Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Baseball Travels to Holy Cross this Weekend for PL Tournament Semifinal Series
5/8/2013 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 8, 2013
What: Bucknell Bison (16-31, 10-10 PL) at Holy Cross Crusaders (26-23, 15-5 PL), Patriot League Semifinal Series (best-of-three)
Where: Fitton Field, Worcester, Mass.
When: Saturday, May 11 - 1 p.m. doubleheader; Sunday, May 12 - 1 p.m. (if necessary)
Internet Video: Bison Vision
Internet Radio: GoHolyCross.com
Live Statistics: GoHolyCross.com
Game Notes
About the Patriot League Tournament
Bucknell and Holy Cross will meet in a best-of-three series this Saturday and Sunday at Fitton Field. Games one and two will take place on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. Game three (if necessary) will take place Sunday at 1 p.m.The Bison are the fourth seed in the four-team field, while the Crusaders claimed the top seed. No. 2 Navy will be hosting No. 3 Army this weekend with the winners squaring off in the Patriot League Championship Series May 18-19 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 eight series. The fourth-seeded Bison went 2-0 in 2008 and 2010.
Series Records by Seed (since 2008)
No. 1 Seed: 4-3
No. 2 Seed: 5-4
No. 3 Seed: 1-5
No. 4 Seed: 5-3
Bucknell vs. Holy Cross
• Bucknell leads the all-time series 49-41.
• The first game in the series took place in 1991.
• Bucknell has won three of the four Patriot League Tournament meetings, including two in a row.
• Holy Cross has won nine of the last 11 meetings.
• Holy Cross has won the season series 3-1 each of the last two years.
Another 20-Win Season?
Bucknell will need to win the Patriot League Tournament to reach the 20-win plateau for a program-record sixth consecutive season.
Return to Patriot League Tournament
Bucknell will be playing in its fifth Patriot League Tournament in the last six years. The Bison missed the postseason last May for the first time since 2007. This is the 14th time Bucknell has qualified for the Patriot League Tournament since making its debut in 1996. The Bison own a 22-19 all-time record in the Patriot League Tournament.
PL Tournament Records vs. Opponents
Navy: 11-8
Army: 6-5
Holy Cross: 3-1
Lafayette: 2-2
Lehigh: 0-3
Not Much Postseason Experience
Bucknell's 2013 roster has combined for just 11 games played, 41 at bats, three hits and one RBI in the Patriot League Tournament. Bison pitchers have logged just 0.2 innings and only two hurlers (Dan Goldstein, Dan Weigel) have thrown a pitch in the postseason tournament.
Close Games
Nineteen of Bucknell's 47 games this year have been decided by one or two runs. The Bison are 2-13 in one-run games and 13 of their last 18 losses have been by two runs or less.
Ten Patriot League Wins
Bucknell finished the Patriot League campaign with a 10-10 record. It marked the fourth time in the last six years the Bison have won at least 10 games in league play. Bucknell has reached that plateau 15 times in 23 years in the conference.
All-Patriot League
Bucknell had three All-Patriot League selections this year. DH Corey Furman was named to the First Team, while 2B Travis Clark and 3B Carter Bumgardner earned Second Team honors. It marked the first career award for all three veterans. Additionally, freshman P Andrew Andreychik was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year. It marked the first time a Bison was named Rookie of the Year since Ben Yoder in 2007.
Academic All-Patriot League
Bucknell led the Patriot League with five players named to the 11-person Academic All-Patriot League Team. Matt Busch, Dan Goldstein, Jack McLinden, Justin Meier and Dan Weigel were members of the team. No other school had more than two representatives on the squad.
First Year for Scott Heather
After eight years as an assistant coach at Bucknell, Scott Heather was elevated to head coach for the 2013 season. The rookie mentor already ranks 11th in program history with 16 wins. Next up on the list is 10th-place Walter Blair and his 19 wins in 1920, 1926 and 1927.
Starters vs. Bullpen
Bucknell's starting pitchers averaged 6.1 innings per start this year, logging 290.0 of the Bison's 391.0 innings. Bucknell's starters posted a 4.28 ERA, while relievers registered a 4.80 ERA.
Consistent Starters
Bucknell used just four different starting pitchers in its Patriot League games this year, marking the second time in three years it did that. In 2011, Trey Frahler, Dylan Seeley, Ryan Ebner and Jack Boehm each made five Patriot League starts. This spring, Bryson Hough, Dan Weigel, Dan Goldstein and Andrew Andreychik each started five Patriot League contests.
Longer Games Hurt Bison
Bucknell has been outscored by a slim 145-132 margin over the first five innings of games this season. It's the later innings that have hurt the Bison, who have been outscored 103-64 from the sixth inning on.
Miscellaneous Notes
• All seven of Bucknell's road victories this year came during Patriot League play. The Bison were 7-5 on the road against league opponents.
• Carter Bumgardner (.329), Corey Furman (.315), Anthony Gingerelli (.306) and Travis Clark (.304) hit over .300 on the road this season.
• Carter Bumgardner, Travis Clark, Corey Furman, Joe Ogren and Robb Scott started all 20 Patriot League games this year.
• Bucknell is 8-7 this year when Corey Furman is the starting designated hitter.
• Bucknell is averaging 3.3 runs over its last 10 games. The Bison averaged 7.0 runs per game the previous nine contests.
• Bucknell's pitching staff has yielded just one home run over the last 11 games.
• Bucknell is 10-9 over its last 19 games.
• Bucknell's best stretch this year came April 6-16 when it won seven out of eight games, including a season-best four in a row at one point.
• Bucknell has not scored more than three runs in any of its last seven losses. The last time the Bison scored more than three runs in a loss was April 17 at Penn State (L, 7-6 in 12 in.).
• Bucknell has scored at least four runs in each of its last eight victories. The last time the Bison won a game when scoring fewer than four runs was April 7 at Navy (W, 3-1).
Bucknell Championship Teams
The Bucknell baseball team will attempt to become the sixth Bison team to win a conference title in 2012-13. Already this year, Bucknell teams have claimed conference titles in men's water polo, women's indoor track & field, men's basketball, women's outdoor track & field and men's outdoor track & field.
Following Bucknell vs. Holy Cross
Live video of all games from this weekend's Bucknell-Holy Cross series will be available through Bison Vision and Patriot League All-Access. Additionally, fans can follow along with live statistical updates via GoHolyCross.com.
Up Next
If Bucknell wins this weekend's three-game series against Holy Cross, it will travel to either Navy or Army 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, which begins Friday, May 31.
