Bucknell University Athletics
First-Place Bucknell Wraps Up Road Schedule at Lafayette
4/18/2014 9:41:00 AM | Baseball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – After a mid-week contest at Towson on Wednesday, the Bucknell baseball team will return to Patriot League play this weekend when it travels to Lafayette for a four-game series. It will mark the final road contests of the regular season for the Bison, who will also be completing a 10-game road trip.
Bucknell (19-15-1, 9-3 PL) is 11-4 in its last 15 games and holds down first place in the Patriot League standings by 1.5 games over Army and Lehigh. Lafayette (10-19, 3-7 PL) is tied for fifth place in the league with Holy Cross. The Leopards have alternated wins and losses over the last seven games and are coming off a four-game series split vs. Navy last weekend.
This weekend's series will feature doubleheaders both Saturday (12 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.) at Lafayette's Kamine Stadium. Video of Sunday's games will air live on the Patriot League Network.
Lafayette owns a 108-62 edge in the all-time series. The teams split a four-game set last April at Depew Field.
Bucknell ranks fourth in the Patriot League in hitting (.254) and third in ERA (3.81), while Lafayette is sixth in hitting (.225) and fourth in ERA (4.19).
The Bison offense is led by Corey Furman, whose .393 batting average tops the Patriot League. Teammate Anthony Gingerelli is second at .348. Furman recently had a 12-game hitting streak snapped, but he has reached base in 16 consecutive contests and he ranks among the top five in the Patriot League in triples (t-1st), slugging percentage (2nd), RBIs (t-2nd), hits (t-3rd) and on-base percentage (4th). Gingerelli is tied for the Patriot League lead with a team-best three home runs and he ranks in the top three in the league in average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
Joe Ogren (.331) and Brett Smith (.316) are also hitting over .300 this year. Smith (.415) and Furman (.465) are hitting over .400 in Patriot League play.
Bucknell's pitching staff has been strong in recent weeks, posting a 2.29 ERA in Patriot League play. The four weekend starting pitchers – Bryson Hough, Dan Weigel, Andrew Andreychik, Xavier Hammond – have pitched 83.2 of a possible 94.1 innings during Patriot League play and own a combined ERA of 2.16 against conference foes.
The Bison are outscoring their Patriot League opponents 62-31 in 12 games this year.
Michael Coniglio (.321) is Lafayette's only hitter above .300 on the year. Tim Lazor, Andrew Santomauro and Tyler Hudson have each hit two home runs and the Leopards rank second in the Patriot League with nine on the year.
Reliever Cory Spera leads Lafayette on the mound with a 3-1 record and 1.08 ERA. He has struck out 10 and allowed 13 hits in 16.2 innings over 10 appearances.
After this weekend, Bucknell has just six games left in its regular season and all will take place at Depew Field. The Bison will host a doubleheader with St. Bonaventure Tuesday at 2 p.m. and then welcome Holy Cross to Lewisburg next weekend for a regular-season-ending four-game set. All four games in the Holy Cross series will air live on WVBU 90.5 FM and BucknellBison.com.
Weekend Pitching Matchups
Saturday Game 1: RHP Bryson Hough (4-3, 5.47 ERA, 33 K, 52.2 IP) vs. LHP Connor Ortolf (2-5, 3.04 ERA, 22 K, 50.1 IP)
Saturday Game 2: LHP Dan Weigel (3-4, 3.38 ERA, 29 K, 53.1 IP) vs. RHP Mitch Leeds (0-3, 4.50 ERA, 28 K, 36.0 IP)
Sunday Game 1: RHP Andrew Andreychik (4-3, 3.19 ERA, 30 K, 42.1 IP) vs. RHP David Bednar (1-2, 2.73 ERA, 29 K, 29.2 IP)
Sunday Game 2: LHP Xavier Hammond (2-3, 3.83 ERA, 30 K, 49.1 IP) vs. TBA
Bucknell Baseball's 2014 Weekly Awards
Patriot League Player of the Week: Corey Furman (March 4, March 10), Brett Smith (April 1),
Anthony Gingerelli (April 7)
Patriot League Pitcher of the Week: Andrew Andreychik (March 24, April 1), Xavier Hammond (April 14)
Bison Athlete of the Week: Andrew Andreychik (March 24, April 1)
Bucknell Baseball Home Radio Broadcast Schedule
(Games air live on WVBU 90.5 and BucknellBison.com)March 23: vs. Penn State (DH), 12 p.m.March 31: vs. Navy (DH), 12 p.m.April 5: vs. Lehigh (DH), 12 p.m.April 6: vs. Lehigh (DH), 12 p.m.April 26: vs. Holy Cross (DH), 12 p.m.
April 27: vs. Holy Cross (DH), 12 p.m.
