Live Stats

TEANECK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team will look to play its home opener for the third time this spring when it hosts New York Tech in a three-game series this weekend at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex. The Knights and the Bears will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 12 p.m. before playing a single contest on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Earlier this week, FDU (2-7) fell on the road to a pair of 2012 NCAA Tournament teams, losing to St. John's (Sweet Sixteen), 12-2, and in 10 innings to Stony Brook, 6-5.

Freshman Dylan Sprague (Brunswick, N.Y./Averill Park) is hitting .400 this week with a double, three walks, one sacrifice fly, one RBI and one run while recording a .556 on-base percentage. Sophomore Ryan MacDonald (Bethpage, N.Y./Island Trees) is hitting. 375 over the last two contests, while freshman John Giakas (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) and senior Kyle Weeks (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) each have two RBI.

Through nine contests, Weeks his hitting .438 (14-for-32) with three doubles, eight walks, five RBI and is getting on base at a .561 clip. Senior Eric Anderson (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands) leads the squad with nine RBI, while sophomore Riley Moonan (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero North) has scored a team-best eight runs.

As a team, the Burgundy and Blue is hitting .264 (80-for-303), but opponents are batting .339 (107-for-316) while outscoring the Knights, 84-33.

The FDU pitching staff has an 8.60 ERA. Senior Matt Cadigan (Freehold, N.J./Freehold) is the one bright spot, as the lefty has posted a 1.29 ERA out of the bullpen in 7.0 innings of work over seven appearances.

NYIT is winless through eight games, having played at Cincinnati, Coppin State and Fordham, while playing a pair of close contests at home with Albany (3-2, 2-0). The Bears are projected to finished seventh in the eight-team Great West Conference this season.

Statistics for NYIT through its last contest with Albany have the Bears hitting .206 as a team, with senior Dan Lackner leading the way with a .333 batting average and five stolen bases. Six different players lead the team with two RBI, while senior Ali Rodriquez has scored a team-high four runs. NYIT has been outscored 56-16 this season.

Pitching wise, the Bears have a team ERA of 7.27. However, a pair of potential starters this weekend, sophomore James Bulva and redshirt junior Tommy Cardona, has pitched well. Bulva has posted a 2.25 ERA in 12.0 innings of work in two starts, and Cardona has a 3.24 ERA in one start (two appearances) while throwing 8.1 innings.

NYIT leads the all-time series, 40-6, and defeated FDU in 11 innings, 6-3, last season on March 6 at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex. Lackner broke open a 3-3 tie in the top of the 11th with a two-run bomb, his second of the game, with nobody out. The Knights forced extra innings in the bottom of the ninth on sophomore Jordan Ritz (Newport News, Va./Woodside)'s two-out, RBI single to left field, which tied the game at three.

Following the weekend series with NYIT, FDU will begin Northeast Conference play next weekend with a four-game set at Central Connecticut State, March 22-24. However, the Knights could potentially play their makeup contest with NJIT on Tuesday, March 19 at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex.