Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Baseball Opens Postseason Play this Weekend at Navy
5/12/2011 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 12, 2011
About the Patriot League Tournament
Bucknell and Navy will meet in a best-of-three series this Saturday and Sunday at Max Bishop Stadium. Game one will be played Saturday at noon with game two to follow. Sunday's game three (if necessary) will take place Sunday at noon. The Bison are the fourth seed in the four-team field, while the Mids claimed the top seed. No. 2 Army will be hosting No. 3 Lafayette this weekend with the winners squaring off in the Patriot League Championship Series May 21-22 at the home field of the highest remaining seed.
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, this year, will be going after its sixth Patriot League Tournament title. The Bison won the postseason tournament in 1996, 2001, 2003, 2008 and 2010, advancing to the NCAA Tournament each time.
Bucknell's PL Regular Season Titles
Outright: 1996, 2003
Shared: 1999, 2001, 2006, 2009
Bucknell's PL Tournament Titles
1996, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2010
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 five of six series. The fourth-seeded Bison went 2-0 in 2008 and 2010 and Lafayette went 1-1 in 2009 for a combined 5-1 series record.
Series Records by Seed (since 2008)
No. 1 Seed: 0-3
No. 2 Seed: 3-2
No. 3 Seed: 1-3
No. 4 Seed: 5-1
Bucknell vs. Navy
• Navy leads the all-time series 62-53-1
• The first game in the series took place in 1904
• Bucknell has won 10 of the 16 Patriot League Tournament meetings, including four in a row and six of the last seven
• Bucknell has won 12 of the last 16 meetings overall since 2008
• Bucknell and Navy split the 2011 regular-season series, 2-2
24 Wins
Bucknell is one win shy of equaling its 2010 total when it captured the PL title and advanced to the NCAAs. This is the fourth straight year the Bison have won at least 20 games.
Consecutive Patriot League Tournaments
Bucknell has qualified for the Patriot League Tournament in four consecutive years, its longest streak since advancing to the postseason six straight campaigns (1996-2001). Army's streak of five consecutive Patriot League Tournament berths is the only current streak longer than Bucknell's.
Familiar Opponent
Bucknell has played 38 games in the Patriot League Tournament and nearly half (16) have come against Navy. The Bison hold a 10-6 Patriot League Tournament edge over the Mids.
50+ Games
Last year's Bison set a program record with 60 games played. This year's team has already played 50 games, becoming just the seventh team in Bucknell history to reach that plateau.
Most Games in a Season
1. 2010 (60)
2. 2008 (56)
3. 1999 (53)
4. 1997 (50)
2001 (50)
2002 (50)
2011 (50)
Patriot League Tournament History
Bucknell is competing in the Patriot League Tournament for the sixth time in the last seven years. Over that span the Bison have posted a 10-8 record. Overall, Bucknell is 21-17 in 12 all-time Patriot League Tournament appearances.
Better Patriot League Record
In 2010, Bucknell earned the fourth seed in the Patriot League Tournament with an 8-12 conference mark. This year, the Bison were two games better in league play and were once again the fourth seed. Bucknell has finished at least .500 in Patriot League play in five of the last seven years, compiling a Patriot League mark of 72-68 over that span.
Aiming for Fourth Title
Bucknell's senior class will be aiming for its fourth Patriot League title this postseason. The Bison won tournament crowns in 2008 and 2010 and claimed the regular-season championship in 2009.
Back-to-Back?
Bucknell has a chance at winning its first-ever back-to-back Patriot League Tournament titles. No team has won two consecutive titles since Army in 2004 and 2005.
Home Runs
Senior first baseman Doug Shribman (16) and junior outfielder Bob Donato (10) have combined for 26 home runs this season. The only Bison teammates to hit more in a season were Shribman (21), Andrew Brouse (17), Ben Yoder (11) and Donato (6) last year.
Most Combined Home Runs in a Season (two teammates)
1. 38 (Shribman, Brouse - 2010)
2. 32 (Shribman, Yoder - 2010)
3. 28 (Brouse, Yoder - 2010)
4. 27 (Shribman, Donato - 2010)
5. 26 (Shribman, Donato - 2011)
Record-Breaking Shribman
Doug Shribman will go down as one of the most prolific hitters not only in Bucknell history, but in Patriot League annals. The senior first baseman is a three-time All-Patriot League selection who ranks in the top 10 in Bison history in 14 categories and is the all-time record-holder for career home runs (43) and total bases (379). Already the Bucknell and Patriot League single-season record-holder with 21 home runs last year, he stands third on both those lists with 16 round-trippers this spring.
Multi-HR Games
Bucknell hitters have combined for five multi-home run outings this year, including three by Doug Shribman, who has now hit two homers in a game seven times in his career.
All-Patriot League
Bucknell had six All-Patriot League selections this year. The Bison tied Navy for the most All-Patriot League players. Ryan Ebner was named Pitcher of the Year, joining Mike Tomko (1996), Mike Anders (1998) and Kevin Miller (2003) as Bison to earn that honor. Joining Ebner on the first team were three-time All-League choice Doug Shribman and Drew Constable. Alex Cillo, Bob Donato and Matt Lamore were second-team choices. Of the six All-Patriot League players, only Shribman was a repeat selection.
Academic All-District
Seniors Drew Constable and Doug Shribman were recently named to the Capital One Academic All-District II First Team. It marked the sixth 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 12 of the last 13 years. Overall, 41 Bison have been cited a total of 60 times since 1983.
Can He Do It Again?
Doug Shribman hit .423 with seven home runs, 16 RBIs, 10 runs scored and a slugging percentage of 1.308 in six Patriot League Tournament games last May on his way to earning Tournament MVP honors.
Strong End to Season
Bucknell posted a 9-4 record over its final 13 games of the regular season, including a 7-2 mark against Patriot League foes.
Powerful Team
Bucknell, which ranks ninth nationally in home runs, has hit a Patriot League-high 49 home runs this year, the third-highest total in program history. Doug Shribman and Bob Donato are the only teammates in the Patriot League to have each recorded double figures in home runs.
Home Runs (season)
1. 75 (2010)
2. 50 (1997)
3. 49 (2011)
Consistent Starters
Bucknell used just four different starting pitchers in its Patriot League games this year. Seniors Trey Frahler and Dylan Seeley, along with junior Ryan Ebner and Jack Boehm, each made five starts in Patriot League contests. Eleven different pitchers started at least one game this year, but Frahler, Seeley, Ebner and Boehm were the only hurlers to start more than three contests.
Starters vs. Bullpen
Bucknell's starters have posted a 5.62 ERA in 226.0 innings this year, while the bullpen's ERA is 5.87 in 176.1 innings. The bullpen has been especially strong of late, posting a 2.36 ERA over the last 17 games (68.2 IP). The bullpen has not yielded more than three earned runs in a contest over that span.
Five Runs or Fewer
Twenty-two of Bucknell's 24 wins this year have come when the opponent is held to five runs or fewer.
Ironmen
Five Bucknell position players started all 20 Patriot League games during the regular season: Travis Clark, Bob Donato, David Duffett, Gerry Runyan and Doug Shribman.
Forgetting James Madison
Bucknell's ERA over its last 46 games is a stingy 4.28. The Bison opened the season with a four-game series at James Madison that saw the Dukes plate 91 runs. Bucknell's ERA after that series was 23.70.
Bucknell Championship Teams
The Bucknell baseball team will attempt to become the seventh Bison team to win a conference title in 2010-11. Already this year, Bucknell teams have claimed conference titles in men's basketball, men's lacrosse, men's soccer, men's outdoor track & field, women's outdoor track & field and women's rowing.
Following Bucknell vs. Navy
Live video of all games from this weekend's Bucknell-Navy series will be available through Bison Vision and Patriot League All-Access. A small subscription feee applies. Additionally, fans can follow along with live statistical updates via GameTracker.
Up Next
If Bucknell wins this weekend's three-game series against Navy, it will travel to either Army or Lafayette in another three-game set next weekend. The winner of that series will claim the Patriot League title and an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
