Live Stats

The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team will look to build on its three-game win streak this weekend when they host Sacred Heart in a four-game NEC series at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex in Teaneck, NJ.  Game one is set for 3:00 p.m. on Friday.  Saturday will feature a doubleheader consisting of two seven-inning contests beginning at 1:00 p.m.  First-pitch for the series finale is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.
 
Last Time Out: FDU (8-11-1, 4-4 NEC) returned home for the first time in 10 games and defeated the Jaspers of Manhattan, 7-4, on Tuesday.  After falling behind 2-0 after one inning, the Knights scored a run in the bottom of the second before plating a pair of runs in all three middle innings to take a 7-2 lead. 
 
Senior Matt Holsman (Coral Springs, FL/Stoneman Douglas) went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a stolen base to lead FDU's nine-hit attack.  Freshman Riley Moonan (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero North) continued his hot play by going 2-for-3, including a ringing double off the right-field fence, while collecting a RBI and a run scored.  Junior Eric Anderson (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands) had two RBIs, and fellow classmate Kyle Weeks (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) scored twice and collected a RBI.
 
Freshman Ryan MacDonald (Bethpage, N.Y./Island Trees) made his first career start on the mound and pitched well.  The southpaw allowed two earned runs on two hits, while walking three and striking out two.  Anderson picked up the victory by pitching three scoreless innings during the middle frames.  The lefty allowed three hits, walked one and hit a batter.  Senior Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) picked up his first save of the season by getting the final two outs of the game.
 
Anderson leads the Knights in hitting (.433), home runs (5), RBI's (21), hits (29), slugging (.716) and on-base percentage (.506).  Kresky is hitting .351 on the year and leads the team in runs scored (18) and walks (17).  He has pounded out 26 hits, which includes nine doubles and two home runs, and has collected 13 RBI's, while slugging .554 and recording an on-base percentage of .495.
 
Eliasen leads the pitching staff with his 3-1 record.  The ace of the FDU staff has struck out 33 batters and has only walked four in 36.2 innings pitched, while posting a 4.66 ERA.  

Scouting Sacred Heart: The Pioneers (8-13, 6-2 NEC), who are picked to finish second in the NEC, are the defending NEC Tournament champions and are currently in second place in the standings.  Sacred Heart lost 10 of its first 11 contests against stiff competition with its lone win coming at a neutral site against Pittsburgh.  The Pioneers played the likes of New Mexico State, Xavier, Miami (OH) and Army all away from home.  However, Sacred Heart is currently on a five-game win streak after sweeping Mount St. Mary's last weekend at home and beating Iona at home Wednesday.  The Pioneers split their NEC opening-series at home against Central Connecticut State two weekends ago.
 
The Pioneers are led by senior infielder Hunter Phillips' .324 batting average (23-for-71).  Sophomore outfielder Connor McEvoy is hitting .318 (21-for-66) with a home run and 11 RBIs.  Junior outfielder Dave Boisture is hitting .315 (23-for-73) with 10 RBIs.  Junior infielder John Murphy is hitting .308 (16-for-52) with a team-high 16 runs scored, two triples and is a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen bases.  Senior first baseman Rob Griffith is also hitting .308 (12-for-39) with 11 runs scored, four doubles, a team-best two home runs, 10 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .564, which leads the team.
 
As a team, Sacred Heart is third in the NEC in hitting with a .282 batting average (189-for-670), one spot behind the Knights, while scoring 107 runs (5.1 runs per game).  The Pioneers have struck out 134 times, drawn 64 walks and have made 40 errors on defense.  Opponents are hitting .308 (212-for-688) off Sacred Heart pitching and have scored 161 runs (7.7 runs per game), drawn 77 walks and struck out 114 times.
 
The Pioneers are scheduled to start RHP Derek Troy Scribneer (2-3, 5.65 ERA, 28.2 IP, 24 K's), LHP Nick Leiningen (2-1, 7.24 ERA, 27.1 IP, 15 K's), RHP Robbie Maguire (0-1, 3.50 ERA, 18.0 IP, 15 K's) and RHP Kody Kerski (1-3, 7.50 ERA, 24.0 IP, 9 K's) in the series.
 
All-Time Series: The Knights and the Pioneers have played 39 times, with Sacred Heart leading the all-time series, 29-10.  The two teams first met in 1999 and have played every year since.  The Knights won five of the first seven games in the series before the Pioneers won 21 of the next 22, including 16 straight from 2004-09 as FDU snapped its losing streak in the second game of a four-game series and won the final two games to take the series.  The Pioneers won all four meetings last season and have won seven of the last eight.

Next Up: The Knights will return to the road for one game when they travel to Stony Brook, NY on Wednesday, April 4 to take on the Seawolves of Stony Brook for the second time this season.  First-pitch for the non-conference matchup is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.