh (2001-04) - 28
Andrew Brouse, Bucknell (2007-10) - 28
Home Runs by Teammates
The 32 combined home runs for Doug Shribman (17) and Andrew Brouse (15) are the most by a pair of Bison teammates in program history. The previous high was 21 by Jason Buursma (13) and John Avanzino (8) in 2008.
Patriot League Tournament Records
Doug Shribman hit four home runs last weekend at Army, including at least one in each game. He broke the record for most home runs in a Patriot League Tournament, which was three, previously held by Navy's Craig Candeto (2003) and Army's Walker Gorham (2005). Additionally, Shribman's nine RBIs equaled the Patriot League Tournament record.
Third Straight 20-Win Season
Bucknell has won 20 games for the third straight year, the first time it has accomplished that feat since reaching that milestone six consecutive years from 1996 to 2001.
Strong Defense
Bucknell's fielding percentage this year is a strong .972, a figure that easily paces the Patriot League and is the best in program history, eclipsing the .960 fielding percentage the 2001 squad posted. The Bison, who had 19 errorless games during the regular season, did not commit an error during last week's semifinal series against Army. By contrast, the Black Knights committed five miscues.
Top Six Hitters
The top six hitters in the Bison lineup - Ben Allen, B.J. LaRosa, Ben Yoder, Andrew Brouse, Doug Shribman and Drew Constable - were a combined 39-for-85 (.459) in the three-game series at Army. Each player posted at least one hit in each contest.
High Averages
While Bucknell ranks second in the Patriot League to Holy Cross in team batting average, the Bison hold down four of the top spots on the Patriot League individual batting average list. Ben Yoder is third, while B.J. LaRosa, Doug Shribman and Andrew Brouse are listed fifth through seventh.
All-League
Bucknell had six All-Patriot League selections this year. The Bison tied Holy Cross for the most All-Patriot League players, while it equaled Army for the most first-team selections with four. Andrew Brouse was named Player of the Year, joining Kevin Silverman (1996), Frank Fresconi (2000) and Jason Buursma (2008) as Bison to earn that honor. Joining Brouse on the first team were B.J. LaRosa, Doug Shribman and Ben Yoder. Ben Allen and Dylan Seeley were second-team choices. Of the six All-Patriot League players only Seeley was a first-time honoree.
Academic All-District
Seniors Ben Allen and Andrew Brouse were recently named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II First Team for the second consecutive year. It marked the fifth straight year at least two Bison baseball players have been recognized. The Bucknell baseball program has had at least one Academic All-District selection in 11 of the last 12 years. Overall, 39 Bison have been cited a total of 58 times since 1983.
That Hurts
Bucknell batters have been hit by a pitch a Patriot League-high 58 times this year. While that is 11 shy of the program record of 69 set last spring, it is the second-highest figure in school history. By comparison, Bucknell pitchers have hit opponent batters just 31 times.
Consecutive Starts
Ben Allen has started 138 consecutive games at shortstop. He and Andrew Brouse are the lone Bison to appear in all 55 games this year.
Team Records
Bucknell has set new program records for doubles, home runs and total bases this year.
New Team Records
Home Runs: 63 (old record: 50 in 1997)
Doubles: 106 (old record: 96 in 2008)
Total Bases: 903 (old record: 837 in 2008)
Outscoring Opponents
While Bucknell enters the Patriot League Championship Series with a 23-32 record, it is outscoring its opponents 357-343. The Bison have posted 13 games with at least 10 runs scored and recorded double figures in hits on 25 occasions.
Consistent Starters
Bucknell has used just five different starting pitchers in its Patriot League games this year. Juniors Trey Frahler and Dylan Seeley, along with sophomore Jack Boehm, made six starts apiece, including all three postseason starts last weekend at Army. Junior Steve Carlin started in each of the first four Patriot League series, but sophomore Ryan Ebner replaced him in the final series at Army.
Bucknell Championship Teams
The Bucknell baseball team will attempt to become the ninth Bison team to win a conference title in 2009-10. Already this year Bucknell teams have claimed conference titles in men's soccer, men's outdoor track & field, women's cross country, women's indoor and outdoor track & field, women's rowing, softball and women's water polo.
Up Next
The winner of this weekend's series will earn the Patriot League's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Bison previously qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 1996, 2001, 2003 and 2008. The NCAA Tournament selection show will take place Monday, May 31, at 12:30 p.m. and air on ESPN. The NCAA Regionals will take place June 4-7.
