Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Baseball Set for Four-Game Weekend Series at Saint Joseph's
3/22/2012 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 22, 2012
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell baseball team will be spending its final weekend of non-league play before the Patriot League schedule gets underway in Philadelphia, Pa., as the Bison have a four-game series at Saint Joseph's. Bucknell and the Hawks will play single games Friday (3 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.) sandwiched around a doubleheader Saturday (12 p.m.).
The 9-8 Bison bring a two-game winning streak into the weekend as they captured the final contest in their seven-game Florida trip last Saturday against Northwestern and then nearly shut out Mount St. Mary's on Tuesday.
This weekend will feature the first meetings between Bucknell and Saint Joseph's in nearly 50 years. The Bison lead the all-time series, 2-1, but the squads have not played since 1965. The teams played once in 1963, 1964 and 1965 before the series was discontinued.
Saint Joseph's (4-16) this spring opened a brand new on-campus field, Maguire Campus Field. The facility features a synthetic surface with a dirt pitching mound, much like Bucknell's Depew Field. The Hawks, who are in the middle of a 12-game homestand, are 3-5 at home this year.
The Bison enter the weekend having played well on the road this year. They are 4-1 in road contests and have captured four in a row.
Bucknell's offense has been strong this year. The Bison are averaging nearly eight runs a game, compared to 5.4 in 2011. Seniors Bob Donato (.408, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 22 R, 15 XBH) and David Duffett (.408, 19 RBI, 13 R, 7 XBH) have been two key cogs in Bucknell hitting .329 as a team. Donato's six home runs place him among the nation's leaders, while his 16-game hitting streak is the longest by a Bison since Doug Shribman ended the 2009 campaign on an 18-game streak.
Sixty-two of Bucknell's 203 hits on the year have gone for extra bases. The Bison entered the week ranked third nationally in double per game (2.94). They already have 49 doubles this season after totaling 93 in 53 games in 2011. Bucknell's .334 batting average entering the week listed eighth in the nation.
While the Bison offense has been strong, the pitching has been effective as well. Senior reliever Alex Cillo was named both the Patriot League Pitcher of the Week and the ECAC Pitcher of the Week. He has not allowed a hit in his last 8.2 innings and has not yielded a run in 10.2 innings. His ERA is a team-best 2.40.
Friday's anticipated starter Dan Weigel is a solid 4-1 on the year with a 2.91 ERA, while 2011 Patriot League Pitcher of the Year Ryan Ebner leads the squad with 19 strikeouts.
Saint Joseph's is 4-16 on the year, but three of those victories have come in the last eight games after it snapped a nine-game losing streak. The Hawks are hitting .210 as a team and have a 4.36 team ERA.
Bucknell will return home after this weekend and begin a seven-game homestand Tuesday, March 27, against Binghamton. The two teams will square off in a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Depew Field.
Weekend Projected Starting Pitchers
Friday: LHP Dan Weigel (4-1, 2.91 ERA, 17 K) vs. RHP Kyle Mullen (1-4, 5.60 ERA, 22 K)
Saturday Game 1: LHP Ryan Ebner (1-3, 11.84 ERA, 19 K) vs. RHP Alex Pracher (1-4, 5.18 ERA, 21 K)
Saturday Game 2: RHP Bryson Hough (1-2, 5.27 ERA, 7 K) vs. RHP Jordan Carter (0-2, 3.29 ERA, 10 K)
Sunday: RHP Dan Goldstein (0-0, 4.85 ERA, 12 K) vs. RHP Tim Ponto (0-0, 5.02 ERA, 12 K)
Bison on Career Record Lists
Jack Boehm: Fewest Walks/9 in. (7th, 2.78)
Alex Cillo: Strikeouts/9 in. (4th, 8.54), Saves (6th, 6), Appearances (5th, 56)
Bob Donato: Games Played (7th, 157), Games Started (8th, 150), At Bats (7th, 576), Runs Scored (10th, 119), Hits (10th, 177), Doubles (1st, 48), Home Runs (4th, 23), Total Bases (6th, 306), Sacrifice Flies (6th, 9)
David Duffett: Sacrifice Bunts (7th, 11)
Ryan Ebner: Strikeouts/9 in. (8th, 7.45)
